Tomorrow will be exactly one month until the election.

Can you feel the heat?

A struggling economy has made for a disgruntled electorate, and campaigns across the state and county have had to step up their efforts to convince voters that their candidate is really an architect of change—and not just another hack in a suit looking for a healthy benefits package.

Voters are tired of the talk. They've been talked to by loan officers, financial advisers and stockbrokers for too long. What they want from their politicians is action—action on the economy, on energy independence, on immigration.

Here in Simi Valley, the list of hot-button topics includes some old favorites (land use, growth rate, improving our schools and hospital), some newcomers (landfill expansion, water availability, the homeless) and some of the unusual (what to do with Bottle Village and Runkle Canyon?).

On Wed., Oct. 15 at 11:30 a.m. these issues and others will be laid at the plate of those seeking office during a Candidate's Forum at the Lost Canyons Golf Club in Simi Valley.

Sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce and mediated by the Acorn, the forum's list of confirmed attendees includes those running for school board, city and state offices—and more are expected to sign on.

The paper's staff is in the process of formulating questions for these candidates, and we've decided to get our treasured readers involved.

If you have a question in mind for the candidates, send it to simi@theacorn.com. Please let us know which race your question applies to: state Senate, state Assembly, Simi Valley school board or City Council.

We look forward to hearing from you.

If we use your question during the forum, we'll let the candidates know who and where the question came from.

If you'd like updates on the races that will impact our area, visit recorder.countyofventura.org/elections.htm.

To RSVP or for more information about the Oct. 15 forum, call Stacey Pistole at the Chamber of Commerce at (805) 5208223 or e-mail spistole@simichamber.org.