California Election questions, comments, opinions and recommendations

[Barry]

Hi Everybody,

The California primary elections are coming up on Tuesday, June 6th. I thought it would be a good idea if we all pooled our thoughts about the various candidates and issues.

I want to point out that our very own Colleen Fernald is on the ballot for U.S. Senator! I hope she will chime in about her platform.

Along with the major races, if you can shed any light on the lesser known positions and candidates we are asked to vote for it would be most helpful!

All comments, questions, opinions and reccomendations are welcome! Please post publicly. You are welcome to disagree with a fellow member, but please be respectful. I will split converations off into their own thread by race or issue when that seems appropriate.

Once this thread(s) gets going I'll move it to WaccoTalk with a link left behind in General Community. I'll post instructions later on how you can follow the thread once I move it, or remove it from your digest if you prefer.

I want to thank Sassydog for first posting for requesting your input.

I am an absentee voter and would like some opinions on who you are voting for and why. That way I will have a better idea of what I am doing.

Many thanks. BTW, I am hopeful of getting my vote in mail by this weekend.

helen s

Barry

[helenscott08]

Barry, I received the following info from Colleen Fernald in my mail box. I have copied it for your info. hs

Hi,

I have a website for my US Senate campaign.

I also support Pam Torliatt and Lynn Woosley.

I have suggestions for Santa Rosa City Council, if needed.

Best wishes,


Colleen Fernald

Omni-partisan, Progressive Democrat for US Senate - to serve the people of California
colleen@campaignforpeace.org
www.colleenfernaldforsenate.org
PO Box 30 Sebastopol, CA 95473
707.876.9610

Best Choices for Sonoma County Board of Supervisors:
Mervis L. Reissig
www.votemervis.com
Debora Fudge
www.fudgeforsonomacounty.com

Links for optimal living:

Coming soon - link for all Candidates for Peace
www.campaignforpeace.org

Progressive Democrats Sonoma County
www.pdsonoma.org

Graton Community Projects
www.graton.info

Russian River Watershed Council
www.rrwc.net
www.russianriverwatershed.net

Sonoma County Water Coalition
www.scwatercoalition.org

Bay Area Code Pink
www.bayareacodepink.org

Cities for Progress
www.citiesforprogress.org

Climate Protection Campaign
www.climateprotectioncampaign.org

Green Mary
www.green-mary.com

U.S. Green Building Council - Redwood Empire Chapter
www.usgbc.org/chapters/redwoodempire

ICLEI Cities for Climate Protection Campaign
ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability
www.iclei.org/us

Ecological Footprint
www.myfootprint.org
www.redefiningprogress.org

Find out your body's burden at:
www.insidebayarea.com/bodyburden

MAY PEACE PREVAIL!!!

[Barry]

I have split off a discussion that started on this thread about Propostion 82 into its own thread called Proposition 82 (Preschool) discussion. Please post any further comments about Prop 82 on that thread.

If you have a question or comment on regarding anything else the June 6th election, please reply to this thread.

BE SURE TO VOTE!
Barry

[helenscott08]

Hi Everybody,

The California primary elections are coming up on Tuesday, June 6th. I thought it would be a good idea if we all pooled our thoughts about the various candidates and issues.

I want to point out that our very own Colleen Fernald is on the ballot for U.S. Senator! I hope she will chime in about her platform.

Along with the major races, if you can shed any light on the lesser known positions and candidates we are asked to vote for it would be most helpful!

All comments, questions, opinions and reccomendations are welcome! Please post publicly. You are welcome to disagree with a fellow member, but please be respectful. I will split converations off into their own thread by race or issue when that seems appropriate.

Once this thread(s) gets going I'll move it to WaccoTalk with a link left behind in General Community. I'll post instructions later on how you can follow the thread once I move it, or remove it from your digest if you prefer.

I want to thank Sassydog for first posting for requesting your input.

Barry

I am AMAZED there is no more interest in this election. I have heard many people complaining about this and that on how our government is run. Yet, come election time, and no one seems to care enough to find out more info on the parties running for election.

If you vote without knowing anything about the people or propositions you vote for, it is worse, almost, than not voting.

Anyway, it will be very nice to have the views of at least some of you on the candidates and propositions. It does help to see what the ordinary citizen has to say.

helen s

[Rucira]

I am disgusted with voting because i believe it to be fixed

but we need to vote for debra fudge

write in reclusemasseuse for something.
i promise to eliminate the tax system and make all laws illegal.
reclusemasseuse@yahoo.com:D: :giggle:

[Barry]

Can you, Rucira, or anybody else, tell us more about Debra Fudge, such as what is she running for her and why you support her or somebody else!

Come on, folks! You must have some questions or opinions about something that's on the ballot!

There is a good discussion happening about Proposition 82 in this thread.

but we need to vote for debra fudge

[Merrilyn]

"Can you, Rucira, or anybody else, tell us more about Debra Fudge, such as what is she running for her and why you support her or somebody else!"

