Hold your nose and vote on Tuesday, June 6, 2006

[mithriltabby]

It’s election time again: Tuesday, June 6, 2006. As usual, I’m sharing my research notes to save wear and tear on the sanity of my friends.

• Primary Election, Democratic: Partisan Offices
  • State
    • Governor: SmartVoter summary. This race is basically Angelides vs. Westley, and fortunately, they’re both basically competent. Westley broke a campaign pledge not to use attack ads, which of course led Angelides to start running attack ads about the use of attack ads. Westley’s ads attempted to paint Angelides as anti-environment and turned out to be entirely baseless.
      • Michael Strimling. SmartVoter profile.
      • Steve Westley. SmartVoter profile. Endorsed by the San Francisco Chronicle, the San Jose Mercury News, and the Silicon Valley Metro, but his willingness to use lies to get elected means I don’t want him representing the people of California.
      • Frank A. Macaluso, Jr. SmartVoter profile.
      • Phil Angelides. SmartVoter profile. Endorsed by the San Francisco Bay Guardian, the California Democratic Party, the California Labor Federation, the Service Employees International Union, the California League of Conservation Voters, and the League of Pissed Off Voters.
      • Jerald Robert Gerst
      • Vibert Greene. SmartVoter profile.
      • Barbara Becnel. SmartVoter profile.
      • Joe Brouillette. SmartVoter profile.
    • Lieutenant Governor: SmartVoter summary. Chronicle story. This race is basically “Who do you want to have credibility for a shot at the governorship later?”
      • John Garamendi. SmartVoter profile. Endorsed by the California Labor Federation, the Service Employees International Union, and the California League of Conservation Voters. Basically competent, but Speier stands out more.
      • Liz Figueroa. SmartVoter profile. Even Figueroa endorses Speier as competent.
      • Jackie Speier. SmartVoter profile. Endorsed by the San Francisco Chronicle, the San Jose Mercury News, the San Francisco Bay Guardian, the California League of Conservation Voters, and the League of Pissed Off Voters. She’s got the most qualifications for the job.
    • Secretary of State. SmartVoter summary.
      • Debra Bowen. SmartVoter profile. Endorsed by the San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Bay Guardian, the California Democratic Party, California Labor Federation, California League of Conservation Voters. They both want to give us more reliable voting technology, and Bowen is modern enough to have web site in place before the primary.
      • Deborah V. Ortiz. SmartVoter profile.
    • Controller. SmartVoter summary.
      • John Chiang. SmartVoter profile. Endorsed by the San Francisco Chronicle, California Labor Federation, California League of Conservation Voters, League of Pissed Off Voters. This was a tough choice, but I’m going with Chiang because he’s not harping on and on about Enron and I suspect he will prove to be a better generalist.
      • Joe Dunn. SmartVoter profile. Endorsed by the San Francisco Bay Guardian, the California Labor Federation, Service Employees International Union, California League of Conservation Voters.
    • Treasurer: SmartVoter summary. Bill Lockyer is the only candidate on the ballot. He is endorsed by the San Francisco Bay Guardian, the California Democratic Party, California Labor Federation, Service Employees International Union.
    • Attorney General: SmartVoter summary.
      • Jerry Brown. SmartVoter profile. Endorsed by the San Francisco Chronicle, the San Francisco Bay Guardian, California Labor Federation, Service Employees International Union, California League of Conservation Voters, League of Pissed Off Voters. I think Brown has a more solid base of experience.
      • Rocky Delgadillo. SmartVoter profile. Endorsed by California Labor Federation, Service Employees International Union.
    • Insurance Commissioner. SmartVoter summary. I feel like this campaign is a joke. Bustamante’s web site has health tips and nothing about his plans for being an insurance commissioner; Kraft’s is nothing but a Flash application that plays music and offers nothing at all. Profiles in the Orange County Register and Contra Costa Times.
      • Cruz M. Bustamante. (Yes, that’s his campaign website, according to SmartVoter. Really. His Wikipedia entry is more informative.) SmartVoter profile. Endorsed by the San Francisco Bay Guardian, the California Democratic Party, California Labor Federation, Service Employees International Union.
      • John Kraft. SmartVoter profile. The Pacific Sun says “His most important primary qualification may be that he is not Bustamante.”
    • Member, State Board of Equalization, District 1: SmartVoter summary. Betty T. Yee. Endorsed by the San Francisco Bay Guardian, the California Democratic Party, California Labor Federation, Service Employees International Union. She is the only candidate on the ballot.
  • United States Senator: The San Francisco Bay Guardian refuses to endorse Feinstein. SmartVoter summary. Orange County Register profile.
    • Martin Luther Church. Profile in the Sacramento Bee. I think he’d do even worse than Feinstein if he got elected.
    • Colleen Fernald looks like a viable target for a protest vote to let Dianne Feinstein know she’s drifted too far to the right. Profile in the Sacramento Bee. Interview in Raw Story.
