If you've been caught up in the cliche handwringing about young people who don't care about politics, 18-year-old Torrance resident Jeff R. Samano should put your mind at ease.
The LB State communications major has been spending his free time doing some political homework in advance of the June 3 Torrance city council elections, in the hopes of engaging Torrance residents with his blog, Torrance Election 2008.
Jeff's posts include lengthy reviews of election forums and campaign funding records.
His first post explains his point of view and tells which candidates he was pulling for when he began the blog. Curiously, three of his four faves have answered Q&A's on his site. Coincidence?
Read on for a Q&A with Jeff to find out how he got interested in civics, what he thinks is the biggest issue facing Torrance now and what he thinks every South Bay resident should know.
The bio on your site says you're an 18-year-old life-long Torrance resident. Will this be the first election you'll be eligible to vote in?
No, I was eligible to vote in the California primary on Super Tuesday but I have been active in politics since I was 16.
How did you get interested in politics and city government?
There was never some overnight sensation where I fell in love with the political process. It was really a gradual understanding and appreciation for politics in America on the local state and federal level that just happened overtime. Once you know a little bit about one issue you want to find out about another and eventually you just get caught up in it all. I volunteered for Arnold Schwarzenegger's re-election campaign when I was 17 and attended three of the Torrance City Council Election forums when I was 16 but I was not nearly as interested in Torrance politics then as I am now.
What do you think are the biggest issues facing the city of Torrance? Do you think you have a unique perspective on the issues as a younger voter?
On a daily basis what affects Torrance residents the most is traffic. Having to come home from work, school or wherever you are at everyday during rush hour is just horrendous and it needs to be taken care of before it gets worse. I do believe I have a unique perspective as a young voter for I am invested in the future. In politics now a days it seems so many voters will elect a politician who can provide short term relief for any problem but that is not what I want. As a voter of the "next generation" I am looking for leaders that will have long term solutions to the hardships we face and won't just put off issues for the next administration or the next generation to worry about.
This is your first presidential election. What do you think of the campaigns so far?
Most people are fed up with all the bickering and fighting going on in both parties all throughout this campaign but for me, I personally I enjoy it. I believe it is vital to our democracy to air our differences in the open, even if it can get kind of nasty sometimes. Ultimately the more the candidates discuss the issues the more we will know about them and the better of an informed decision we can make come election day.
Originally your blog was anonymous. Why?
My biggest fear when I first started the blog was that if people ever found out I was 18 they would dismiss my work and think I would have nothing important to say. It was only when (Daily Breeze reporter) Nick Green suggested that I allow my audience to know who I was did I come out and say my age and a little bit about my background.
How has the response to your blog been from the public? Are you getting much traffic or email?
Response has been great to the blog thus far and after this interview I expect the traffic to come in even more. If you go on Google right now and type in "Torrance Election 2008" my website should be on the first page. Usually sites with a combination of the most hits and relevance to the search you are inputting appear first on a Google search. I am also getting e-mails from most of the city council candidates telling me how much they appreciate the work I do on the blog.
Have the candidates been forthcoming in participating in your Q&A's? What's the feedback you've gotten from them?
As of right now Rod Guyton, Cliff Numark and Tim Goodrich have done questions and answer segments on the blog and some of the other candidates have acknowledged they have received my questions but have been so busy on the campaign trail they have not had time to answer them. The feedback though from the Q & A's has been all positive and everyone who reads it learns a little something about a candidate.
You're majoring in communications at LB State. What have you learned from launching and running your blog? What has surprised you the most?
I have learned you just cannot make everyone happy. When you write a review for a forum for example somebody is going to complain that this person was not covered as well as they should have been or this person got too much coverage and so forth. I accept constructive criticism as long as it is done in a tactful and respectful way. What has surprised me the most is the responses from the candidates and how much they respect the blog and how willing they are to answer questions I pose to them personally while at the forum.
What is your ultimate career goal?
My ultimate career goal is to follow the motto "If you love your job, you will never work another day in your life" by Thomas Edison. I love talking about all different subjects ranging from politics to the entertainment on television. I would love to do something in the public relations industry but I am open to the endless possibilities of careers in communications.
What is something you think all Torrance residents should know?
There are two things really all Torrance residents should know. One, the vision of Jared Sidney Torrance and how he believed in a city that was balanced with residential, commerce and industry. Everyone should know a little bit about Torrance history, it will only make you more appreciative of this great city.
Second, how to get to Foster Freeze because you cannot say you have lived and experienced all of Torrance until you have been to Foster Freeze in Old Town Torrance.
What are your three favorite things about living in the South Bay?
First is the weather, only in the south bay can people complain that 80 degrees is too hot and anything below 65 is too cold. Second has to be beauty of the South Bay. Whether it is going down to a local beach or stopping by any one of the hundreds of parks in the South Bay there is always somewhere to enjoy the beauty the area has to offer. Finally are all the other actives you can enjoy in the South Bay. Great restaurants, A variety of movie theaters, shopping centers, in particular Del Amo mall in Torrance, Amusement Parks and a verity of other things you can do to have fun in the South Bay. I wouldn't want to live anywhere else.
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