The (Malibu) Times endorsements of Schwarzenegger for Governor and McPherson for Secretary of State are based on shallow analysis and misplaced trust and are even dangerous to the people of Malibu and the future of California.
Everyone knows that Schwarzenegger is flexible but since when is being a flip-flopper a positive trait and we know from repeated examples that his statements of the moment cannot be trusted. He boasted in 2003, “I am rich and will use my own money to win election, not special interest money” and then set new records in taking money from those same interests that he supposedly rejected. He caused the people of the State to be saddled with enormous debt rather than cut programs to meet revenues. He has ignored real issues, such as improving education and providing reasonable healthcare. In those areas he has made matters worse. To Malibu he has weakly faced the LNG challenge by saying he is impotent to deal with the issue. Angelides, despite his lack of PR charisma, will clearly be better for Malibu and the people of California.
The Diebold candidate for Secretary of State, Mr. McPherson, should not continue in office simply because he has not extracted tight controls on electronic voting machines from the manufacturers. Republican Secretaries of State who worked closely with voting machine makers have proven that they cannot be trusted to police those makers for the benefit of the voting public. Why give another friend of Diebold continued control over our State’s voting process. Senator Debra Bowen, who chairs the State Senate Committee overseeing elections, is fully informed on the dangers of electronic voting manipulation. As Secretary of State she would bring more healthy skepticism of this technology. Debra Bowen is a much better choice for the job and, remember, she is the only woman seeking statewide office.
Thank you for your other choices for statewide office.
Ralph H. Erickson