ELECTIONS / COUNTY SUPERVISORS : Montgomery Challenges Mikels to Make Public Stand on Prop. 187

Declaring Proposition 187 a defining issue in the race for Ventura County supervisor, Moorpark Councilman Scott Montgomery on Tuesday criticized his rival Judy Mikels for not taking a public stand on the ballot measure that would bar most public services to illegal immigrants.

“I think the public has a right to know where she stands before they vote for her, whether they agree with her or not,” Montgomery said. “What has she got to hide?”

Mikels said Montgomery, a staunch supporter of the controversial statewide ballot initiative, is desperate and is using scare tactics in an effort to salvage his campaign.

“This is not a countywide issue,” the Simi Valley councilwoman said. “It’s a state and federal issue. What he’s doing is acting in desperation.”

But Montgomery maintained that voters have a right to know where the candidates stand on all issues. He pointed out, for example, that he has not been afraid to make public his anti-abortion stance.

“I think candidates should divulge how they feel about every issue,” he said. “I’ve tried to do that. . . . I don’t ant to have any hidden agendas.”

Mikels, however, said Montgomery was exploiting the illegal immigration issue to boost his candidacy for a countywide post that has little say over the issue. The two candidates are running for a seat being vacated by Supervisor Vicky Howard, whose 4th District includes Simi Valley, Moorpark and the Santa Rosa Valley.

“He hasn’t shown me that he’s been supporting this all along,” Mikels said. “He just sees that it’s popular in the (public opinion polls). He’s trying to ride on the coattails of 187.”

Mikels said she believes illegal immigration is a major problem facing the state and that more needs to be done to beef up border patrols and enforce laws against employers who hire people who are here illegally.

“What we’re not doing is enforcing the laws we have,” she said.

In a debate Tuesday night sponsored by the Simi Valley Women’s Club Federated, the two candidates were asked their views on illegal immigration.

If elected, Montgomery said he would support transferring illegal immigrants incarcerated in the Ventura County Jail to federal authorities.

“I think it’s important for elected officials at all levels to address this issue,” Montgomery said.

Montgomery also called for county officials to support a constitutional amendment proposed by Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Simi Valley) that would deny automatic citizenship to children born to illegal immigrants in this country.

Mikels agreed with Montgomery in supporting Gallegly’s efforts.

Mikels said the county needs to lobby state and federal officials to come up with a program to transfer illegal immigrants incarcerated in county jails back to their country of origin with the guarantee that they would be jailed there.

“Just sending them back on a free bus trip is not the answer,” she said.

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Meanwhile, in a surprise move Tuesday, Barbara Williamson, Mikels’ council colleague and chief rival in the June primary, announced that she was endorsing Mikels in the supervisor’s race. Williamson had previously said she would remain neutral in the race.

Williamson, who has occasionally clashed with Mikels over fiscal issues, said she believed Mikels’ experience as a Simi Valley council member has better prepared her for the job of county supervisor than Montgomery’s experience on the Moorpark council. She pointed outthat Mikels has worked with a city budget twice the size of Moorpark’s.

“She’s the best-qualified candidate,” Williamson said. “I just think she has a real handle on budgetary items. And that’s exactly what this county is going to need.”

As for her past criticism of Mikels, Williamson said, “We don’t agree on everything. But I think that sometimes is healthy.”

Last week, Moorpark Councilman Bernardo Perez announced his support of Mikels, saying Montgomery had distributed a mailer in favor of Proposition 187 that he found offensive to Latinos.

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The Montgomery flyer, mailed to 12,000 absentee voters, featured a picture of illegal immigrants on the cover and the words: “This isn’t ‘immigration.’ This is an invasion. And you’re paying for it.”

Like Mikels, Perez said Montgomery was trying to take advantage of the emotionally charged illegal immigration issue to appeal to voters.

Montgomery denied Perez’s accusations, saying he believed there are some things the county could do to reduce the cost of illegal immigration.

Steve Frank, who is coordinating the Ventura County campaign in support of Proposition 187 and who provided advice on Montgomery’s mailer, said it is important that each supervisorial candidate take a stand on the immigration issue.

Frank said the county is spending a great deal of money on health, education and welfare benefits for illegal immigrants and that voters should know where the candidates stand on the matter.

“This is a county issue,” he said. “This is not something that someone running for an elected office can hide from. That’s what being a political leader is all about, taking a position on the issues.”

Frank said it was of no consequence that the current Board of Supervisors voted 4-to-0 to oppose Proposition 187. Supervisor Vicky Howard, who has endorsed Mikels in the race, abstained.

“We can’t vote on the current board, but we can vote for one of the candidates in this race,” he said. “And there is certainly a clear-cut difference.”