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A Political Earthquake—Elections 2006

by Mike Rhodes (MikeRhodes [at] Comcast.net)
The photo below is Board of Supervisor candidate Cynthia Gonzalez. She describes herself as a progressive Democrat. Her election would change the balance of power on the most powerful government body in Fresno County.
500_cynthia.jpg
A Political Earthquake—Elections 2006
By Mike Rhodes

[Note: The article below appears in the April issue of the Community Alliance newspaper. Since the article was printed, the Central Labor Council and the Service Employees International Union have both endorsed Cynthia Gonzalez for the District 4 board of Supervisors race]

Who gets elected has a life-or-death impact on our lives. Elected officials will decide whether we go to war, whether air quality will be improved in the Central Valley, and whether home healthcare workers are paid a living wage. Do you want to elect another county sheriff that spies on peace activists and students at CSUF? City council members that are opposed to police accountability? Congress members that support the Bush administration’s war in Iraq?

The upcoming June and November 2006 elections are being looked at by many progressives as the way to turn the tide against the conservative juggernaut that has taken over this country and local politics.

Lydia Flores, chair of the Central Valley Progressive Political Action Committee (CVPPAC), says, “We need to unite around a strategy that will empower poor and working people in this community.” The CVPPAC would like to see a broad coalition built that would bring together progressive community groups, organized labor, and individuals to elect local candidates.

Cynthia Gonzalez, who is running against Republican Judy Case in the Board of Supervisors race in District 4 (to see a map of district 4, go to: http://www.co.fresno.ca.us/0110a/docs/SupervisorDist4Map.pdf ), describes herself as a progressive Democrat. Flores says people are really getting excited about this race because “it would change the balance of power on the Board of Supervisors.”

Lloyd Carter, a local progressive and expert on water issues, said he has met with Gonzalez and is really excited about her campaign. “I have talked with her about water issues and I was tremendously impressed,” Carter said. Some political analysts have suggested that this is the race to watch in the June primary, because a win here would have a huge impact on Fresno County politics.

There are two Democrats running for Congress, who are challenging Republican incumbents. T. J. Cox is running against George Radanovich in the 19th congressional district. Steve Haze is running in the 21st congressional district against Devin Nunes. John Miller, a Green Party candidate, is also running in the 21st district race. One issue of critical interest to progressive voters in this area is where these candidates stand on the war in Iraq. The incumbents, Nunes and Radanovich, are both staunch supporters of the Bush administration’s war in Iraq, which more than 80% of Americans oppose.

Haze, who is running against Nunes, said, “I believed that we had made a grave error to pre-emptively engage in a war with Iraq because Saddam Hussein was contained with the no-fly zones, there were no verifiable weapons of mass destruction, Iraq was under a UN mandated Oil for Food and Medicine Program, and billions of dollars did not have to be diverted from domestic programs.” Haze claims that the resolution passed in Congress to authorize the war in Iraq is illegal and thus null and void. He said “There is a very good book called The Art of War by Sun Tzu in which the greatest premise for achieving victory and the most ideal strategy is the following: ‘To win without fighting is best.’ We are now in a senseless and brutal situation—which requires leadership on how to resolve this conflict without any further loss of innocent lives.”

The Green Party candidate in the 21st congressional district, John Miller, said, “I support a phased pull-out of US troops from Iraq, but we must try to correct some of the damage we have caused, perhaps by use of United Nations or other truly multinational forces. Those responsible for this war and the atrocities that have occurred should be held accountable.” Miller said “this war was not just about WMD or democracy and freedom or whatever other line Bush wished to use on the American people, it was also about the power of the military-industrial complex and our desire to control Middle Eastern oil. If we were using solar energy and other alternatives to petroleum, perhaps this whole mess could have been avoided.”

T. J. Cox, who is running against Radanovich in the 19th district said, "The war in Iraq was an appalling way to enter the 21st century. The war is a sinkhole of lives, money, and morality. The current situation must end now—our troops need to get out of the business of nation-building."

The Peace and Freedom Party, which is committed to socialism, democracy, ecology, feminism and racial equality, has a local candidate in the 29th California Assembly district. John Crockford says he is “running to offer a choice for voters to elect a pro-labor candidate with specific goals of promoting and supporting legislation that provides for a better life for the many of us who live by our labor. As a legislator in the State Assembly, I will work toward a California where cooperation replaces competition, where all people are well fed, clothed, and housed; where all women and men have equal status; and where all individuals may freely endeavor to fulfill their own talents and desires.”

Because City Council member Tom Boyajian, who represents District 1, is termed out, there is a lot of interest in that race. All five candidates have been invited to a candidate forum, which will be held on April 8, where they will be asked about their positions on issues that are important to the progressive community. See sidebar for details. Cynthia Sterling is running for re-election in City Council District 3. Widely viewed as a friend of the progressive community, Sterling has been a strong supporter of the Independent Police Auditor proposal. She is being challenged by Ignacio Garibay and Manuel Toledo. City council members Mike Dages and Henry T. Perea are running unopposed.

Lydia Flores, chair of the CVPPAC, says, “The best you can expect in the Fresno City Council races is to maintain the status quo. In other words, none of the really conservative members on the council are up for election. The best we can hope for is to maintain the current balance of power and not allow the conservatives to gain influence.”

Pete Mehas, superintendent of the Fresno County Office of Education (FCOE), is retiring and this will lead to a contested election in June. Mehas, a conservative Republican, is supporting Larry Powell. Larry Wilder, who teaches at Fresno Pacific University, is generally perceived as the more acceptable candidate to the progressive community in this race. The Fresno Unified School District (FUSD) elections will be held in November.

There will be many other races and initiatives on the ballot in June and November.

Future issues of the Community Alliance will go into more detail about local and statewide races. We will tell you what the candidates’ positions on the issues are, who is being endorsed by progressive organizations, and how you can become involved in standing up for democracy and restoring progressive values in the political arena.

###


Local Candidate Forums to Be Held in Fresno

Saturday, April 8
10 AM–2 PM
Central Valley Progressive PAC to Hold Local Candidates’ Forum

The Central Valley Progressive Political Action Committee (CVPPAC) will be holding a candidates’ forum at the Unitarian-Universalist Church of Fresno, 4144 N. Millbrook Ave, (1/2 block south of Ashlan). This is a great opportunity to personally see and question the candidates make a difference in the June 6, 2006, primary election. Some races will likely be decided without a runoff vote in the November general election.

Candidates for the following nonpartisan races are being invited to participate:
Fresno City Council Districts 1, 3, 5, and 7
Fresno County Board of Supervisors District 1 and 4
Fresno County Assessor-Recorder, Auditor-Controller/Treasurer, County Clerk, District Attorney, Public Administrator/Coroner, Sheriff, and Superintendent of County Schools.

The forum is co-sponsored by the UUCF’s Social Justice Committee and is open to the general public free of charge. This forum is presented as an educational opportunity to help voters learn more about the candidates and their positions on important issues. No endorsement vote will be taken at this forum. The candidates will be allowed a short opening statement and participate in a question and answer period. Child care and light refreshments will be provided. While there will be no charge to attend the forum, donations will be accepted to help defray expenses. Forum details will be posted later this month at <http://www.cvppac.org>.

Saturday, April 29
2–4 PM
The League of Women Voters, Preschool California, and Fresno Pacific University are co-sponsoring a dual forum. The two candidates for Fresno County Superintendent of Schools will speak, and an official from Preschool California will present a nonpartisan analysis of Proposition 82, the Preschool for All initiative. This event will be held at Ashley Hall, which is in McDonald Hall (the main building) at Fresno Pacific. No charge.
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