Vote On Nov. 2/Demonstrate on Nov. 3

Hello Rabble Rousers, Ardent Activists and Media Masters

Here's Darien De Lu's recommendations on the local ballot measures and
congressional and school board candidates, followed by the United Farmworkers
Union endorsements for the state ballot measures.

Most importantly, advise all of your Democrat, Green and Peace and Freedom
friends and relatives to vote on November 2. If you are talking to any
Republicans, advise them to vote on November 3!
(Yuk, Yuk!)

And remember, down with the Bush dictatorship! Flush the Bush junta into the
toilet of history!

And regardless of who wins, join the demonstration for peace and justice at the
Federal Building, 5th & I Streets, from 4 to 6 p.m. on November 3. I'll see you
there.

Dan



Dear All,
     Remember - VOTE ON TUESDAY, DEMONSTRATE ON WEDNESDAY. On Wed., Nov. 3
regardless of the election outcomes - we need massive numbers to join the
Beyond Voting demonstrations at the Federal Building 501 I St. - 5th and I St.
- 4-6 pm.  (Other localities nationwide.)
     Polls open Tues. at 7 am, close at 8 pm.  In California, if you're in line
at closing, you have a right to vote.  If any voting problems, you have the
right to cast a provisional ballot.  More problems?  Call the national hotline:
866-OUR-VOTE, (866-687-8683).
     Below is the Sacra. supplement for my Ballot Guide.  Thank you to those
who helped by providing info, and I invite more help from informed voters in
the future!
     Fortunately, the local ballot is relatively easy this year, with Measure A
being the most controversial item among progressive voters.  (I urge a NO!)
     I've added a little more info to the "preview" recommendations on the
SCUSD School Board races.  The new info is marked off by ** Update**, and the
entire board segment is at the end of the local Guide.
     Sections of the not-so-short Guide are separated for easy reference.
Further info?  Call me:  916/739-0860.
                                                                     Yours,
Darien

                      Darien's 2004 Ballot Guide - Sacramento Supplement
                         Somewhat short and Progressive Recommendation

     Please note - This supplement is sent only in an email text format.
Accordingly, I use *asterisks* to add emphasis (rather than underlining or
italics).

                     PARTISAN CANDIDATES
     Generally, I'm confident you can find you're way thru the first two pages
of the ballot.
     Still, I recommend "educational voting" on the US Rep. (Matsui's) seat.
Both John Reiger (P&F) and Pat Driscoll (Grn) are well known to the activist
progressive community, and both are waging energetic educational campaigns to
counter Matsui's drift to the right in his secure seat.  I urge you to support
their citizen activism and wake up call to Matsui by voting for one of them.

                    SCHOOL BOARD
     See at end, below County Ballot Measures, for complete info.

                    AMERICAN RIVER FLOOD CONTROL DIST.
     I regret that I have very scant info on this race.  Specifically, one
friend tells me that Virginia Moose is a good environmentalist.

                    *STATE* BALLOT MEASURES
     See Darien's 2004 Ballot Guide to the California Propositions:  Short,
Sensible, Independent, Ethical and Progressive Analysis of Measures, for
Thoughtful Voters

                    *COUNTY* BALLOT MEASURES

     A brief note on regressive taxes - The sales tax in A and the property tax
in X are both regressive taxes, ie., they take a greater proportion of the
income of low-income tax payers than from high-income tax payers.
Unfortunately, at this time - with a state-level requirement for a 2/3's vote
of the legislature to pass any new (potentially *progressive*) taxes and a
public long-term disinformation campaign attacking all government-funded
programs (except fear-based: prisons, police, fire, war) - we are not likely in
the near future to get any better sources of funding for important programs.