    • Dianne Feinstein: Dianne Feinstein is only a part-time member of the vertebrate phylum; I am not satisfied with her support for the flag-burning amendment and the “PATRIOT” Act (which now makes it a felony to burst Bush’s bubble), nor am I comfortable with the amount of money she receives from oil companies. While she does have the endorsement of the California Democratic Party, the California Labor Federation, and so on and so forth, I want her to get a very clear message that she better start standing up for real American values of liberty.
  • United States Representative: SmartVoter summary. Anna Eshoo is the only candidate on the ballot, and I’m not complaining. She is endorsed by the California Democratic Party, the California Labor Federation, Planned Parenthood, and the California League of Conservation Voters.
  • Member of the State Assembly: SmartVoter summary. Sally Lieber is the only candidate on the ballot; she is endorsed by the California Democratic Party, the California Labor Federation, Planned Parenthood, the Service Employees International Union, and the California League of Conservation Voters.
  • County Committee, 22nd Assembly District: choose six out of ten, if you can find that many that actually make their positions available on the Net. SmartVoter summary.
    • Herb Engstrom. SmartVoter profile. Planned Parenthood confirms as pro-choice. His position paper looks basically sensible, and he supports campaign finance reform. He’s listed as an incumbent.
    • Alyson L. Abramowitz. SmartVoter profile. She considers verifiable voting important, and she’s apparently a Joss Whedon fan (yes, the information on candidates for this position is so scanty that that could be relevant to making your decision). She’s listed as an incumbent. Planned Parenthood confirms as pro-choice.
    • Vince Cortese. Out-of-date SmartVoter profile. He’s listed as a retired teacher.
    • Pearl Cheng. Out-of-date SmartVoter profile. Campaign site for the Cupertino School District. Planned Parenthood confirms as pro-choice. She’s listed as a Cupertino Union School District Board Trustee. Anna Eshoo endorsed her for the Cupertino School District, so she can’t be a complete incompetent, even if she couldn’t be bothered to make useful information available about herself for a SmartVoter profile.
    • Jon Kessler. He’s listed as an Assembly District Director.
    • Andrew Pontious. There is no information about him. At all.
    • Aldyth Parle. Out-of-date SmartVoter profile. She’s listed as an incumbent.
    • Frederik M. Fowler. SmartVoter profile. He believes in openness and transparency in government. He’s listed as a computer consultant
    • Anna E. Song. SmartVoter profile. She’s listed as a trustee of the Santa Clara County Board of Education. She cares enough to have a profile at SmartVoter.
    • Brandon Sulser. SmartVoter profile. Planned Parenthood confirms as pro-choice. He wants to demystify the workings of the Central Committee. He’s listed as a Quality Analyst.
• Nonpartisan Offices
  • Judicial
    • Judge of the Superior Court Office No. 8: SmartVoter summary, LWV questions.
      • William J. Monahan. SmartVoter profile.
      • Douglas B. Allen. SmartVoter profile.
      • George S. Cole. SmartVoter profile. I like Cole’s answers on the LWV questionnaire; he’s still asking questions, not just giving answers.
    • Judge of the Superior Court Office No. 13: SmartVoter summary. Mercury News story mentioning the race.
      • Michele McKay McCoy. SmartVoter profile. She has comparable experience to the other candidates and I can actually find information about her online. Anyone who hasn’t figured out the importance of the Net by now really shouldn’t be making decisions about issues in Silicon Valley, so that makes it easy to pick her out from a field where everyone looks basically competent.
      • Timothy Pitsker
      • Shawna Schwarz
  • School
    • Superintendent of Public Instruction. SmartVoter summary. EasyVoter profile.
      • Jack O’Connell. SmartVoter profile. Endorsed by the San Francisco Bay Guardian (faintheartedly), the California Democratic Party, Service Employees International Union. He looks more committed to the job than the rest of the playing field.
      • Sarah L. Knopp. Profile in the Sacramento Bee.
      • Daniel L. Bunting. SmartVoter profile. Profile in the Sacramento Bee.
      • Grant McMicken. SmartVoter profile.
      • Diane A. Lenning. SmartVoter profile.
  • Santa Clara County
    • Assessor. SmartVoter summary. SJ Mercury story on the race.
      • Larry Stone. SmartVoter profile. Endorsed by the San Jose Mercury News, Silicon Valley Metro. Planned Parenthood confirms as pro-choice. He seems to have been doing a fairly competent job.
      • Pete “Primo” McHugh. Endorsed by the California Labor Federation. Planned Parenthood confirms as pro-choice.
    • District Attorney. SmartVoter summary.
      • Jim Shore. SmartVoter profile. Endorsed by the Silicon Valley Metro. Planned Parenthood confirms as leaning pro-choice.
      • Karyn Sinunu. SmartVoter profile. Endorsed by the San Jose Mercury News. Planned Parenthood confirms as pro-choice. She’s a supporter of openness and public scrutiny.
      • Dolores Carr. SmartVoter profile. Planned Parenthood confirms as pro-choice.
      • Marc Buller. SmartVoter profile.
    • Sheriff: the only candidate on the ballot is Laurie Smith. SmartVoter summary.
• Measures Submitted to the Voters
  • State
    • 81: California Reading and Literacy Improvement and Public Library Construction and Renovation Bond Act of 2006. SmartVoter summary. We have not yet reached the level of technology where all citizens can have access to all the functions of a library through virtual interfaces; we still need the physical libraries and the on-site librarians to help people use them. Yes.

