For more information please contact
Terry at
info@terrynagel.com
Copyright 2006 Terry Nagel - All Rights Reserved
June 1, 2006
Dear Friend;
Many of you know that I spend a lot of time researching the candidates and ballot measures in each election. Because a number of people have asked, here are my thoughts about candidates and ballot measures in the coming election.
First of all, if you have questions about how or where to vote, consult San Mateo County’s official voter info site, ShapetheFuture.org, [http://www.shapethefuture.org/] or the League of Women’s Voters site, SmartVoter.org. [http://www.smartvoter.org/] Want to know how to vote early or what to do if your absentee ballot hasn’t arrived? See Election Q&A for San Mateo County Voters on my Web site.
I am a registered Democrat, so my choices for the partisan offices only pertain to that party and only for offices for which there is more than one candidate.
Governor – At this writing, Steve Westly and Phil Angelides are neck and neck in the polls. I have officially endorsed Westly. I believe Westly has a better chance of winning against Schwarzenegger because he more centrist in his thinking and is more willing to work with both sides of the aisle in Sacramento. I know a number of people who have worked closely with Westly, and they have nothing but praise for him. Furthermore, I think Angelides’ talk of raising taxes would not be popular with voters in a contest against Arnold.
Lieutenant Governor – This is a close race, but I have long admired Jackie Speier, and I have endorsed her for Lieutenant Governor. As a State Senator, she has taken on tough issues such as privacy rights, Medi-Cal fraud and the state’s prison system, and she has not been afraid to stand up to special interests. She would concentrate on rebuilding our state’s higher education system if elected Lieutenant Governor.
Secretary of State – I’m voting for Debra Bowen because of her emphasis on making sure every vote is counted accurately and requiring a paper trail for electronic voting machines.
Controller – I support John Chiang, who created free outreach and education programs to help people understand taxes during his tenure on the state Board of Equalization. He wants to end corporate tax loopholes and make it quicker and simpler for middle class families to file taxes.
Attorney General – Jerry Brown is the logical choice.
Insurance Commissioner – Cruz Bustamante has this one locked up.
U.S. Senator – Dianne Feinstein is intelligent, thoughtful and nationally respected. She deserves to be re-elected.
U.S. Representative – No contest: Tom Lantos will win re-election.
8th Senate District – This is the hottest local race, with Leland Yee, Lou Papan and Mike Nevin duking it out for a State Senate seat that encompasses much of San Mateo County and the western half of San Francisco. Former Assemblyman Papan has the least number of endorsements, so the real contest is between Assembly Speaker Pro Tem Yee and former San Mateo County Supervisor Nevin. Instead of focusing on the issues or outlining their respective visions for the future, the two have been slinging insults at one another.
One of Nevin’s mailers shows Yee’s head pasted on a mini-muscleman flexing his biceps next to Arnold, in an attempt to portray Yee as a GOP wannabe who has supported Schwarzenegger’s budgets. Nevin also faults Yee for killing a bill that would have stopped oil companies from gouging consumers with “zone pricing” and for voting against a bill that would have banned toxins in baby toys. Yee criticizes Nevin for pushing through the expensive BART extension to Millbrae and promising San Mateo County tax dollars to keep it on life support, and for using his political clout to grab a “public” seat on a transportation agency after he was termed out of his seat on the county Board of Supervisors. A Yee mailer accuses Nevin of being paid $110,000 by BayBio, a pharmaceutical lobbying group, while earning a full-time salary as a county supervisor.
Those who support Yee say he has a stronger environmental record and a broader base of support among voters in both counties. Nevin’s supporters say he will do a better job of defending San Mateo County’s interests at the state level.
You can learn more about the candidates, including who has endorsed them, on their Web sites: www.mikenevin.com, www.lelandyee.com and www.loupapan.com.
I haven’t endorsed a candidate for this race. You decide.
Superior Court Judge (Office No. 11) – I have endorsed Lisa Maguire for this position. Both candidates have long experience in the district attorney’s office; Maguire left five years ago to start a private practice, so she has more diverse experience. Susan Etezadi is supported by unions and law enforcement, while Maguire has won endorsements from most judges, including John Schwartz, whose seat she is seeking. Maguire, who is the daughter of former county Sheriff Brendan Maguire, offers creative solutions to some tenacious problems, such as deterring young people from joining gangs. To learn more about the two candidates, visit their Web sites at www.maguireforjudge.com and www.susanetezadi.com.
State Superintendent – Jack O’Connell has done a sterling job and deserves your vote.
County Board of Supervisors – Incumbent Jerry Hill is running unopposed, while Rich Gordon has competition. Both deserve your support.
Proposition 81 – I have a soft spot for libraries and support this $600 million bond to construct and renovate public libraries throughout the state. I’m voting “yes.”
Proposition 82 – This measure would tax individuals with incomes over $400,000 and couples with incomes exceeding $800,000 to provide preschool for all 4-year-olds in California. While this is an admirable concept that would surely prepare more children for kindergarten, there are big questions about how many and which children it would serve. Proponents say 300,000 children would benefit, while opponents say it would only increase the number of children entering preschool by 4 percentage points. Some of the children already in preschool would get to attend for free, raising the specter of California’s wealthiest residents paying to provide free preschool to middle-class and upper middle-class families who are already paying for it.
It is also unclear whether the $2.4 billion targeted for the program would be sufficient; a clause would allow the Legislature to impose a fee on parents if the program’s costs were higher than anticipated. Although California currently has a teacher shortage, Prop. 82 would require preschool teachers, who currently need only one semester of college credits, to obtain a bachelor’s degree and a teaching credential.
Bottom line: Prop. 82 is not well thought out. Like other laws created by initiative, Prop. 82 would be difficult to undo if it were approved.
I’m voting “no.”