Bill Roth

Things I have no choice but to write

Category: Voting

California Election Picks June 2

May 7, 2026 / / 0 Comments

California Election Picks June 2

(Updated May 14th)

As of this writing, ballots have dropped in California, and it’s time for us to make our choices for the primary in 2026. I’ve published my picks in the past, here. As always, these are my preliminary choices, not the folks that I think will win.

Governor: Xavier Becerra. He’s the guy you’d hire for the position based on his résumé. Honestly, the video of the Becerra interview was the most toxic mix of arrogance and stupidity I have seen in a while. Anyone who has done ANY PR AT ALL knows you do not negotiate with reporters, especially WHILE THE CAMERAS ARE ROLLING! For someone who has been a Congressman, AG, and a Cabinet Secretary, I have to ask WHAT WAS HE THINKING? Bonehead. This shows a major problem with his judgment. He should know better. I’m now seriously considering Tom Steyer.

Lieutenant Governor: Josh Fryday. I met him at the state convention. Great 1:1 and has been in a cabinet-level position for a couple of years. He’s definitely part of the new generation of politicians.

Secretary of State: Shortly Weber, incumbent.

Controller: Malia Cohen, the only Democrat.

Treasurer: Anna Caballero. Local, from Watsonville

Attorney General: Rob Bonta, incumbent.

Insurance Commissioner: I’m torn on this one. Ben Allen appears to have momentum and has some reasonable policies. On the other hand, Patrick Wolff is enough of an outsider that he might be an interesting choice. He is the guy who challenged delegates at the state convention to a chess match, and he said he’d pay their rent or mortgage if they beat him. No one did. He’s a former chess champion. I’ll make a last-minute decision on this one.

Congress, District 16: Sam Liccardo. He has been working hard to do serious things in Congress since he got there. And it’s not all that surprising. I’ve known him since he was on the City Council; he’s a serious public servant. I don’t always agree with him, but I trust his judgment.

State Senate District 10: I’m not in this district, but my friend David Cohen is running for state Senate. I’m supporting him for the same reason. I supported him when he ran for city council; he’s someone whose judgment and temperament I trust. Again, we don’t always agree, but I know David will have thought about the issues thoroughly, in the way that a PhD in Materials Science would. One of his greatest accomplishments is securing a deal between the city and the county that enabled the development of higher-density housing in North San José. Nearly 50% of the new housing units coming online in the city are in his district. If you want someone to work on the housing problem, David Cohen is the person.

State Assembly, D28: Gail Pellerin, incumbent. I like Gail; she’s a positive person, and she’s been focused on mental health issues, which are important to me.

I’m skipping the judge races.

Board of Supervisors, D4: Susan Ellenberg, incumbent. She has been supportive of our work at Gardner Health Services.

Assessor: Neysa Fligor, running unopposed for her first full term.

District Attorney: I’m leaning to Jeff Rosen. I’ve not agreed with all of his prosecutorial choices, but I can’t shake the feeling that Daniel Chung is too inexperienced.

I’m skipping the Sheriff’s race.

Measure A: I’m a mild yes on this, which would increase the hotel occupancy tax. I’m a little concerned that more taxes might negatively affect our tourism dollars, small change that it is, but if it goes to support services when we have a $50 million deficit at the city level budget, I suppose I’m in favor of it. I guess.

Measure D: For. This is the measure to levy a parcel tax of an additional two cents per square foot of building area to support the Open Space Authority. While I suppose I’m in favor of this, I really wonder why they need an additional $17 million annually to support essentially empty land. My fear is that the Open Space Authority is becoming more like Valley Water, its own version of the Golden Spigot.

(This will be updated until election day).

I never lose. I win, or I learn

November 11, 2024 / / 1 Comment

This quote above from Nelson Mandela seems apt lately. Our campaign did not turn out how I would have liked, but some great things happened, and I learned a lot.

Great Things Happened

One of the best (and also worst) things that happen in a campaign is you find out who your real friends and supporters are. I’m proud of the folks who have endorsed and supported me. For endorsers, I am most proud to have had the support of David Cohen, someone I greatly respect, as well as Patrick Ahrens, who I know is going to make a great Assemblyperson. I am honored beyond belief to have the support of the NorCal Carpenters Union, and the laborer’s union, LiUNA local 270. I am equally proud of my other endorsers, including Chappie Jones, Carlos Rosario, and more.

