Matt Maguire's Voter Recommendations for Election 2020
Hot off the presses:
Hi friends-
Here it is, my personal voter guide for the November 3rd, 2020 election, both attached as a .pdf file and in the email below. If you’re voting absentee, please fill out your ballot and get it in the mail or drop it off at an official drop box as soon as you can. We want to give our hard working registrar and poll workers as much time as possible to process our votes. Avoid confusion on election night wherever possible.
Am I hearing the sounds of a blue tsunami building up out there? I believe I do... but we all have to get our votes in ASAP.
As always, feel free to share this with your friends and family, strangers and stray dogs. Post it to your email list and book club. Share with your bike club, church group and gardening club. Anywhere you think it will do some good.
I did not notate all my choices but you’re welcome to email me with questions and comments. If I change my mind on anything, I’ll resend it.
Thank you for being good citizens!
- Matt Maguire
********************************************
The election four years ago was the weirdest, ugliest, scariest election of my life. Not to
be a downer, but this one is worse. Way worse. We’ve seen the damage inflicted by the
criminal in the White House on our democracy, our health, our environment and climate,
just for starters.
So, fight back and vote. With that, here are my recommendations for this election,
provided as early as I could make them. I suggest you get your ballots filled out and in
the mail (if you vote absentee) as soon as you can since so much is at stake. The
Republicans are actively trying to hijack the race, but we can overwhelm them if we all
do our part.
These are Petaluma and Sonoma County based, but the statewide propositions and
presidential race affect everyone, if you want to share this farther afield.
President & VP: Joe Biden & Kamala Harris
US Congress, Dist. 2: Jared Huffman 1
State Assembly, Dist. 10: Veronica “Roni” Jacobi 2
State Senate, Dist. 3: Bill Dodd
State Propositions:
Prop. 14 Stem cell research $5.5 billion bond No
Prop. 15 Fix Prop. 13 - Tax commercial property YES
Prop. 16 Restore affirmative action Yes
Prop. 17 Let parolees vote Yes
Prop. 18 Vote at age 17 in primaries Yes
Prop. 19 Portable residential property tax basis Yes
Prop. 20 “Tough on crime” increased penalties No
Prop. 21 Partial repeal of rent control ban, repeals Costa-Hawkins YES
Prop. 22 Employee vs. gig workers benefits No 3
Prop. 23 Kidney dialysis clinic rules - Dr. on site required Yes
Prop. 24 Data privacy No 4
Prop. 25 Abolish cash bail Yes
County Measures:
Mea. O - Sonoma County Mental Health ¼ cent, 10 yr. sales tax Yes
Mea. P - IOLERO sheriff transparency and accountability ordinance YES 5
Mea. U - Petaluma 1 cent sales tax Yes 6
Mea. CC - Petaluma Health Care Dist. sale of Petaluma Valley Hospital No 7
Mea. DD - Sonoma County transportation “Go Sonoma” ¼ cent sales
tax extension to 2045 Yes
Petaluma City Council (3 seats open) 8
Dr. Dennis Pocekay
Brian Barnacle
Lizzie Wallach
Petaluma Joint Union High School Dist. (2 seats open)
Ellen Webster
Sheldon Gen
Notes:
1 Jared Huffman is a very good representative in many ways, but he fails his
constituency where private ranching in the Pt. Reyes National Seashore is concerned.
The ranches were to be gone from the park 30+ years ago, and Huffman should not
support taxpayer subsidized pollution and destruction there. He’s harming his
progressive credentials on this.
2 Roni Jacobi won’t likely beat Marc Levine, but her running keeps the heat on him to be
a better Assemblyman, and to better protect the environment.
3 If this industry-sponsored “gig worker” initiative passes, it will be a huge benefit to
Uber, Lyft, Doordash etc., but it will at least improve the benefits their “independent
contractors” receive. Still, drivers get better protections as employees, and these
companies can afford to pay and treat them right.
4 Sounds good in principle, but this weakens new privacy law that is just taking effect in
CA. Makes consumer opt out of data collection instead of requiring opt in before data
can be collected. Could allow companies to charge more for better privacy.
5 This measure will finally give the Independent Office of Law Enforcement Review and
Outreach legal teeth. IOLERO will be able to subpoena records and personnel in its
investigations of complaints against the County Sheriff, and it gives IOLERO a more
realistic budget. Long overdue.
6 Petaluma is one of three cities in the county that hasn’t added to the state sales tax
rate. No one likes them, it’s a tough time to ask for one, and we desperately need it,
thanks in large part to the 1978 Prop. 13’s 42-year damage to financing government and
today’s pandemic-induced drop in city sales tax revenues. Vote for this and Prop. 15
above and we may be able to dig our way out of the hole we’re in.
7 St. Joseph’s, the operator of PVH now, is a big enough player in the Hospital Monopoly
game that they don’t think they have to agree to a fair contract for PVH nurses. PPEs
are even a concern there still. Their proposed wholly-owned “non-religious” subsidiary
will only commit to female reproductive services for five years. After that – Poof! Gone.
Hospitals like PVH are facing difficult times, even closing, under America’s insurance driven
health care system. But if they lose this vote, and if the District can’t find a better
buyer, it should pressure them to up their game and do better by Petaluma.
8 If you choose to vote for only one or two candidates – to “vote with a bullet” – your
vote(s) gain(s) a slightly greater statistical weight and improves their chances of winning.
But there are three seats to fill, and you have three votes. Your call.
OK. Let’s change our world. Cast your votes as soon as you can, and share with your
friends.
Feel free to email me with questions or feedback. Thanks for doing your part.
- Matt Maguire
[email protected]
