Voter Guide: CA State Assembly 10th District

[Barry]

Marc Levine vs Michael Allen:

From the Pacific Sun:

We recommend Michael Allen. The top two out of a robust primary field of candidates for state Legislature were no surprise to anybody—Sonoma-Napa Assemblyman Michael Allen and San Rafael City Councilman Marc Levine. It wasn't an incredibly strong field. In our primary endorsements, we threw our support behind San Geronimo Valley populist-progressive Alex Easton-Brown, but we were under no delusion that he'd advance to the November ballot—we just weren't yet enamored with any of the others.

Levine, 38, has done past consulting work and is currently a stay-at-home dad during the day. He's been on the San Rafael City Council for two years and has gained valuable experience serving the town he's called home since the mid-2000s. Levine's been part of some positive steps the council has made (negotiating pension reform) and the subject of controversy (his vote to approve Target disappointed some of his early supporters). Ultimately, Levine's time on the council has been largely unremarkable—he's still relatively new to elected office. He's campaigning like a seasoned vet, though, with more of a negative tone than 64-year-old Michael Allen.

Allen's been an assemblyman in the Sonoma-Napa area since 2010, but redrawn district lines meant he'd be facing a tough re-election this November against a Democratic colleague. So last year, he moved to downtown San Rafael to launch his campaign in the redrawn Marin-Sonoma 10th. Allen's relocation for political purposes rubbed a lot of locals the wrong way—and Levine's been using that as the lynchpin of his campaign against Allen. A year later, though, Allen's "move" doesn't seem all that big a deal. He's made it his mission to get to know the community and, from what we hear and see, he's winning people over. (It's telling that at least two of Levine's City Council colleagues have either publicly or privately endorsed Allen.) Supporters of both candidates have been busy digging for dirt on the opposition (we aren't implying this is with the consent of the candidates) and thus far the only things that have surfaced are a conflict-of-interest fine from Allen's days on the Santa Rosa planning commission, an inaccurate financial report on Levine's candidate filing statement, and a tax exemption worth about $70 that Allen shouldn't have received. Despite how the campaigns may frame things, we consider these all small potatoes.

What we're interested in is—who'd be more effective in the Assembly? Allen's been busy this campaign season showing what he can do in the state Legislature with bills aimed at fast-food-restaurant playground safety, allowing more liquor licenses and breast-feeding rights. (All food legislation, we note.) Such bills are not very controversial and probably easy to pass—but that doesn't mean they're not worthy. He's also gone for bigger game—authoring legislation for mental-health rights (he's a former nurse) and to grant overtime pay to farm laborers. Those kinds of bills aren't as simple to push through—but they're difference-makers in people's lives. If Allen earns another term in Sacramento, we hope he steers his legacy toward battles such as those.

From Craig Litwin in SonomaWest:

Michael Allen. I have worked with Michael Allen for years, and he is one of the most inspirational leaders that I know. His ability to bring different groups to the same table is a great example for us all.

Any comments?

["Mad" Miles]

Michael is solid. Met him in 2001 in the Living Wage Coalition of Sonoma County meetings in Santa Rosa. Smart, funny, kind, dedicated, hard working, great values and goals. He's one of the really good ones. I'm proud to say he's my FB friend, even if we belong to competing electoral parties.

His first term in the Assembly has clearly demonstrated his bona fides. Among many things, he's led the charge on improving safety at Napa State Hospital. Much more needs to be done, but he got the ball rolling and has consistently been on it.

Huge bureaucratic inertia is the main obstacle. Those nurses and orderlies work in a near war zone that I couldn't handle at all. They should not be regularly exposed to assault, murder in one case, attempted murder in many. Michael has tried to do something about it.

Cheahs,

[Karen the KAT]

Im just voting everybody out. My problem with Allen is the same i have with most of them: Too much time spent in the capitol, too many special interests, too many union connections, and the way he handled the hospital union against the government which didnt have the money to pay for union contracts. Unions had their day, now they just enforce mediocrity. Try and excel as a union employee and see what happens...