NO!:  Measure A - Half-Baked Transportation Sales Tax
     Why are we being pressured to pass this measure when it would not take
effect until April, 2009?  (Not so coincidentally, April Fools Day?)  The
powerful backing of A by the CA State Automobile Assoc. (CSAA) should be a
warning to alert voters:  this is an auto-focused "solution" to transportation
and air pollution issues.  Even in their (Yes on A) own mailer, the A
supporters quote a (pro-A) Sacra. Bee editorial that spills the beans (emphasis
added):  "...it *keeps* buses and light rail financed *at existing levels*..."
     This 30-year measure is short-sighted in its focus on cars - at a time
when we should be looking into the development of more alternatives to
gasoline-based transit.  We need to - and can! - take the time for community
education and discussion about transportation problems and solutions so as to
position resources to better serve the quality of life in our neighborhoods and
diverse communities.  We have YEARS to address these matters.   We can do
better in 2006 or 2007!
     The tax structure in this measure won't provide enough funding over its
*30-year* life for needed transit operations, rail extensions, and neighborhood
shuttles.  Instead, more than half of the tax goes to auto-focused
expenditures, including 20% for freeway upgrades alone - particularly
benefitting land speculators and business interests who want a beltway.
     Support community dialog, visioning, and planning.  Support coherence and
connection to other transportation and air quality programs and projects, such
as SACOG's Blueprint Project and the Sacra Transportation/Air Quality
Collaborative process.  Vote No on A.
     Endorsements -  Yes:  CSAA, Am. Lung Assoc. Sacra. Metro Chamber - "Major
funding provided by Angelo K. Tsakopoulos and Affiliated Entities..." (pro-A
mailer - that's over $225,000 from them and over $700,000 from other
developers!).
     No:  Sierra Club, African Am. Transportation & Air Quality Advisory Comm.,
Environmental Council of Sacra., Sacra. Area Bicycly Advocates, Sacra Co.
Taxpayers League, Sacra. Transportation Equity Network

YES: Measures K & X - Don't miss these, tucked in at the end of the ballot!
     Full disclosure:  On these two fine-sounding measures, I have read only
the impartial analyses provided in the ballot.  Both appear very worthwhile.
     Neither K nor X imposes any new tax.  Each involve important community
support services.
     K - Simply seeks the required voter-authorization for allowing limited
low-income housing.  Because such housing, when it meets certain requirements,
is removed from the property tax base, this measure has tax-payer implications.
K does not fund or require this much needed housing provision; it only allows
it.
     X - Providing funding for libraries and library services, this is an
interesting counterpoint to A:  like A, X authorizes a continuation of a
currently existing tax, but the property tax to be continued in X otherwise
expires in 2007 (not 20091).   This measure extends library hours, adds
after-school services, funds acquistition of library materials and equipment.

                                  SACRA. CITY UNIFIED SCHOOL DIST. BOARD
     I urge a vote against ALL of the incumbants.  This Board has presided
over some truly outrageous behavior, ranging from the approval of a sweetheart
administrators' retirement program (CASA - Hernandez, Jennings, Schenirer and
Young all voted for it) to closing and "privatizing" Sacramento High School
(Jennings, Schenirer, and Young voted to close it; Hernandez voted against the
closure).  In both cases, they ignored public opposition to the plans.  They
pulled out of CASA only after an outside expose - and at enormous cost to the
District.
     Incumbant Manny Hernandez has sometimes been a voice of dissent, but he
did not take the kind of outspoken position necessary to slow or stop the
momentum of a politically ambitious and self-serving Board.
     A further example of the way this Board doesn't exercise its financial
oversight role properly is revealed in the Bond Oversight Committee's Report.
When the Heating and Air Conditioning modernization was being performed the
Board did not request a cost/benefit analysis of the choices being made.
Subsequently, the Bond Oversight Committee's Value Assessment subcommittee
found that the District was paying on average seven times the market rate for
these HVAC systems. The Bond Oversight Committee's Report can be found on the
District's website at http://www.scusd.edu .
     ** Update** If all this - and the candidate info below - doesn't suffice
to offset the large number of pro-incumbant mailers (including from Phil Serna
and Darrell Steinberg), I include this quote the Sacra. City Teachers Assoc.
about the current board:
     "...a school board ignoring any process for supporting underachieving
schools, acting on bad administrative advice...condoning top down
administrative practices that left teachers and community out of the
decision-making process."