I also learned who my friends and supporters are. I will forever be comforted by this photo of my campaign kickoff, all the way back in July. When I look at this photo, I know I have won. I am so proud of these people and honored to have them at my event.

Bill Roth Campaign Kickoff team photo
Campaign Kickoff, July 29th

Finally, I got to meet a lot of my neighbors, and it was a great experience. I come from the Catholic faith tradition, and Pope Francis talks about “encuentro”. This is encountering another person, but in a deep way. In Spanish, encuentro has a deeper meaning. Encuentro involves an openness to The Other in hopes of a true understanding of them.

I had many encuentros that I am grateful for. I am thinking of Susan in the TAPNA neighborhood, Leonard on Davis Street. Jean, who just got back from a devastated western North Carolina. John in Santa Clara who is dealing with health issues. And Katherine and Bear downtown, who had great questions about water, water policy, and politics. After talking with folks like these, I’m more hopeful about the future than have been in a long time. There are a lot of good, thoughtful people out there. We’re going to be ok.

I Learned A Lot

I did learn a lot in this process. As mentioned above, I learned who my friends and supporters are. I also learned how to crisply articulate my values, what my plans are, and how I will make my voters’ lives better.

I learned that endorsements matter. One key data point was that as we approached the election, there was a marked spike in traffic to the endorsement page. It looks like people do pay attention to this. Something to do better on next time.

I learned 1:1 in-person contact with voters is the most valuable interaction. It is the most joyous part of the job. I also learned that this is not scalable. You need people to help carry your message.

I learned that if you don’t have a database of contacts you can lean on, you are at a disadvantage. The voter file is not enough.

I learned I liked taking on problems that voters had. For instance, the folks in the TAPNA neighborhood have houses with basements that routinely flood, especially after wet years like the one we have last winter. I also enjoyed working with a voter, David, on getting a leak in an empty lot fixed. It look way to long to fix, but he got it done. I credit this approach to Forrest Williams, former city councilman, mentor, and raconteur of the highest order.

I also learned that folks have a lot of concerns about water. Mainly, they’d like lower water rates, and more efficient Water District. I hope the new board and my opponent pay attention to this.

I learned I can precinct walk in 103 degree heat. With the right clothing and enough water, you can do anything. Take that Climate Change!

I learned that digital marketing is not a panacea. I ran a multi-channel approach with search, display, video, and social ads. We focus on all kinds of segments including democrats, engineers, cybersecurity folks, and even Catholics. It was not enough.

I learned to get help from staff and volunteers early, and let go. They will do it differently than you will, but you need to let it go.

I learned that sometimes, the person who you are is not what the majority of the establishment or voters want. I learned that there were folks who would not vote for a 59-year-old, white guy, no matter how good his ideas were. And that I had to not take it personally and move on quickly to the next interaction.

Gratitude

First, I am thankful for Frances Herbert, who was my consultant during this process. I’m grateful for her steady hand, focus on data (especially from the Voter.Vote platform), and generally keeping me from doing dumb things. The fact that we did as well as we did is a testament to her work.

Second, I am grateful for the staff and volunteers, including James Deng, Joseph Fierro, Steve Samuel, Claudia Martinez, and GOAT Jenny Coupe. And to Dylan Lehmann who gave me some valuable training on how to do precinct walking in the early days. I am also grateful for Spanish translation help Monsé Rodriguez and Leslie Murillo. And also to folks like Jon Pedigo and Darren Seaton for his advice and counsel.

And a special thanks to my campaign coordinator/manager/sidekick Anthony Shing whose boundless energy challenged me and bouyed when I needed it.

Third, thank you to my family. To my passel of cousins/aunts/uncles/friends, you supported me early, and I am forever grateful. One of the best parts of running a campaign is that you see who is really “with” you. You were there for me, and I am grateful. I owe you.

To my daughters, thanks for keeping me human, and reminding me about balance. I remain so proud of you. I love you always and forever.

And finally, to Dara, who tolerated this mess, and sacrificed a lot. She raised me up during the tough times, and tried to bring me back to reality. Thank you for standing with me during this process. I could not have made it without you. Thank you for being a the supportive partner I needed.

In reality, running for office is something I always wanted to try. Thanks to all of you for helping make this happen.