Deb Fudge is running a clean/positive campaign and speaks well for herself on her website: http://fudgeforsonomacounty.com/ Read for yourself and decide.

At Healdsburg's Twilight Parade last Thursday huge crowds turned out and enthusiastically cheered Fudge who was riding in a lovely horse-drawn carriage (no fossil fuels).

The differences couldn't be greater between Fudge and Kelley on the issues: water use, river, gravel mining, global warming and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, approach to traffic problems, agriculture, development, urban growth boundaries and green belts, smart growth and land use...... Go to the website for the details.

Having Debora on the board of sups will create a positive change for the whole county. Paul Kelley consistently votes against the health of the environment, the future, and agriculture in favor of big business interests. When an issue comes before the board that Kelley doesn't like instead of listening he often walks out; and during public testimony begins a private conversation with someone on the board. He continues to insist global climate change is a myth. I have heard him say at a supervisors' meeting that man isn't this powerful (to endanger the planet) and God wouldn't let something bad happen to us.

Merrilyn

[Helen Shane]

Debora Fudge

I agree in every respect with Merrilyn. I have known Debora since she served on the Windsor Planning Commssion and I was on the Sebastopol Planning Commission. We've kept in touch through various campaigns and issues over the years. There is a testimonial from me on her website. Do vote for her in her race for supervisor. Her election will place on the board of Supes someone to back up Supe Mike Reilly, presently the only progressive on the board. Helen Shane

[Cascade]

I've been looking through election material, and am stumped on insurance commissioner. It appears that neither Bustamante nor Kraft really want us to know what they plan to do. Neither has a website with anything useful.

Does anyone have any knowledge or opinions about them?

I noticed that the Pacific Sun's comment on that race was that Kraft's primary qualification seems to be that he's not Bustamante, who they think should give us a break and retire.

Also, any comments on Brown vs. Delgadillo for attorney general? As I search the web, I find Delgadillo criticizing Brown for certain stands (such as a women's right to choose and the death penalty), but I can't tell whether his criticism is because Brown changed his stand or because he disagrees with it. In other words, I can't tell where Delgadillo stands.

Any helpful comments? Since I've only been in California a year and half I haven't had the chance to notice these people over time.

Thanks,
Cascade

Hi Everybody,

The California primary elections are coming up on Tuesday, June 6th. I thought it would be a good idea if we all pooled our thoughts about the various candidates and issues.

[sf_nicole]

There is quite a bit at stake in the elections this year. There is now a fairly well organized grass roots effort to put more liberal candidates in office.

I personally became more active when Bush was declared the winner of a second 4 years (the phrase "won the election" was avoided intentionally). I became a member of the Democratic Central Committee and Democracy for America. Now the reality of the situation is that my views are more to the left of where the Democrats currently stand, but something has to be done to remove the Republicans from office if we want to have a country 10 years from now.

One of the committees I have served on in the Sonoma County Democratic Central Committee is the Candidate Search and Development Committee. One thing the committee does is gets people to run for office. We also interview and recommend endorsements for people running for office.

For this next election the committee made 4 endorsements based on a series of face to face interviews with the candidates. They are:

Supervisor 4th District	Debra Fudge
County Clerk-Recorder Assessor	Janice Atkinson
District Attorney	Jill R. Ravitch
Superior Court Judge	Jim Bertoli

Probably the most interesting one is Debra Fudge. Her opponent Paul Kelley is seen by most people I talk to (Left, Progressive, pro environment, etc) as the worst Supervisor in the county. Debra was encourage by several progressive organizations and people to run for the office to get rid of Kelley.

There is another supervisorial race that also should be mentioned. In the 2nd District Mervis Reissig is running against Mike Kerns. Mervis came close to being endorsed (I voted for her).

A great place to see the Progressive candidates that have lots of support from the progressive community is here:
http://www.scdfa.org/
They have pictures with links to more info on each candidate.

While most people are not really interested in the Central Committee race, it is an elected body that tries to shape the politics of the area and the party. There is lots of contention in this race, and a variety of different view points. Unfortunately, the Registrar of Voters is under no obligation to provide any information about the candidates to the public (I know I asked her and complained about it). Some information is available on the League of Women Voters Smartvoter site: http://www.smartvoter.org/
More specifically:
District 1: http://www.smartvoter.org/2006/06/06/ca/sn/race/9900/
District 2: http://www.smartvoter.org/2006/06/06/ca/sn/race/9905/
District 3: http://www.smartvoter.org/2006/06/06/ca/sn/race/9910/
District 5: http://www.smartvoter.org/2006/06/06/ca/sn/race/9920/

Some candidates have their own sites, for example my site is here:
http://www.nicoleanddebbie.com/who/n...cc/member.html

Having said that, If you really want to get involved, volunteer some time on the committee. You do not have to be a member to participate and it really does not require much of your time. If you want to be a member, you can take an alternate position and it is very likely you will end up being a member if that is what you want. As we approach the end of the term there are currently 6 official open alternate positions and another 2 which would be recognized at the next meeting.

