The June 3 Election
We are opening up this first of a weekly open thread and we’ll see how it goes. I was thinking that we might begin by discussing Tuesday’s election. How about someone starting us off by telling us who you are supporting in any local race and why. After Tuesday we can discuss the results. Or we can go off in another direction. It’s your decision.
It’s been almost 12 hours since this blog was posted, so kindly let me take this issue in a slightly different direction. I have come to see that many of San Jose’s most active elements carry views that are “Fascism Lite” and oppose democratic institutions and procedures.
Generally, Fascism Lite makes arguments, not against the outcome, but against the democratic institution in question, with mockery, name-calling, and smears as the first-line defense to submission of political questions to the public.
Little Saigon is a good example. Exercising the right of recall is as American as apple pie, but when those who want the status quo are activated, we get a dose of mockery, name-calling, and barely coded racism called into play to oppose the recall election process itself.
No one objected to the recall process in 1994 when Council Member Kathy Cole was recalled, but the current effort to recall Council Member Madison Nguyen runs in the other political direction and all the heavy weaponry is called into play to oppose a democratic solution.
Electing a person last year to fill a vacancy on the Berryessa school board was another example. The democratic process in that effort was maligned, supporters called names, and cost figures multiplied to promote a parade of horribles…all of which were untrue.
Vicious and unprincipled campaign consultants also are examples of anti-democracy influence because, while a smear campaign usually works, it certainly sets democracy and public participation back on its heels.
The democracy we rely on isn’t only for regularly scheduled elections, it should permeate all our public institutions and make public participation as broad as possible. Fascism Lite is alive and well in San Jose, and decent people need to speak out against those public assaults that work against democracy.
Pat Waite is the best choice for the District 8 City Council seat for many reasons. One key reason is that he is not “beholden” to any special interest group.
He will approach any agenda item that comes before the City Council with an objective viewpoint and a background rooted in financial management along with strong experience in working collaboratively with many diverse groups.
Benny
The Santa Clara Valley Water District would be LUCKY to have Diana Foss elected to its Board for two reasons: First, her qualifications are superior—she’s very bright, well trained academically and has appropriate vocational experience, with a rare penchant in local politics, for serving the public good, not herself. Though she’s running against a recumbent incumbent, her campaign for the office is not naive. Second, SOMEONE needs to be quixotic enough to challenge an incumbent who’s lounged about for 22 years, propped up the entire time by Zoe Lofgren while the SCVWD has been slurping taxes by the 10 wheeler load, awarding endless contracts for work the electorate, and ratepayers have never understood, way below the radar. The Lexington Hills folks have watched for years an endless series of projects, all crucial, all vital, all expensive, but mostly fixing the same problem over and over.
One can only imagine what’s been going on at Stevens Creek, Uvas, Calaveras, Coyote, Calero, etc., etc. Diana, should the voters be smart enough to elect her despite the political insiders lined up behind her opponent, will make the SCVWD much less secret, sly, and no doubt, sinister. George Green
I voted via absentee ballot. I picked Richard Hobbs for the Board of Supervisors despite some reservations I have about him.
George Shirakawa raises too many questions in my mind and Patricia Martinez-Roach didn’t seem to have an in-depth understanding of the County and the services that it provides.
I voted for Clark Williams for the Central committee because I met Clark when he was running for City Council and found him to be an intelligent and decent individual.
Diana Foss got my vote for Santa Clara Valley Water District just because I agree with her message of change.
I’m supporting Pat Waite in large part because he has the most integrity of any of the candidates. He’s focused on the things San Jose needs to focus on: affordable housing, well maintained roads and reasonable traffic, safe neighborhoods, and a friendly business environment that will benefit everyone. And his own experience in business marks him as a person who can get things done – a rare thing in politics!
I live in District 1 but I’m telling everyone I know in District 8 to vote for Pat Waite. I’ve known Pat for 15 years and I believe his financial experience with big budgets is just what we need to work on San Jose’s financial problems. Electing him to city council will benefit everyone in San Jose.
There is a wonderful man by the name of Jay Boyarsky, who works for the DA’s Office, who is running for Superior Court Judge, Office #8. I’ve worked with him on the Net Work for A Hate Free Community, and the Criminal Justice Committee for several years now. He is a compassionate, loving man who does an excellent job and would make an awesome Judge. I hope you’ll consider voting for him if you haven’t voted yet!
Can anyone tell me how you learn about all these unknown candidates for Water Board, School Boards, Judges, etc.? Until election time I don’t ever hear their names mentioned, that is of course unless they are involved in some type of scandal. Since they are elected into positions that inevitably affect our city, and resources, I’d like to now more about them, outside of the Merc and Metro that is!!!
In response to Number 8.
I go to the League of Women Voters web-site to see what the candidates have to say.
Then I ask friends who have direct or indirect knowledge of candidates and ask them who they are voting for and why they made their choice. (I don’t always follow their recommendations but it’s very informative to hear the why behind their decision.)
If the candidates have a web-site, then I read what they have to say there.
I used to pay a lot of attention to endorsements by already elected politicians that I respected, but there’s too much “you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours” going on and so I have become highly skeptical of these types of endorsements.
Also, I try to go to candidate forums. I attended the Willow Glen Neighborhood Association and got to listen to George Shirakawa, Patricia Martinez-Roach and Richard Hobbs (Supervisor race), and Joe Judge and Diana Foss (Water District). It was very informative to hear the candidates unfiltered and in person.
I do pay attention to the press coverage. I don’t take what I read as gospel, but I can find some useful information there.
And lastly, incumbents have a record. Some agencies have on-line archives of their meetings and it can be very informative to listen to the deliberations of an elected official. Of course you can always go to an actual Board or Council meeting, but that is a real time commitment.
“Compassionate loving man”? Will his “compassionate loving” interfere with him sending scumbags up the river?
The absolute last thing we need is yet another “compassionate loving” judge. We’ve got enough “compassionate loving” Mark Leno types looking out for the criminals best interests already.
Thank you very much for the great ideas! I like forums too because hearing/seeing them in person is much better than reading their campaign sites. Those are usually filled with the usual “feel good look how great I am, vote for me,” jargon.
#10- Novice,
He is a compassionate, loving man toward crime victims, who is also tough on crime and criminals. If he wasn’t, he wouldn’t have my support!
History has been made tonight! We have our first African American Democratic Nominee for President! I’m so excited to see this happen in my lifetime! Woo Hoo!