La Lucha Sigue!

vote text in green frame
Photo by Tara Winstead on Pexels.com

Where to Vote in Santa Clara Valley Water District 2

November 2, 2024 / / 0 Comments

For those of you who have not voted yet, here is a list of vote center locations in Santa Clara Valley Water District 2. I recommend vote centers so your ballot will likely get delivered and counted earlier. And don’t forget to sign up for BallotTrax! If you have any questions, Contact Us!

4-DAY VOTE CENTER LOCATIONS (Full List)
OPEN NOVEMBER 2 – NOVEMBER 4, 2024 – FROM 9:00 AM TO 5:00 PM
ELECTION DAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2024 – FROM 7:00 AM TO 8:00 PM

LOCATIONADDRESSCITYLANGUAGE TARGETED*
Campbell Community Center – Room Q801 W Campbell AveCampbell, CA 95008C/S/T/V/H/K/P/R/U
Center for Employment Training – Banquet Room 701 Vine StSan Jose, CA 95110C/S/T/V/H
Santa Clara County Fairgrounds – Heritage Hall344 Tully RdSan Jose, CA 95111C/S/T/V/J/I
African American Community Service Agency – Multipurpose Room304 N 6th StSan Jose, CA 95112C/S/T/V/H/O/L/U
Franklin-McKinley School District – Boardroom645 Wool Creek DrSan Jose, CA 95112C/S/T/V/J/I
Italian American Heritage Foundation Cultural Center – IAHF Hall425 N 4th StSan Jose, CA 95112C/S/T/V/H
Joyce Ellington Branch Library – Community Room491 E Empire StSan Jose, CA 95112C/S/T/V/G/H/K/O/B/L/U
SJSU Provident Credit Union Event Center290 S 7th StSan Jose, CA 95112C/S/T/V/H/O/L/U
Capitol Park800 Peter Pan AveSan Jose, CA 95116C/S/T/V/K
Mexican Heritage Plaza – Classrooms 4 & 51700 Alum Rock AveSan Jose, CA 95116C/S/T/V/G/H/M/K/O/B/L/U
Olinder Community Center – Community Room848 E William StSan Jose, CA 95116C/S/T/V/G/H/O/B/L/U
Roosevelt Community Center – Dance Room901 E Santa Clara StSan Jose, CA 95116C/S/T/V/G/H/K/O/B/L/U
San Jose High School – Auxiliary Gym275 N 24th StSan Jose, CA 95116C/S/T/V/G/H/M/K/O/B/L/U
Taiwanese American Presbyterian Church – Gym Room3675 Payne AveSan Jose, CA 95117C/S/T/V/H/J/K/P/R/U
Italian Gardens Apartments – Community Room1524 Almaden RdSan Jose, CA 95125C/S/T/V
San Jose Scottish Rite Center – Library2455 Masonic DrSan Jose, CA 95125C/S/T/V/H/O/L
Willow Glen Community Center – Rooms 3 & 52175 Lincoln AveSan Jose, CA 95125C/S/T/V/H
San Jose Odd Fellows Community Center Hall – Fellowship Hall1035 Emory StSan Jose, CA 95126C/S/T/V/H/K/U
Alum Rock Youth Center – Community Room137 N White RdSan Jose, CA 95127C/S/T/V/H/K/O/B
Roberto Cruz Leadership Academy – Jaguar Den14281 Story RdSan Jose, CA 95127C/S/T/V/H/O/B
San Jose City College-Student Center – Community Room2100 Moorpark AveSan Jose, CA 95128C/S/T/V/H/K/P/R
Vista Center for the Blind & Visually Impaired – Auditorium101 N Bascom AveSan Jose, CA 95128C/S/T/V/H/K/P/R/U
Santa Clara University – Parlors B&C Room820 Alviso StSanta Clara, CA 95050C/S/T/V/H/K/U
Triton Museum of Art – Collection Hall1505 Warburton AveSanta Clara, CA 95050C/S/T/V/H/K/O/B/R/L/U
Valley Village Retirement Community – Building 18, Social Center390 N Winchester BlvdSanta Clara, CA 95050C/S/T/V/H/K/P/R/L/U
Muslim Community Association – Banquet Hall3003 Scott BlvdSanta Clara, CA 95054C/S/T/V/H/K/O/B/R/L/U
UCSC Silicon Valley Extension – Rooms 2110 & 21303175 Bowers AveSanta Clara, CA 95054C/S/T/V/H/K/R/U

My Ballot Picks for November 2022

October 25, 2022 / / 0 Comments

 It’s time once again to Vote. Here are my votes picks for the November 2022. Many of these will not be a surprise from my June picks. There are also decent voter guides here on the SCCDP website.