Some people will join (or be elected) with a "It's my way or else" mentality. They will soon give up and resign their position making room for someone to replace them (which is done by a vote of the Central Committee) and the replacement is usually an serving Alternate.

Nicole Cook
Candidate 5th District Sonoma County Democratic Central Committee

[markwjam]

Folks,
I'm forwarding this message from a friend who is concerned as I am
about the fact that elections, including our recent presidentail elections,
have been stolen by various means, the prime among them
being the easily fixed electronic voting machines....
the current Secretary of State for California recertified Diebold machines,
(you may know that the owner of Diebold is a major Republican contributor
who had promised in '04 to "deliver Ohio to Bush"...even Republican voters
should be able to see a conflict of interest here...) which have been proven
around the country to come up with false votes...

Debra Bowen will change this.....
in my opinion, democracy is dead without accurate vote counting..
vote Debra Bowen for Secretary of State

Mark

Subject: Vote Debra Bowen for Secretary of State on June 6th



With the upcoming primary election on June 6th, I wanted to
write to you about a critical election for Secretary of State.

Debra Bowen is running for two reasons: Florida and Ohio, two
states where we saw inaccuracies in the vote counts and
deliberate attempts to disenfranchise voters in recent
elections. Today 52% of Americans do not have confidence that
their votes will be counted accurately.

Debra Bowen is committed to changing that!

Our current Secretary of State recently re-certified Diebold
electronic voting machines here in California despite the
accuracy and security flaws. We need a Secretary of State that
will fight for fair and accurate elections, and Debra Bowen is
just the person for the job.

She is the only candidate endorsed by the California Democratic
Party, the California Federation of Teachers, the California
Nurses Association, and the Sierra Club, as well as ten
editorial boards including the San Francisco Chronicle, the LA
Daily News, and the Sacramento Bee. Check out her website at
http://www.debrabowen.com for more details on endorsements and
where she stands on the issues.

It's time to restore people's faith in our democracy, and Debra
Bowen will do just that as California's next Secretary of State.

Please join me in voting for Debra Bowen for Secretary of State
on June 6th.

Follow this link to sign up:
http://ga3.org/debrabowen/join.html?r=_dMOthK1ymr_

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[Treasure]

I urge all on this list to vote for State Senator Debra BOWEN for Secretary of State. Debra BOWEN has actively and persistently fought to preserve our voting rights and to protect us from fraud-ready/supremely hackable voting systems and she continues to do so. For more details, see my recent article on this topic, http://www.bohemian.com/bohemian/05.10.06/voting-0619.html.

Along the same lines, I urge all registered Democrats in Sonoma County to vote for Janice Atkinson for County Clerk/Recorder/Tax Assessor. There's a major campaign underway to discredit Janice. Please don't be fooled. She as our best insurance for the continuation of secure and fair elections in Sonoma County.

Also, please don't let the title of the job fool you! The Registrar of Voters office is part of the County Clerk Department. As Assistant Registrar of Voters, Janice has had full charge of Sonoma County's electoral system for (I believe) 12 years. I'm very happy that she has kept our paper-based optical scan system in place. As County Clerk/Recorder/Tax Assessor, I believe we can count on Janice Atkinson to make sure our votes continue to count as we intend them to. (more about Janice Atkinson in the same article, http://www.bohemian.com/bohemian/05.10.06/voting-0619.html.

Best,

Tara Treasurefield

[soulange]

Also, please vote for Jill Ravich for District Attorney. The Sonoma County Democratic Central Committee has endorsed both Ravich and Atkinson.

Those of you in the Fourth Supervisorial District, please vote for Deborah Fudge for Supervisor.

For those of you in the Fifth Supervisorial District, please vote for me, Patricia Sheehan, and Nicole Cook for Democratic Central Committee. Thank you.

[Barry]

Also, please vote for Jill Ravich for District Attorney. The Sonoma County Democratic Central Committee has endorsed both Ravich and Atkinson.

Those of you in the Fourth Supervisorial District, please vote for Deborah Fudge for Supervisor.

For those of you in the Fifth Supervisorial District, please vote for me, Patricia Sheehan, and Nicole Cook for Democratic Central Committee. Thank you.

to WaccoBB, Patricia (and Nicole!), and thanks working to move us all along!

So, Patricia and Nicole, why should we vote you?

[sf_nicole]

Hi All,

The best way to determine if you want to vote for me is to read about me on my political positions web page here:
http://www.nicoleanddebbie.com/who/n...cc/member.html

And if you agree with what I am saying, vote for me.

Thanks

Nicole

So, Patricia and Nicole, why should we vote you?

[helenscott08]

I am really concerned that NO ONE ELSE has made reference to a very important issue. ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION.

There was a big stir a month or so ago. NOW, not a peep from anyone, candidates or the population at large. I personally would like to have more definitive responses to the issue of ILLEGAL POPULATION. Such as what they would like to see done re allowing people to stay here even though they entered illegally, and there are many, many people from other countries who have gone by the rules and are on a list from which they will be allowed to enter our country. The individuals who have gone the legal channels have been checked out, I think, to be sure there are no criminals or terrorists, etal, allowed into the U.S.

