[Ed. Note: 10/31/2015: This “post” was originally an email I sent to my friends on 06/05/2012. I have posted it today in 2015, and backdated for archival/search purposes]
(my apologies if you get this multiple times & if you don’t want to get this type of stuff from me, just let me know)
Hey folks –
Sorry this is so RUSHED: Two Words: Wedding Planning!. I KNOW THIS FEELS LIKE AN UNIMPORTANT ELECTION TO MANY OF YOU – BUT PLEASE VOTE! At the SF Level, the DCCC races are actually a big deal (and always under the radar) and at the STATE level, Prop 28 is a small ray of HOPE!
Usually, I write two emails for the ‘Deep Slate, one for just the simple list of my voting recommendations & another which is the detailed “whys & wherefores” , however for today’s election that won’t be necessary. The two bits will fit in this handy email 🙂 I’ve included the boilerplate “who I am section” at the bottom for those of you who are receiving this who don’t know me.
Please feel free to forward this far & wide….
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To find your polling place:
http://tinyurl.com/yfbsg9
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The key is as follows:
• the more UPPERCASE – the more strongly I feel
• exclamation = don’t get me started!
• * = I don’t know a lot about it & went with the Guardian or California League of Conservation Voters (CLCV)
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State Senate, District 11: Mark Leno
State Assembly:
Tom Ammiano (D17)
Phil Ting (D19)
Democratic County Central Committee
District 17 (East Side)
Avalos, John
Campos, David
Chiu, David
DeJesus, Petra
Dorsey, Matt
Gembinski, Chris
Haaland, Gabriel Robert
Katz, Leslie
Mandelman, Rafael
Migden, Carole
Morgan, Justin
Pimentel, Leah
Rosenthal, Alix Amelia
District 19 (West Side)
Alonso, Mike
Aragon, Wendy
Bard, Kevin
Dwyer, Kelly
Lauterborn, Mar
Mar, Eric
California Ballot Measures
Prop. 28: YES
Prop. 29: YES
SF Ballot Measures
Prop. A: No
Prop. B: YES
——— WHY & WHEREFORE ———
State Senate, District 11: Mark Leno
State Assembly:
Tom Ammiano (D17)
Phil Ting (D19)
All 3 of these candidates are exactly the kind of people we need to retain at the State level. Mark Leno is remarkably strong and progressive leader while still managing to bring pragmatism and an ability to compromise to Sacramento. Tom Ammiano has done great work in in the Assembly & Phil Ting has been an excellent assessor here in SF & his steadfast opposition to Prop 13 can only help in Sacto.
Democratic County Central Committee
Avalos, John
Campos, David
Chiu, David
DeJesus, Petra
Dorsey, Matt
Gembinski, Chris
Haaland, Gabriel Robert
Katz, Leslie
Mandelman, Rafael
Migden, Carole
Morgan, Justin
Pimentel, Leah
Rosenthal, Alix Amelia
District 19 (West Side)
Alonso, Mike
Aragon, Wendy
Bard, Kevin
Dwyer, Kelly
Lauterborn, Mar
Mar, Eric
The Democratic County Central Committee is actually one of the stealth most-important things in SF politics. Since SF is around 75% Democratic & many people vote the party line in elections & the DCCC make the official Democratic party endorsements: voila. The DCCC has a lot of power! It has long been the front line in the constant battle between monied downtown interests in SF which tend to be more conservative, and neighborhood, environmental, and other grass-roots types that have sought a more progressive SF. This year is no different.
California Ballot Measures
Prop. 28: YES
Prop. 29: YES
I always like it when I can enthusiastically support ballot measures. They are so often so grey at best. While neither of these measures is perfect they are both DOING GOOD.
Prop 28 tweaks the heinous term limits system for the better. A significant part of the reason that the State Legislature is so startlingly lame is term limits. Our legislators are barely in office long enough to understand how the system works before they are termed out. We basically have a bunch of rookies at the wheel. All the time. Ugh. 28 doesn’t fix this but makes the terms longer so they have a chance to get better. YES YES YES
Prop 29: Yes it isn’t ideal for various reasons, but smokers really really really do cost our health care system a large amount of money – and yes, non-smokers pick up part of the tab. This measure, though regressive, is essentially fair. If you smoke, pay for treatment research.
SF Ballot Measures
Prop. A: NO
Prop. B: YES
Prop A is a good example of something that should be a good thing, but in reality isn’t. Recology, our waste disposal company is a monopoly & isn’t competitively bid. In general, I’d be against such a scheme. That being said, this alternative is flawed for many reasons and would probably lead to much much less successful recycling, composting and waste minimization here in SF, and Recology has really really been doing a good job with that. No on A.
Prop B: A pretty simple one. SF Rec & Parks has been increasingly renting out our public spaces to private entities, resulting in less access for the people of SF. While this is somewhat understandable given our tight budgets, this policy statement shows we don’t like it & want better solutions. Additionally, Coit Tower has been particularly heavily hit for private events & that is the focus of this non-binding policy statement. Yes.