Local Races:

Mayor: Cindy Chavez: All Cindy All the Way. See my June picks for more detail.

Sheriff: Both Republicans. Not sure which would be worse. Bob Jonsen has some experience in Palo Alto, and Kevin Jensen was part of the Sheriff’s department when all the craziness was happening. I may write-in someone.

City Council: No race in my district, but if you live downtown in D3, vote for my friend Omar Torres.

State Level

Governor:  Gavin Newsom. Proud of the work he’s doing. Especially around AB2183, the Farm Worker Protection Act.

Lieutenant Governor: Eleni Kounalikis. The incumbent.

Secretary of State: Shirley N. Weber.  Very trustworthy.

Treasurer: Fiona Ma. I have met her. Competent.

Attorney General: Rob Bonta

Insurance commissioner: Ricardo Lara

Member of Board of Equalization, District 2: Sally Lieber. Former State Senator, lives in Palo Alto.

Senator, Full Term: Alex Padilla. Saw him on Oct 23. Very impressive. Proud to have him as a Senator.

Senator, Unexpired Term: Alex Padilla. See above.

Congress: ANNA Eshoo. I have met her several times, a great local person. Proud to be in her district again.

Other Congress: Zoe Lofgren, Jimmy Panetta. I am not in their districts, but I would vote for them if I could. Zoe has done historic work on the Jan 6 commission, and Jimmy’s the real deal. A serious policy person.

State Assembly: Gail Pellerin. She’s backed by people who share my values.

Judicial: No opinion, likely voting Yes for all of them.

School Board: Tony Thurmond, like I have in the past.

The Propositions

Prop 1: The government should not make this choice. People directly affected should. Yes.

Gaming Props

These props are a mess, but I’m in favor of adding this funding stream to state coffers. Yes there are issues that will arise, but the funding should help them be mitigated.
Prop 26: In-Person Gaming. Yes.

Prop 27: Tribal Gaming. Yes.

Other props

Prop 28: Arts and Music Funding: Yes.

Prop 29: Dialysis: I don’t know…..but shouldn’t SOME medical professional be on hand for something like this? Yes, I guess.

Prop 30: Millionaire tax for Air Quality. Yes.

Prop 31: Referendum on prohibiting sale of flavored tobacco. Totally irrational response: this stuff is yukky, so yes, ban it. Voting Yes.

County/City  Props

Prop I: Allow non citizens on the Planning, Civil Service, and Salary Setting Commissions; remove gender-specific language; live up to equity values. Yes.


My ballot picks for the June 2022 Primary

May 30, 2022 / / 1 Comment

As I have done in the past, I’m posting my ballot picks for June 7 California Primary. I post these for those that have questions. As I have written in the past, I’m not trying to convince anyone. These are not endorsements, but they are who I’m voting for. (ok, maybe that is kind of like an endorsement, but whatever).

Mayor: Cindy Chavez: https://www.cindychavezformayor.com/

I have seen Cindy in action for 20 years, as part of the local Democratic Party. She is a fierce competitor, as anyone who saw her run against Sam Liccardo 8 years ago will remember. But in my role on the boards of 2 local nonprofits, Sacred Heart Community Service and Gardner Health Services(a community clinic with over 60,000 patients/yr), she has consistently come through for the less fortunate in our community with significant funding on Housing, Homelessness and Rental Assistance, among may other issues. She’s the most experienced candidate who will continue to be a voice for the marginalized, and has a clear vision for a better San Jose. All Cindy, All the Way.

Congress: Anna Eshoo: https://annaeshoo4congress.com/

Anna has been a great supporting of Silicon Valley, and her office assisted me on some activitism back in the day. Vote for her. Ajwan Rading is a young up and coming candidate, but he’s still green on some issues important to the district like patent reform, and did not seem entirely supportive of the Labor Movement in some local events. Great future candidate, but Anna wins this one for me.
For those not in my district, I wholeheartedly recommend 2 great public servants, Zoe Lofgren, and Jimmy Panetta. Zoe’s history speaks for itself. She’s a figure of historic importance. And I have been in party Zoom meetings with Jimmy, and he’s the real deal, and I know his father is proud. He’s a serious, policy oriented House member, with detailed knowledge about issues that affect our area.