How would the candidates for ALL offices handle this issue if they could do so?

hs

[helenscott08]

Most of the endorsements on this thread have been for Democratic Party nominees. I wrote something back in 2003 about why I long ago gave up on the Dems and currently am a Green. Reply privately if you would like to read a copy. It's dated to that time but still relevant.

Suffice it to say that I think the Dems sold out long ago to the same forces that run the Republicans. Mainstream electoral politics is primarily a shell game. We need a viable alternative to the same old, same old and I see the Green Party as offering that hope. And yes, I've heard all the raving about how Nader spoiled Gore and Kerry's chances to beat Bush.

Balderdash. Just research the numbers and they will put pay to that myth. Plus how do you spoil what's already rotten?

Those clinging to the hope that the Democratic Party will find its backbone have not been paying attention. That or they are living in a collective fantasy world that has no connection to the last thirty years of American (U.S.) electoral history.

New birth and rebirth are painful, but if you don't affirm the values and goals that you care about, and you continue to vote for the "evil of two lessers" (Nader? Hightower? Can't recall the proper attribution.) you'll keep getting what we've got, a show of democracy in which the choices are so pre-ordained and constricted that they are not real choices at all.

I do support local Dems like Noreen Evans, Lynn Woolsey, Mike Reilly and Debra (sp?) Fudge. Local politics allows a level of connection and scrutiny that permits real choices. We are lucky to live in a place like Sonoma County where the electorate, and some of the people running for office, are so well educated, sympathetic to everday people and are not blinded by our national myths.

Once you get to the State and National levels, it's the money, PAC's, handlers, spin doctors and "lowest common denominator statistical polling strategy politics" that continue to replicate this system riding towards a monstrous fall. (Peak Oil? Ecosystem Collapse? Global Warming? Toxics in the food chain? Immiseration leading to societal chaos and collapse, 6/6/06? All of the above? Pick your poison!!!)

If you want elected officials who care about more than serving their corporate masters and are answerable to their constituents, not just their major donors, then please consider the Green Party. Websites for the county, state and national levels of the Party are easy to find with any search engine.

I hope everyone's having fun at the picnic! Apologies for the dour notes.

"Mad" Miles

Thank you Mad Miles. I agree with you completely about the Democrats. Actually, I have never voted completely Democratic. There are times I like someone from the other party. But these parties are so much alike any more that it is very hard to distinguish one from the other.

No one, on either side has been talking about the most important subjects. They are too afraid they might "OFFEND" someone. This does nothing for our country.

helen s

[Helen Shane]

While I know that our local races are critical, please take a look at the Lt. Governor's race. My cousin Brian Perkins has been Speiers' aide for many years. He has sent this message for general circulation.

According to the latest statewide Field Poll, Jackie Speier is now at 30%, John Garamendi is at 25%, and Liz Figueroa is at 8%. A month ago, it was 31% Garamendi and 16% Jackie. Clearly, the voters have focused on the candidates and Jackie's story and accomplishments are beginning to be understood.
Running statewide is extraordinarily difficult in both personal and financial terms. please circulate Jackie's website www.jackiespeier2006.com and encourage people to take a look at what she has done. You can do something something important for California: back a real leader. Voters frequently state that they are disgusted or that they are voting for the lesser of two evils. Here is a chance to vote for leadership and to feel good about California once again. If you have not yet seen Jackie's ads, they are available via the website. Thank you . Helen Shane

[sf_nicole]

Hello Miles,

I can't say that I disagree with you all that much. Back during the Regan era I began checking out other political parties to see if one of them was more on the page with what I believe. When I pop my head up on the political landscape I have to look to the right to see the Democrats. The Republicans are now so far to the right from my perspective as to be beyond the horizon. So I tried out other parties and voted for the best candidate for years. And for years my candidate usually garnered barely enough votes to warrant a 1% during election night.

Clinton may not have been the greatest, but at least he did some positive things for the country. On the other hand his sell out of the promise for universal health care caused me to question his loyalties. But I at least had a job and could work doing what I like to do during the Clinton Administration. Do I beleive several of the Democratic Leadership are just as corrupt as the Republicans ? Yes! But at least there are a few I can beleive in on the Democratic party - Woolsey, Boxer and a few others.

When Bush was declared the winner of the 2000 election, I could not believe it. When he was declared the winner of the 2004 election, I just did not believe it. Until that time I had always voted, but it was clear to me at that point that I (and many others) had to do more, voting was not enough.

In 2004 I joined the Del Norte County Democratic Central Committee. I had considered registering as Green or Peace and Freedom but frankly none of the other parties have stepped up to the plate with enough organization to make a difference. So from my perspective, the best way for me to make a difference was to get into the Democratic party and try to reshape it from the inside. While I was with the DNDCC we had anti-war rallies (in a county that voted for Bush), we held fund raisers for local progressive candidates and we helped support progressive legislation.