     Out of the five recommended below for the full term seats, you can choose
only four.  "SCTA" indicates endorsement by the Sacra. City Teachers Assoc. and
"SEIU" endorsement by SEIU Local 790, AFL-CIO, who represent the District's
classified employees.
    In the race for the two-year term seat only two candidates are running:
Jerry
Houseman, a former teacher and principal, and Pat Fong Kushida who was
appointed to temporarily fill the position when Rob Fong resigned because he
had been elected to City Council. Pat Fong Kushida is the head of the Asian
Chamber of
Commerce. She has raised $61,000 in three months for this race - an unheard of
amount of money for a local school board race.  (You may have received Bob
Matsui's mailer supporting her.)  However, she is likely to represent business
interests and spoke against the Living Wage. Not terrible, she still won't do
the great job Jerry Houseman will in representing more of us.

     RECOMMENDED CANDIDATES

          Four-Year Seats - Vote for four (of the nine candidates)

Ellyne Bell - SEIU, SCTA - A parent and social worker who knows what the
role of a Board member is.  She knows that the information provided by staff
to this board has been inadequate and will not accept that.  Will hold staff
accountable, will support teachers, will not support chasing money.

Reggie Fair - SEIU, SCTA -  Took action to expose the CASA pension scheme.
Without his work in writing the well documented analysis of this pension in
the Sacramento Leadership Coalition's CASA report, CASA would not have been
exposed. (It didn't matter that members of the public continually asked
questions about CASA; the board and the media ignored that.) Is very good at
spotting financial problems, and knows when staff is not presenting adequate
information.  Current education chair of the NAACP.

Miguel Navarrete - SEIU, SCTA -  Former teacher, has been pointing out the
inadequate services provided to English Language Learners by Sac City for
years.  Understands the Ed. code because he works at the California Dept. of
Education. Wants money spent on educational materials with a proven track
record - tired of the district being used as a testing ground every new fad.
Will hold the new Superintendent accountable.

Ken Adams: - Has a proven track record in the progressive community through
his work on a cable-access community issues progam, among other activities.
He is a parent, too.

John Roberts - SEIU - A former classroom teacher who taught at-risk high
school students. Also is a former city councilmember.  Understands politics.


               Two-Year Seat - Vote for one (of the two candidates)

Jerry Houseman - SEIU, SCTA - Former principal - highly respected by his
teachers - and teacher.  From his experience as a principal he understands the
budget process for school districts and sites. Will scrutinize the district
budget for money going to consultants for services that the central
administrative staff should be providing.

UNITED FARMWORKERS ENDORSEMENTS FOR STATE PROPOSITIONS:CALIFORNIA STATE
PROPOSITIONS

PROP 59- ACCESS TO GOVERNMENT INFORMATION - YES

PROP 60 ELECTION RIGHTS OF POLITICAL PARTIES (NO ON OPEN PRIMARIES) - YES

PROP 62 PRIMARY ELECTIONS (YES ON OPEN PRIMARIES) - NO

PROP 64 - LIMITATIONS ON ENFORCEMENT OF UNFAIR BUSINESS COMPETITION LAWS - NO

PROP 66 - LIMITATIONS ON THREE STRIKES LAW - YES

PROP 68 TRIBAL GAMING COMPACT RENEGOTIATION.  NON-TRIBAL COMMERCIAL GAMBLING
EXPANSION.  REVENUES, TAX EXEMPTIONS - NO

PROP 70 - TRIBAL GAMING COMPACTS.  EXCLUSIVE GAMING RIGHTS.  CONTRIBUTIONS TO
STATE - NO

PROP 71 - STEM CELL RESEARCH FUNDING - YES

PROP 72 - HEALTH CARE COVERAGE REQUIREMENT - YES