Governor: Gavin Newsom: https://gavinnewsom.com/

Looks, I had my doubts about him. Was he just a glory-chasing celebrity pol? Ok, maybe a smidge, but he’s been governing well and doing a good job working with the legislature.

The rest of the state offices:

Insurance Commissioner: Ricardo Lara: https://ricardolara.com/

Don’t know much about him, but as the incumbent, if I did, it would be because he was messing up. Re-elect.

Senate(Partial Term), and Senate: Alex Padilla: https://alex-padilla.com/

I’m proud to have him as my senator. Since he’s filling in Kamala’s team, you have to vote for him for the rest of the year, AND for the next team. It’s California law, don’t blame me.

Assembly Member: Rob Rennie: http://robrennie.com

Los Gatos City Council member, and strong environmentalist, as well as an engineer. 2 thumbs up.

Superintendent of Public Instruction: Tony K. Thurmond: https://www.tonythurmond.com/

Doing well, re-elect.

Supervisor: Susan Ellenberg: https://www.susanellenberg.com/

On the right side (my side) of all the issues. Deserves re-election.

Assessor: Larry Stone: https://www.larrystoneforassessor.com/

Doing a good job in a tough office, and always pleasant to talk to.

District Attorney: Sajid Khan: http://votesajid.com

This is a difficult one for me. On the one hand Jeff Rosen has been a decent Democratic attorney District Attorney. On the other hand I’ve been frustrated with him at being too close to the San Jose police and not following up on the various stories of police misbehavior. He’s been mildly progressive come up but I think we deserve more. Also, district attorneys do not have term limits, and it’s time for a change. I do not want to be in a situation like back in the days with George Kennedy where we have an imperial District Attorney for 25 years. I support Sajid Khan because he’d be a progressive District Attorney and would look to lessen the carceral state, by looking for other alternatives other than jail for people with minor offenses. As a public defender, he’s had a front row seat at viewing prosecutorial misconduct and prosecutorial overreach. I hope that this will moderate his approach to law enforcement.

Sherriff: Christine Nagaye: https://www.nagayeforsheriff.com/

This is one of those races where there are not too many good choices. Nearly all of the candidates are associated with the existing corrupt regime in the Sheriff’s Office, or are Republicans. I would normally vote for Ahn Colton because she’s not even a member of the Sheriff’s Department, but as of 2020 she was a registered republican, and that’s just a bridge too far for me these days. She’s not a serious candidate either, as she doesn’t even have a website. Christine Nagaye is at least registered as a Democrat. God help us.

Measure A: Vote No.

Measure B: Yes, I guess?

This measure seeks to move the San Jose mayoral elections to the presidential election year. The idea is that more people vote during presidential elections and therefore we would have greater voter participation. OK, I ‘spose. I’m not sure I follow this logic, because I think having elections more than once every four years it is important. Moreover, if you believe there are a fixed number of people working on elections this would essentially dilute campaigns and make them much less effective. It is also important to remind people that we live in a democracy and that as voters we have a responsibility to keep our elected officials in check frequently. And frequently fighting for democracy is important these days given the attack mounted against it. (See: Jan 6).

My Ballot Picks for 11/3/2020 DRAFT

October 12, 2020 / / 0 Comments

Draft of my picks for November 3rd, 2020.

Draft. More later.

State Propositions

Prop 14: Yes  This is important work, and needs funding, and I’m setting aside my queasiness around the origin of some of the stem cell lines. We need to make sure their acquired ethically.

Prop 15: Yes. Chips away at Prop 13 and helps to make a fairer property tax system and better funding for schools. See Sacred Heart Voter Guide.

Prop 16: Yes. Erases Prop 209 and allows affirmative action style programs at the state level, which are needed to chip away at the current  overlay of systemic racism.

Prop 17: Yes. If you have done your time and paid your debt to society, you should be able to vote.

Prop 18: Yes. Register 17 year olds early.

Prop 19: Yes. Allowing old people (like me) and wildfire recipients a property tax break.

Prop 20: No. A measure by the prison industry to keep people behind bars. See Sacred Heart Voter Guide.

Prop 21: Yes. Allows localities to enact rent control. With high housing costs, this is necessary.

Prop 22: No. Lyft/Uber Drivers should have benefits.

Prop 23: I don’t know. Don’t understand the kidney dialysis issue very well. More to come.