At the same time I joined DFA (Democracy For America) which was working on the same concept of reforming the Democratic party from within.

When we moved back to Sonoma County I began attending the Sonoma DCC meetings (eventually becoming a member) and the Sonoma DFA. Unlike the Del Norte DCC which had been rebuilt with mostly DFA people, the Sonoma DCC still had the tentacles of the old Democratic Party wrapped around the committee. Of late there has been talk of strife within the Sonoma DCC, and this is true. The people who want change are taking issue with the people who want to keep things the way they have been.

I would be happy to become a member of a party that more closely matches my political philosophy:
http://www.nicoleanddebbie.com/who/n...cc/member.html
But until one of those parties becomes a viable alternative, I am going to work with DFA to try and convert the Democratic party into a Progressive, Liberal party with a backbone. I cannot just stand by and watch the Republicans drive the country back into the third world.

Nicole Cook
Candidate for Sonoma County Democratic Central Committee

Most of the endorsements on this thread have been for Democratic Party nominees. I wrote something back in 2003 about why I long ago gave up on the Dems and currently am a Green. Reply privately if you would like to read a copy. It's dated to that time but still relevant.

Suffice it to say that I think the Dems sold out long ago to the same forces that run the Republicans. Mainstream electoral politics is primarily a shell game. We need a viable alternative to the same old, same old and I see the Green Party as offering that hope. And yes, I've heard all the raving about how Nader spoiled Gore and Kerry's chances to beat Bush.

Balderdash. Just research the numbers and they will put pay to that myth. Plus how do you spoil what's already rotten?

Those clinging to the hope that the Democratic Party will find its backbone have not been paying attention. That or they are living in a collective fantasy world that has no connection to the last thirty years of American (U.S.) electoral history.

New birth and rebirth are painful, but if you don't affirm the values and goals that you care about, and you continue to vote for the "evil of two lessers" (Nader? Hightower? Can't recall the proper attribution.) you'll keep getting what we've got, a show of democracy in which the choices are so pre-ordained and constricted that they are not real choices at all.

I do support local Dems like Noreen Evans, Lynn Woolsey, Mike Reilly and Debra (sp?) Fudge. Local politics allows a level of connection and scrutiny that permits real choices. We are lucky to live in a place like Sonoma County where the electorate, and some of the people running for office, are so well educated, sympathetic to everday people and are not blinded by our national myths.

Once you get to the State and National levels, it's the money, PAC's, handlers, spin doctors and "lowest common denominator statistical polling strategy politics" that continue to replicate this system riding towards a monstrous fall. (Peak Oil? Ecosystem Collapse? Global Warming? Toxics in the food chain? Immiseration leading to societal chaos and collapse, 6/6/06? All of the above? Pick your poison!!!)

If you want elected officials who care about more than serving their corporate masters and are answerable to their constituents, not just their major donors, then please consider the Green Party. Websites for the county, state and national levels of the Party are easy to find with any search engine.

I hope everyone's having fun at the picnic! Apologies for the dour notes.

"Mad" Miles

[sf_nicole]

Thanks for pointing this out. I have now addressed this issue on my web page:

http://www.nicoleanddebbie.com/who/n...cc/member.html

Nicole Cook

I am really concerned that NO ONE ELSE has made reference to a very important issue. ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION.

There was a big stir a month or so ago. NOW, not a peep from anyone, candidates or the population at large. I personally would like to have more definitive responses to the issue of ILLEGAL POPULATION. Such as what they would like to see done re allowing people to stay here even though they entered illegally, and there are many, many people from other countries who have gone by the rules and are on a list from which they will be allowed to enter our country. The individuals who have gone the legal channels have been checked out, I think, to be sure there are no criminals or terrorists, etal, allowed into the U.S.

How would the candidates for ALL offices handle this issue if they could do so?

hs

[Kathleen Shaffer]

Hi All in West County. I am new to the site and saw there was discussion about the election. We are running for the Democratic Central Committee in the 5th District. We live in Sebastopol now, after living for 4 years in Bodega Bay. We support candidates who believe in sustainable growth and development that includes moderate and low income housing. These are the kind of Democrats we want to help elect - like Debora Fudge.

There is a lot happening in Sebastopol now in terms of development projects and we are attending the meetings concerning these plans. We will also help with the 4 Habitat for Humanity houses that will be built in Sebastopol.

If you haven't voted yet, please consider voting for Kathleen Shaffer and Robert Green for the Democratic Central Committee.


Thank you very much!

Kathleen Shaffer

[Barry]

I have split off the discussion regarding whether to vote Democratic or Green into its own thread called "Democrat or Green?" Any further comments about that important stategic discussion should be on that thread.

Are there any more comments or questions about the ballot?

Governor
I've received some persuasive mailers for Steve Westly, including an endorsement by the Sierra Club. Anybody know anything about him or Phil Angelides?

