MONEY LOST: Cash never hurts when running...

MONEY LOST: Cash never hurts when running for public office, but it doesn’t always help. Just ask Simi Valley Councilwoman Barbara Williamson, who doled out roughly $10 for each vote she received in her unsuccessful bid for a county supervisor seat. . . . In contrast, Moorpark Councilman Scott Montgomery spent about $3 per vote and finished first in the four-way race. He will battle Simi Valley Councilwoman Judy Mikels (about $4 per vote) in a November runoff. . . . Williamson said she has no regrets. “You cannot pay people to go to the polls and vote.”

ROADWORK: Ventura County’s scenic roadways may have inspired the hit pop song “Ventura Highway” in the mid-’70s, but lately, county transportation officials are singing the blues over a lack of funding for much-needed road improvements (B1). . . . Money is so tight that some projects may have to be downsized or postponed indefinitely. State Department of Transportation official Jerry Baxter said: “For Ventura County, it might mean some projects don’t get done.”

REAGAN’S BUDDY: Actor Charlton Heston has gone from playing Moses in the biblical epic “The Ten Commandments” to himself in the hit-comedy “Wayne’s World.” . . . But these days, Heston is equally well-known for his role as a spokesman for conservative causes and the Republican Party. . . . On Tuesday, Heston, a longtime friend and supporter of former President Ronald Reagan, will give a speech on the “Spirit of Excellence,” highlighting his concerns about restoring social and cultural standards in America, at the Reagan library near Simi Valley.

CIVIC DUTY: Alex Fiore has been a Thousand Oaks city councilman since the time Lyndon B. Johnson was in the White House (B4). . . . Reflecting on his 30-year political career, Fiore said: “The city council level is the toughest form of government because you’re eyeball to eyeball with everybody.”