Prop 24: Yes. Better data privacy

Prop 25: Yes. Approve non-cash bail system. It’s regressive and hurts the poor.

My ballot picks for March 3rd 2020 Primary Election

January 30, 2020 / / 0 Comments

In the past, I have published my thoughts on the various candidates and measures on the ballot. This year is no different.

Note: Thinking that primaries don’t matter, and that you don’t need to vote? WRONG. There are a number of important measures not related to the presidential primaries that you should consider, especially if issues like housing and homelessness are important to you.

Party Nominated Offices

President

I am torn here, and really don’t have a favorite. There are still a few candidates who have dropped out who are still on the ballot, like Castro and Booker(sob). I’ll likely vote for Biden/Warren/Buttigieg. For the record, I’ll vote for whoever the nominee is.

County Central Committee

These are the voting members of the local party to get to go to the state convention, and vote on things like endorsements. When you here “Local party endorses candidate X”, its these people that vote. There are 6-9 slots per Assembly District. I’m in AD 28. The people I know and am going to vote for include:
  • Angelica Ramos
  • Helen Chapman
  • Shay Franco-Clausen
  • James Kim
  • Adrienne Grey
All are long term progressive activists. You get to pick 6, but you don’t have to.

US Rep, District 19

Zoe Lofgren. No question. She’s a decent, hard working public servant and House Impeachment Manager. I’m so proud to be represented by her.

State Senator

Vote Dave 2020. While Anne Ravel is impressive, former FEC Commissioner during the Obama Administration, Dave Cortese is a great local progressive leader. Support him please.

Member of State Assembly, District 28

Please re-elect Evan Low.

Non-partisan Office and Measures

Judicial

No idea. But all the judges on my ballot are running unopposed.

City Council

Ruben Navarro. A local activist. Dev Davis has been hostile to spending on housing and homelessness, and is a “former” Republican.

State Measure 13

Yes. Look, I don’t like spending on bonds any more than the next guy, but this is the only way to get around Prop 13 and to ensure we improve California Schools.   


City Measure E

Yes. This is an added tax on luxury home sales which will be applied to help housing and homelessness in San Jose. Please vote for this.

My ballot picks for Nov 6 2018

October 16, 2018 / / 0 Comments

I have done a post on my ballot picks for the last couple of elections. Here are my picks for November 2018.

Since some of my choices are the same as the primary, I’ll refer to that post for brevity.

Governor: Gavin Newsom. Not a tough call. See primary post for more details.

Lt. Governor: Eleni Kounalakis. See primary post.

Secretary of State: Alex Padilla. Primary post.

Controller: Betty Yee. Primary Post.

Treasurer: Fiona Ma. Still impressed. See primary post.

Attorney General: Xavier Becerra.See primary post.

Insurance Commissioner: Ricardo Lara. Primary post.

Member, Board of Eq., District 2: Malia Cohen. Primary post.

US Senator: OK, this is tough one, but I stand by my primary support for KDL, in spite of Senator Feinstein’s performance during the Kavanaugh hearings. (Sorry Anna).

House: Zoe Lofgren, for as long as she runs…..

State Assembly: Evan Low, primary post.

Judicial offices: I have not heard of any of them, so Yes to all.

State School Superintendent:Tony Thurmond. While my hijada is doing well at her Charter school, I think we need to support people of the current system. (I might have goofed in the primary.

County Supe: Don Rocha. Has the experience we need. And a nice guy too.

Sheriff: John Hirokawa. See primary post….too many scandals under Smith.

The State Propositions

1: Housing Bond: Yes. We have a serious housing crisis.

2: Bond for homeless/mental illness housing: Yes.

3: Infrastructure Bond: Yes.

4: Hospital Construction for Children’s healthcare: Yes

5: Changing requirements for tax treatment when people over 55 sell homes. OK, this is totally selfish, but I gotta retire some day, and I’ll be up for this in 2 year. Shameful, yes…but I’ll take my tax break for myself and my family.

6: Eliminating Road repair and transportation funding: No. Public safety issue.

7: Approval for State Legislature to change Daylight Savings Time. I hate this one, and I don’t care. So No.

8: Regulating Dialysis Treatment Payments. Why are we deciding this? Vote no.

10: Rent Control (Costa-Hawkins): We need to have affordable housing. Yes.

11: Making private ambulance drivers on-call during breaks. Again, why? I suppose Yes.