Lt. Governor
I've got no idea who the Lt. Governor candidates are. Do you? And for that matter, why do we care??

Secretary of State
There have been several favorable comments for Debra Bowen on this thread.

Controller
I'm clueless. How about you?

Attorney General
Gov. Moonbeam has got my vote!

Insurance Commissioner
Cruz Bustamante is a familiar name and I seem to remember him being slammed for selling out to the Indian Casino interests. Any comments?

Senator
Feinstein, for better or worse, presumably has it locked up, so I suggest you make a statement and support our fellow Waccovian: Colleen Fernald!

U.S. 6th District
Lynn Woolsey has got my vote. Hopefully Joe Nation's strong challenge will get her to be more aggressive. What do you think???

U.S. Other Districts


County: 4th District: Supervisor
Debra Fudge all the way!

County: 5th District -Democratic County Committee
[img]images/NewSmilies/thumbsup.gif[/img]Fellow Waccovians Nicole Cook & Patricia Sheehan sound good to me. I know former Sebastopol City Council member Lyn Hamilton is passionate and dedicated, and has my vote. I don't know a thing about the rest of the candidates. Do you?

State Superintendent of Schools (Super-intend-ent -- interesting word!)
Got me! Anybody care to raise their hand, class?

County Clerk
Janice Atkinson has gotten favorable testimonials below.

District Attorney
Why is this job always so hotly contested?? Jill Ravitch has gotten a fair bit of progressive support, but Stephan Passalacqua (quick: close your eyes and try to spell that!) seems both rather effective and a staunch supporter of medical marijuana.

Proposition 81


Proposition 82


Please chime in, including additional races and measures not mentioned above. And... VOTE!

[Jude Iam]

VOTE FOR STEVE WESTLY AND DEBRA BOWEN.
There are less than 48 hours until the polls close on election day.
My wife Anita and I have been on a bus tour through 35 cities in the last nine days – meeting people where they live and work.

Politics is about inspiring people, and we can see and feel voters responding to our message. The crowds have grown from dozens to hundreds.

But no matter how many speeches I give or hands I shake, I’ll never be able to touch the millions of Californians who want new leadership for this state.

I need your help. The most powerful thing you can do is to write a short, personal note asking people you know to vote for me on Tuesday. We have collected some samples on our website for you to see.

If recent history has taught us anything – it’s that every vote counts. You have the potential to decide this election. Please take a few minutes right now to email everyone you know.

Thank you!

Steve

P.S. I am proud to have earned the endorsement of nearly every major newspaper in the state including the San Francisco Chronicle, the San Jose Mercury, the Los Angeles Daily News, and the Fresno Bee. For a complete list, visit http://www.westly2006.com/endorsements.

P.P.S. Check our website in the next 24 hours for information on election night parties.

---

www.Westly2006.com

[Helen Shane]

My Ballot Choices

My votes are going to:

Westly - I dislike some of Angelides' private business decisions regarding the environment, and I think that Westly is okay, has less baggage and is more likely to beat Arnold.

Jackie Speiers for Lt. Governor. My cousin has been her aide for years; I trust that he would only continue to work for her out of a belief that she has the integrity and experience and passion to do the job.

Jill Ravitch for DA- I know her personally. She is a clear thinker, is principled, intelliigent and strong.

Debra Bowen - I know of her through Virginia Strom Martin; her opinion carries weight with me. I've also loosely followed her actions on legislation, and found her to be in tune with my concerns.

If I were in the 4thh District, I'd be voting as many times as possible for Debora Fudge, not only because of her good values and ethics but because of her opponent's lack of same.

I too am going to give Feinstein a slap on the wrist by voting for Fernald. But Colleen, if you're really serious, really get in there by running for the school board, keep moving on and do a run for high legislative office ten years from now. If I'm still around, I'll vote for you then, too.

Prop 81. Say library and I say vote for it.

Prop 82. School board member friend says this is a good amount of dough for pre school education, and money is needed, but this is not the program that is needed and will tie hands. Also, money to come from source that is not reliable, i.e. taxing upper income brackets whose income from investments are not always stable (remember dot com boom?) and so prove to be a deficit spending program. She said that prop 82 will not provide pre school for the 30% of the kids (below poverty line) that really need it.

Helen Shane

[Helen Shane]

I didn't mean to leave out Lynn Woolsey. She's been right on the war from the beginning, has done a good job all through her years in office. Is very responsive. Nation is just office shopping because he was termed out.

Lt. Governor is like a VP to the governor. Can be an influential position at times, and is certainly a way to get name recognition for the next step up...governor? Helen Shane

[sf_nicole]

I am happy to give my opinions on this topic since I have been more involved with the process recently. I will comment to each point below:

Nicole

Governor
I've received some persuasive mailers for Steve Westly, including an endorsement by the Sierra Club. Anybody know anything about him or Phil Angelides?