      Supported by	Opposed by
      San Francisco Chronicle San Jose Mercury News San Francisco Bay Guardian California Democratic Party California Labor Federation Mountain View Voice Silicon Valley Metro League of Women Voters	League of Pissed Off Voters

    • 82: Preschool Education. Tax on Incomes Over $400,000 for Individuals; $800,000 for Couples. Initiative Constitutional Amendment and Statute. SmartVoter summary. Education is one of the best long-term investments we can make; the only question for me is whether this is going to be an effective way to provide that. I don’t think this particular method is going to work. No.

      Supported by	Opposed by
      Yes on 82 California Democratic Party People for the American Way California Labor Federation San Francisco Bay Guardian League of Pissed Off Voters	No on 82 San Francisco Chronicle San Jose Mercury News Mountain View Voice Silicon Valley Metro

      And, in the “officially neutral” category: the League of Women Voters.
  • Santa Clara County
    • A: Shall a one-half cent sales tax be enacted, for 30 years, for general county purposes? SmartVoter summary. Note that the measure simply says “such as” and only specifies that a Citizens Oversight Committee will ensure fiscal accountability by reviewing the Annual Audit. I think that county politics is sufficiently accessible to voters that we can keep this from turning into a boondoggle. (My friend rhylar gives his accountant’s perspective in this series of posts: 1 2.) Yes.

      Supported by	Opposed by
      Vote Yes on A (“Citizens for Health Care, Transportation, and Local Accountability”) San Jose Mercury News League of Women Voters Santa Clara County Medical Assocation Fred Fowler Silicon Valley Metro	Vote No on A (“Citizens for Sensible Transportation Solutions”) Silicon Valley Taxpayers’ Association Tim Risch Mountain View Voice

    • B: Without increasing taxes, shall the Santa Clara County Charter be extended to provide for the acquisition, development, maintenance, and operation of parks, by continuing the annual transfer from the general fund of an amount estimated to equal $0.01425 per one hundred dollars of assessed valuation of all rel and personal property commencing on July 1, 2009 for twelve years? No one is even bothering to oppose this. SmartVoter summary. Endorsed by the Mountain View Voice, Silicon Valley Metro, League of Women Voters. Yes.
  • School
    • C: Foothill-De Anza College Repair/Job Training Measure. SmartVoter summary. If we can’t get help from the state to take care of the schools we need to clean up after the mess of our K–12 system, we need to take care of them ourselves. Yes.

      Supported by	Opposed by
      Yes on Measure C (“Citizens for Foothill-De Anza”) San Jose Mercury News Mountain View Voice Silicon Valley Metro League of Women Voters	No on C (“Silicon Valley Property Taxpayers” Association”)

Resources: Chronicle Endorsements, the San Jose Mercury News Voter Guide, the League of Pissed Off Voters’ San Francisco Voter Guide.

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[mithriltabby]

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