Proposition 55-No
Normally, I always support school bonds, but there is no way we should be going into more debt at this time to cover the deficit and also try and fix the schools simultaneously. The school facilities bond can always be brought back when the economy is on the uptick. And for now, the debt reduction bond is much more important.
Proposition 56-uncertain
I’ve struggled with this one and still don’t have an answer. Lowering the budget requirement to 55 percent makes some sense because it would break the budget gridlock. But, on the other hand, the Legislature has historically shown absolutely no ability to control its monetary lusts. I still don’t know which way I’m going to vote so, sorry, I can’t be of any help on this one.
Proposition 57-Yes
This is Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Debt Reduction Bond. Rolling over $15 billion of our debt is not a great solution, but so far, no one has come up with a better one. The alternative is a financial disaster. The $15 billion replaces, in part, the prior $10 billion-plus bond act, which the Legislature passed last year and which might not have been legal. The governor’s bond campaign looks like it might be working and the public is beginning to swing over to supporting the bonds, according to the latest polls. Proposition 57 is an answer. It’s not the perfect answer, but it’s far better than no answer.
Proposition 58-Yes
This is the governor’s and Legislature’s compromise on some budget structural reform. Both the far right and the far left are screaming, but it’s a great first step. It also proves they actually can get together and govern when they have to. If this passes, more budget reforms will be coming. If not, no one is ever going to bother again.
Democratic Presidential Primary
The polls say Sen. John Kerry has a major lead, but I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised to see Sen. John Edwards begin to close that gap. I don’t know if Edwards has enough time or money to pull an upset, but it might be tighter than some are predicting. Despite his lack of experience, I think that Edward’s campaign has struck a chord on the job-loss issue. Are we willing to save a few bucks at Wal-Mart to put a bunch of other Americans on the unemployment line? I think a great deal of people are beginning to feel uneasy about this and are wondering why the hell we’re shopping at Wal-Mart at all. Next Tuesday there are 10 or so Democratic primaries. Besides California, there are New York, Georgia and Ohio, which all could be bell weather states for the Dems.
Republican Senatorial primary
The California Republican Party is again in the process of committing suicide. They remind me so much of the old McGovern Democrats that it’s almost eerie. The fact that they had a Republican moderate capture the governor’s chair seems to have some of them delirious and has spun some of them back into the last century. We haven’t heard this much immigrant bashing since the 1920s. In the final analysis, politics is all about demographics. And it’s pretty clear that demographically, this is a heavily Hispanic state and becoming more so, as are a number of swing states. The irony of it all is that many of the Hispanics are culturally rather conservative and probably inclined to vote Republican. However, some of the more virulent anti-immigration Republican activists are making it practically impossible for Hispanics to vote Republican. I suspect it’s got the White House very worried. With the presidential race tightening, the last thing the Republican National Party wants is a wedge issue to drive away Hispanics in states like Texas, Florida and Illinois.
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
Even though Schwarzenegger isn’t on the ballot, a number of the bond issues are going to be a show of his political clout, especially Proposition 57 and Proposition 58. There is also some question if his popularity and clout can carry over to some of the legislative races. No one is sure yet, and this election will be the first test of whether the political alignments in the state are rearranging themselves or if it was just a one-time anti-Gray Davis vote. Schwarzenegger’s stock is presently pretty high in Sacramento, but that could change. An election loss or two, and perhaps the gay marriage issue and a tendency to put his foot into his mouth, could change things. I think it’s unseemly for a guy just barely in office to talk about amending the Constitution so foreign-born people can run for president. That sounds like movie star thinking, which he should be avoiding at all costs.
Superior Court Judges Races
In the old days, when I was still going to court regularly, I was able to make recommendations on the judges’ race. Today, I barely know the names. What I generally do is look at the recommendations by the Los Angles County Bar Association and only vote for someone it considers “Well Qualified.” It’s a large association and fairly bipartisan, and it takes its job of rating judicial candidates very seriously, so you can’t go too wrong by voting for some they consider well qualified. We’ve listed its recommendations below.
Remember, vote on Tuesday.
Superior Court Evaluations
Having completed its investigations and deliberations, the Judicial Elections Evaluation Committee reports its final evaluations for the candidates for the following Superior Court offices: Except where noted, all candidates have been deemed well qualified.
SUPER1OR COURT OFFICE NO. 18
Miguel Angel Dager
Daniel Feldstern
SUPERIOR COURT OFFICE NO. 29
Jeffrey S. Gootman
SUPERIOR COURT OFFICE NO. 59
Laura F. Priver
SUPERIOR COURT OFFICE NO. 53
Craig Jordan Mitchell
Daniel Zeke Zeidler
Bob Henry\
SUPERIOR COURT OFFICE NO. 67
Daniel K. Dik-Qualified
Richard W. Van Dusen -Qualified
SUPERIOR COURT OFFICE NO. 69
Donna Groman
Judith Levey Meyer
SUPERIOR COURT OFFICE NO. 72
Hon. David S. Wesley
SUPERIOR COURT OFFICE NO. 95
Marc Debbaudt
Dan Thomas Oki
SUPERIOR COURT OFFICE No. 111
Stella L. Owens-Murrell-Qualified