While I was discouraged by the negitive campaigning from both camps, I will end up voting for Westly. I would like to know more about both candidates but from the information I have Westly seems the best for a few reasons. The first one is that I cannot see Angelides ever becoming President, and as we all know the Govenorship of California, the 6th largest economy in the world, is a launching platform for President of the United States. The second thing that impressed me about Westly, was the way his staff seemed to understand how to use the internet. I was on his mailing list over a year ago as the result of a contest Westly sponsored with the Central Committees last year. I am still not on any Angelides mailing list, which is amazing since I have been on 2 Democratic Central Committees and get about 40 political emails a day right now, this too tells me something. We need someone who understands the electronic environment of the future and knows enough to address the potential threats it represents. How can someone address fraudulent returns from electronic voting machines if they cannot master email.

Lt. Governor
I've got no idea who the Lt. Governor candidates are. Do you? And for that matter, why do we care??

Here I can help - For a complete list of all candidates you can go to the Politics 1 site at : http://www.politics1.com/ca.htm
Beyond that I am not much help. I voted for Liz Figuroa based on the brief research I did on the Internet and the information in the absentee voter package.

Secretary of State
There have been several favorable comments for Debra Bowen on this thread.

Debra Bowen - without a doubt

Controller
I'm clueless. How about you?

Attorney General
Gov. Moonbeam has got my vote!

Is this Jerry Brown ? Well that is who I voted for

Insurance Commissioner
] Cruz Bustamante is a familiar name and I seem to remember him being slammed for selling out to the Indian Casino interests. Any comments?

Senator
Feinstein, for better or worse, presumably has it locked up, so I suggest you make a statement and support our fellow Waccovian: Colleen Fernald!

Good call, that is what I did too. After sending Feinstein several letters and emails requesting status information on her backbone, and feeling complete disgust when she did not support Boxers resolution on the last round of voter fraud, there was no way I was going to vote for her. Here is an actual comment from the Del Norte Democratic Central Committee early last year or late in 2004... "Will Feinstein support that - response - Feinstein? Is she still a Democrat?"

U.S. 6th District
Lynn Woolsey has got my vote. Hopefully Joe Nation's strong challenge will get her to be more aggressive. What do you think???

Yes, Yes, Yes !! Talk about Representatives to be proud of, while most of the country was blinded by the administrations barrage of flag waving, Lynn could still focus on the future. I have been to her office in Washington D.C. and was very pleased with the way her staff listened to what I had to say. I was in Boxer and Feinsteins office too but it was more like being processed there.

Joe Nation has termed out of his current state office and is looking for somewhere to go. Lynn's position where I think she has been quite effective given the current situation in Congress, is not that place. If he wants to replace a sitting Democrat, replace an ineffective one, perhaps Feinstein.

U.S. Other Districts


Californias 4th District - Charlie Brown - Charlie spoke before the Somoma County Democracy For America and I was quite impressed. I beleive he has a good chance at defeating his Republican Opponent in November.

County: 4th District: Supervisor
Debra Fudge all the way!

Absolutly, When we first returned to Sonoma county I asked about Supervisors (since I may have an interest in this area). The question "Who is the worst Supervisor ?" came back with a unanimous response for Debra's opponent - Paul Kelley .

I also reccomend Mervis Reissig for the 2nd District, she has been active in PDA and helped produce the Arlington West event allong side the 12 earlier this year. The Central Committee Interviewed her and I was quite impressed with her politics and motivation. I also know her from PDA Progressive Democrats of America meetings.

County: 5th District -Democratic County Committee
Fellow Waccovians Nicole Cook & Patricia Sheehan sound good to me. I know former Sebastopol City Council member Lyn Hamilton is passionate and dedicated, and has my vote. I don't know a thing about the rest of the candidates. Do you?

I must take the 5th here - regardless who wins, I will have to work with them if I win, so I will not post prefferences since I will end up paying for it for several meetings and it will get in the way of important work. But individual emails is yet another story.

State Superintendent of Schools (Super-intend-ent -- interesting word!)
Got me! Anybody care to raise their hand, class?

County Clerk
Janice Atkinson has gotten favorable testimonials below.

Yes - The DCC Candidate Search and Development Committee Interviewed both candidates and I was much more impressed with Janice than her opponent. She is all over the voting maching issue.

District Attorney
Why is this job always so hotly contested?? Jill Ravitch has gotten a fair bit of progressive support, but Stephan Passalacqua (quick: close your eyes and try to spell that!) seems both rather effective and a staunch supporter of medical marijuana.

I am voting for Jill Ravitch, the committee offered to interview both candidates but only Jill showed up, I was very impressed with what she had to say. After the DCC endorsed Jill, then and only then did the Passalacqua campaign say anything. Stephan was allowed to address the entire committee, which I thought at first would give him an unfair advantage. But his demenor while he was there combined with one of the Committee Members recounting a story about her not being able to talk to him during a domestic violence event she was working on, pretty much worked against him. If you want to see for yourself how accessable he is, look at the public records for his address or phone number, I do not think he want's the "Little People" to contact him.