12: Setting farm animal enclosure standards. Seriously?! Voting no out of a fit of pique.

Local Propositions

A: Continue 1/8 cent sales tax. Yes.

S: Streamlines procurement, adjusts some thresholds. Yes.

T: Disaster Preparedness Bond: Yes.

U: Charter Amendments: Sure. Why not.

V: Local housing bond. Yes. See previous comments on housing.

My Ballot Picks for June 5th Primary

May 12, 2018 / / 0 Comments

5/15: Update with link to Merc endorsements and more thoughts on Governor.

A couple people have asked me for my opinion on things on the June 5th ballot, so here are my picks and the reasons why I am voting the way am.

But before I go through the ballot, let me note that this is an important elections, at the local, state and national level. As many of you know, I have been working on registering Spanish speaking citizens at Catholic Churches in the Modesto area, where there is some amount of chronic under-voting, and we have a real chance to flip a district to a Democratic seat. There are also good people running in San Jose, as well as some pretty nefarious propositions. So please, vote. Now, on with the picks:

FYI: Here are local party endorsements: SCCDP  and the State Party. And the Merc.

It is important to understand my algorithm. I will pick candidates that share my values, but you also get points for running a good campaign, and points subtracted for running a bad campaign. This is because if you can’t run a campaign effectively, you will likely be unable to govern effectively. 

My Picks 

 

Candidates

Governor: I am torn. I have concerns about Gavin Newsom, especially after Stephen Colbert embarrassed him on the old show. And selling gay marriage in San Francisco was not really a tough sell. Had he been mayor of Louisville or Milwaukee, that would have been something. That said, I think he as fairly represented California as Lt. Governor. On one hand, he’s a 1-percenter, scion of the Gettys, that started a winery with family money. On the other hand, he has supported important causes, we line up on most important issues, and he throws great parties for Democrats at the state convention. And he’s from Northern California. We need someone to represent the north, to make sure our resources (especially water) do not get inappropriately siphoned off by southern California. The Merc seems to like him, for good policy reasons. They does not reflect the pause some are given by his messy first divorce, nor his current wife’s penchant for unfortunate mis-statement.

Antonio Villraigosa on the other hand, to me, represents what California is becoming. California is already a minority-majority state, and we should be represented this way. He has experience running LA, no mean feat. However, I am not sure he’d factor in Norcal in his decisions due to lack of experience.

I also like Amanda Renteria, but it feels like she is ballot-riding for her next job, whatever that is.

Pick: Today I am leaning Gavin, last week it was Villraigosa.You Pick. (I’ll update this when I make a choice)

Lt. Governor:  Eleni Kounalakis gave a pretty good speech at the local Dem Pary Dinner, as did Jeff Bleich. Bleich has a serious resume, as a law clerk, lawyer and ambassador. Kounalakis was also an ambassador, and was born in Sacramento. She also seems to have decent money behind her, and is running a decent campaign.

Pick: Kounalakis

Secretary of State: Alex Padilla. Incumbent. Doing a good job.

Controller: Betty Yee. Incumbent. Doing a good job.

Treasurer: Fiona Ma. Gave a great speech at the local Dem Dinner. Very impressive and a solid accounting background.

Attorney General: Xavier Becerra. He’s been doing a great job standing up to Trump. Keep him in this seat.

Insurance Commissioner: Ricardo Lara. The *last* thing we need is a crypto-conservative shill for the insurance industry in the job. I’m looking at you Steve Poizner.

Board of Equalization, District 2: Malia Cohen. Great local candidate.

Senator: KDL (AKA Kevin DeLeon). After enough years, a change is needed. DiFi has been maddeningly centrist on national security and privacy issues. Its time for a change.

Congress: Zoe Lofgren. Because she’s one of my heroes.

State Assembly: Evan Low. Incumbent. Doing a good job.

Superior Court, District 4: Chiarello. He’s the only one running.

Recall Persky: Yes. The Standford case is all you need to know.

Persky Replacements: Unknown. You pick.

School Superintendent: Marshall Tuck. He has good endorsements from people I trust.

County Supervisor: Don Rocha. He understands central San Jose, and he stopped by the house. He’s working hard for it. (and he offer to help me load my Kayak.).

Assessor: Larry Stone. Cuz why not.

DA: Jeff Rosen. Incumbent. Doing a good job.

Sheriff: Too scandals/deaths at the County Jail for Smith to keep her job. Hirokawa.