Proposition 81


I agree

Proposition 82


I agree

Please chime in, including additional races and measures not mentioned above. And... VOTE!

I agree - If you do not vote, the people who do not want you to vote will take your right to vote away from you.

[soulange]

I agree with most of what you're saying except for lt. gov. and district attorney. i had almost decided to vote for delgadillo, but he's pro death penalty.

as for lt. gov. jackie speier has my vote all the way (anyone remember jonestown?) and jill ravitch is my choice because stephan passalacqua had promised more support for victims of domestic violence and hasn't followed through. the women's justice center and purple berets have more information on that.

I have split off the discussion regarding whether to vote Democratic or Green into its own thread called "Democrat or Green?" Any further comments about that important stategic discussion should be on that thread.

Are there any more comments or questions about the ballot?

Governor
I've received some persuasive mailers for Steve Westly, including an endorsement by the Sierra Club. Anybody know anything about him or Phil Angelides?

Lt. Governor
I've got no idea who the Lt. Governor candidates are. Do you? And for that matter, why do we care??

Secretary of State
There have been several favorable comments for Debra Bowen on this thread.

Controller
I'm clueless. How about you?

Attorney General
Gov. Moonbeam has got my vote!

Insurance Commissioner
Cruz Bustamante is a familiar name and I seem to remember him being slammed for selling out to the Indian Casino interests. Any comments?

Senator
Feinstein, for better or worse, presumably has it locked up, so I suggest you make a statement and support our fellow Waccovian: Colleen Fernald!

U.S. 6th District
Lynn Woolsey has got my vote. Hopefully Joe Nation's strong challenge will get her to be more aggressive. What do you think???

U.S. Other Districts


County: 4th District: Supervisor
Debra Fudge all the way!

County: 5th District -Democratic County Committee
[img]images/NewSmilies/thumbsup.gif[/img]Fellow Waccovians Nicole Cook & Patricia Sheehan sound good to me. I know former Sebastopol City Council member Lyn Hamilton is passionate and dedicated, and has my vote. I don't know a thing about the rest of the candidates. Do you?

State Superintendent of Schools (Super-intend-ent -- interesting word!)
Got me! Anybody care to raise their hand, class?

County Clerk
Janice Atkinson has gotten favorable testimonials below.

District Attorney
Why is this job always so hotly contested?? Jill Ravitch has gotten a fair bit of progressive support, but Stephan Passalacqua (quick: close your eyes and try to spell that!) seems both rather effective and a staunch supporter of medical marijuana.

Proposition 81


Proposition 82


Please chime in, including additional races and measures not mentioned above. And... VOTE!

[theindependenteye]

Hi, y'all —

I assume everybody's going to vote, and I wanted to put in a quiet word for a slot that isn't likely at the top of everybody's list — Secretary of State, who controls the electoral system we use. I got fired up about being active yesterday, seeing Gore's film, and it made me want to reach out about this one race. If California goes the way of Florida and Ohio, all our best intentions on any issue might not mean anything down the road.
Please check out the history of the candidates for S of S, because whoever is elected will determine how our votes get counted in 2008. Google SB 1706, relating to observation of vote counting, and then check how the candidates feel about the adequacy of Diebold machines for the upcoming elections. Read whatever you can find about the major-party candidates, who are (Dems) Debra Bowen and Deorah Ortiz, and (Rep) Bruce McPherson. And please vote.

Cheers — Elizabeth Fuller

[markwjam]

One word of caution: On some races the Sierra Club has endorsed not one, but
two or even three of the candidates. So be careful -- when a candidate claims
he is endorsed by the Sierra Club, it doesn't necessary mean they like him better
than the other candidates.

Sierra Club endorsments:

gov: Andelides AND Westly
lt gov: Garamendi AND Speier AND Figueroa
a.g.: Jerry Brown
controller: Chiang AND Dunn
sec state: Bowen
treas: Lockyer
sup of pub ed: O'Connell

[catstone2@juno.com]

Just a final (maybe) note on the election prossess. I worked at the polls for this election and figured out how to have a little more freedom in voting. If you are registered as an independant, you can only vote for people on the American Independant party. If you register as a non-partisan , you are allowed the choice of voting in the Republican party, the democratic party the American Independant party or the nonpartisan party. This is only seemingly important during primaries. It just felt mre options were available by registering this way.

Baana

[sf_nicole]

Hi All,

I was asked to serve as a observer today for the random verification process. The ballots are scanned in and read by computer. A small percentage are taken out and counted by humans. The human numbers are then compared to the same Computer numbers. I was observing this process today from 1pm to 4:30pm. Anyone can request to be an observer and they will be continuing this process next week.

There were some interesting things this process allows you to see. For example the number of people who leave several items blank, the difference between the consistancy in Republican and Democratic voting and the realitive size of the non Republican or Democratic vote (i.e. Green, Peace & Freedom, etc).

I also learned today that the absentee votes are not completed yet, they are still working on them. So the close races are not over yet.

Nicole