Mayor: No real choice. Sam Liccardo. A good man who is trying to represent ALL of San Jose, and doing a good job at it.

Propositions/Initiatives

 

Prop 68: Bond measure for natural resources. YES.

Prop 69: Making sure the Legislature does not divert transportation money to something else. Duh. YES.

Prop 70: Requiring 2/3 super-majority on divesting cap-and-trade monies. I hate super-majorities. Seems anti-democratic. NO.

Prop 71: Sets effective date for ballot measures. Unclear what this is for but seems reasonable: YES.

Prop 72: from the why-are-we-deciding-this Dept.: Excludes newly constructed rain-capture equipment from reassessment. Umm….I guess so? YES. (Is the rain-capture lobby really this strong?)

RM3: Raise bridge toll. Not a big affect on me, and we need more monies for traffic alleviation. YES.

Measure B: Sham proposition. NO.

Measure C: Tucked in here is language that allows the creation of affordable housing which San Jose desperately needs. YES.

Vote Picks for 2016 for Santa Clara County, Assembly District 28, Willow Glen (ish)

October 22, 2016 / / 0 Comments
As many of you know, I obsess about politics the way other people do about sports. This has been the most interesting election cycle of my lifetime, both good and bad. I’ve been pouring over the my ballot, and I get excited when I get my State Voter Guide, which is online. and below are my picks for 2016 all the way down. Feel free to start a conversation on this.

My Picks:

  • President/VP: Clinton/Kaine
  • Senator: Kamala Harris. Look, I love Loretta Sanchez as a person, and I recognize and appreciate what she’s done in Garden Grove. But Harris is a serious candidate, and a historic candidate
  • Congress: Zoe Lofgren, now and forever. Proud to have her as my representative in Congress.
  • State Senator: Jim Beall.
  • Assembly: Evan Low
  • San Jose Unified School District: Pam Foley.
  • East Side Union School District. Pattie Cortese
  • City Council: Helen Chapman. Dev Davis is a Republican.
  • Open Space District: Dorsey Moore. PLO is just ballot riding.
  • Prop 51: Yes. Its the only way we can legitimately fund schools in California
  • Prop 52: Yes. Why is this not in the legislature?
  • Prop 53: No. Would make raising revenue for worthy projects harder
  • Prop 54: Yes. Seems reasonable that legislation should be public 72 hours ahead of time.
  • Prop 55: Yes. Proud to extend this, and to pay it. We have to find education somehow.
  • Prop 56: Yes. Leads to a healthier population
  • Prop 57: Yes. Part of the on-going criminal justice reform
  • Prop 58: Yes. Preserves the status quo. Common language is a unifier. I’d also like to see mandatory Spanish as well. Maybe in the future.
  • Prop 59: Yes. Allowing for proposal and ratification of an amendment to overturn Citizens United
  • Prop 60: Blank. Ummm, really? I have to vote on this?
  • Prop 61: Yes. Lowers drug prices. 
  • Prop 62: Yes. End the Death Penalty. Seamless Garment.
  • Prop 63: Yes. Background check for ammo. Guns don’t kill people, bullets do.
  • Prop 64: Yes. 420 dood. Then tax it. See Aquinas: “lex humana dicitur aliqua permittere, non quasi ea approbans, sed quasi ea dirigere non potens.” (ST 1-2.93.3.3)
  • Prop 65: Yes. Grudgingly. The bag ban is an example of the nanny state. Do you know how many groceries I have left in the parking lot because of this ban? But this redirects money to environmental causes.
  • Prop 66: No. Seems to me like taking away due process rights
  • Prop 67: No. See Prop 65. How much pasta sauce do I need to leave in the Safeway parking lot?
  • Measure A: Yes. We have the largest per-capita homeless population. We need to fix it.
  • Measure B: Yes. Traffic is a mess, future generations need BART. Yes to the sales tax.
  • Measure E: Yes. Be fair on offering extra hours. I have seen this abused.
  • Measure F: Yes. Its a decent compromise. Lets rebuild SJPD.
  • Measure G: Yes. Yes to Business Tax.
  • Measure X: Yes. Supports Job Training
  • Measure Y: Yes. More Property Tax to improve San Jose Schools.

My Current Senate map:

As extra credit: At this writing, my Senate Map looks like this. My current prediction is  50/50 split with VP breaking tie.
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