Treehuggers International 2012 Primary Voting Guide
June 5th, 2012
“The only way to change is to vote. People are responsible.” – Paul Wellstone
“If you don’t vote, don’t bitch.” – Steve Earle
San Diego is indeed a lovely place. So please don't vote for Carl DeMaio.
By Tommy Hough
Not all races are listed. For some races you will need to find the candidate running in your federal or state district. With some exceptions, voter recommendations are pertinent to San Diego County ballots.
Polls open at 7:00 am and close at 8:00 pm, Tuesday June 5th. For a complete list of state elections offices, from Alameda to Yuba counties, click HERE.
Federal Races
President: Barack Obama (Democratic ballot); Buddy Roemer (Republican ballot)
U.S. Senate: Dianne Feinstein
U.S. Representative, 52nd District: Lori Saldaña
- Full disclosure, I’ve been assisting Lori Saldaña‘s U.S. House campaign for nearly a year with digital content and some communications and messaging help. Serving as Speaker Pro Tem, Lori racked up a highly effective record in the state Assembly writing and passing legislation expanding education opportunities, supporting civil rights and the environment, and looking out for military families and veterans. She’s the ideal candidate to steer green jobs and renewable energy legislation through the House of Representatives, and will arrive in Congress experienced in passing bipartisan legislation without caving into right-wing extremists who continue to move the goalposts further and further to the right in an attempt to redefine the middle. A career educator, Lori will fight for women, veterans and the middle class. Please give her your vote. Learn more about Lori Saldaña at her campaign website.
U.S. Representative, 49th District: Jerry Tetalman
U.S. Representative, 50th District: David Secor
U.S. Representative, 51st District: Denise Moreno Ducheny
U.S. Representative, 53rd District: Susan Davis
Other U.S. House Races In California
U.S. Representative, 2nd District: Jared Huffman
U.S. Representative, 3rd District: John Garamendi
U.S. Representative, 4th District: Jack Uppal
U.S. Representative, 11th District: Jerry McNerney
U.S. Representative, 23rd District: Terry Phillips
U.S. Representative, 24th District: Lois Capps
U.S. Representative, 27th District: Judy Chu
U.S. Representative, 37th District: Karen Bass
U.S. Representative, 47th District: Alan Lowenthal
California State Races
State Senate, 39th District: Marty Block
State Assembly, 71st District: Patrick Hurley
State Assembly, 75th District: Matthew Herold
State Assembly, 76th District: Rocky Chavez
State Assembly, 77th District: R.J. Hernandez
State Assembly, 78th District: Toni Atkins
State Assembly, 79th District: Shirley Weber
State Assembly, 80th District: Ben Hueso
Judicial
Superior Court Judge, Office 24: Terrie Eileen Roberts
Superior Court Judge, Office 25: George F. Schaefer
Superior Court Judge, Office 34: Garland Peed
- When it comes to running for public office, you couldn’t come up with two worse names this side of Ayatollah than Peed and Kreep, but those are the last names of the gentlemen running for Judge of the Superior Court Office 34. Please vote for Garland Peed. There are no Democrats running for this particular seat on the bench, but Mr. Peed’s opponent, Gary George Kreep is a Birther, as in the kind who believes the President of the United States was born in Kenya because he has a funny name. And nothing says judicial stability more than someone who will likely be voting for Orly Taitz. Please, take my word on this one. Vote for Peed.
Education
San Diego County Board of Education, 1st District: Gregg Robinson
San Diego County Board of Education, 2nd District: Lyn Neylon
San Diego County Board of Education, 4th District: Mark Anderson
San Diego Unified School Board, District A: John Lee Evans
San Diego Unified School Board, District D: Ricard Barrera (unopposed)
San Diego Unified School Board, District E: Marne Foster
Community College Board, B District: Bernie Rhinerson
Community College Board, D District: Mary Graham (unopposed)
San Diego County
San Diego County Board of Supervisors, District 1: Brant Will
San Diego County Board of Supervisors, District 2: Rudy Reyes
San Diego County Board of Supervisors, District 3: Dave Roberts
City of San Diego
Mayor: Bob Filner
- Despite Filner’s disappearing act this election season, he’s the only Democrat in the race, and a far better choice than Incubus Carl DeMaio and newly ex-Republican Nathan Fletcher. Don’t be fooled by Fletcher; despite laudably revealing the U.T. editorial board to be the Republican sycophants everyone figured they were, he still comes with a dismal environmental record, questionable stances on women’s issues, and that video clip of him signing Grover Norquist’s boneheaded tax pledge. I respect Fletcher’s military service and can appreciate there are things to like about the guy, but at the end of the day dropping the Republican label was more stunt than concrete policy, designed to enhance Fletcher’s appeal to labor and Democrats, while quietly acknowledging his inability to raise cash from Republican donors while DeMaio was busy sucking all the oxygen out of the room with his zeal and desire to privatize every city service, the ultimate GOP fantasy political move. Vote for Bob Filner. And if you haven’t read Lucas O’Connor’s Two Cathedrals account of Filner’s days as a young man on the Freedom Rides in 1961, have a look at it now.
City Attorney: Write-In Mike Aguirre
- Current City Attorney Jan Goldsmith is running unopposed, so please, vote in the one City Attorney who never took no for an answer, was never afraid of commandeering city vehicles, and kept Mayor Sanders on his toes by occasionally indulging in accidental Alexander Haig-like “I’m in charge” moments. Republicans hated Mike Aguirre, and a lot of Democrats didn’t like him either. So let’s just say I miss a guy who never let his title get in the way of what he was doing.
San Diego City Council, District 1: Bryan Pease
San Diego City Council, District 3: Todd Gloria (unopposed)
San Diego City Council, District 5: Write-In Michael Halloran
- Mark Kersey is a Republican running unopposed for the seat Carl DeMaio is vacating in order to run for mayor. So for goodness sake, do something about it and write-in my buddy and former FM 94/9 colleague (and now 91X afternoon host) Michael Halloran. How often do you get to do something like this?
San Diego City Council, District 7: Mat Kostrinsky
San Diego City Council, District 9: Marti Emerald
- We’re big fans of Marti Emerald at Treehuggers International, so please give her your vote.
Propositions
YES on 28 (state): Legislative term limits.
- Not what it sounds like, and not a bad thing. I’m against term limits. Term limits force out experienced, effective legislators at just the moment they become good at their job. And why take choices away from voters? If voters are tired of a legislator, they should be able to vote that person out; likewise, if they feel a legislator is doing a good job they should be allowed to vote to retain them. Prop. 28 cuts down on the time state legislators can spend in Sacramento from 14 to 12 years, but enables legislators to spend the entirety of their time in the legislature in the Assembly or Senate. Believe me, this is a baby step in helping undo the dumb idea of term limits.
YES on 29 (state): Cigarette tax for cancer research.
- Yes smokers, you’re going to be taxed again. The good news is it’s for cancer research. Get it?
NO on A (San Diego): Use of project labor agreements.
NO on B (San Diego): Initiative to strip workers of pensions.
- Both A and B are ugly little schemes to bring a little bit of Gov. Scott Walker’s Wisconsin to the city of San Diego. The Lincoln Club of San Diego (nice name, but a five-dollar bill won’t get you in) and the San Diego County Taxpayers Association are particularly excited about B, as is mayoral candidate Carl DeMaio, which is as good a reason as any for voting NO against A and B.
NO on C (Chula Vista): Term Limits for City Attorney
NO on D (El Cajon): Change to City Charter
NO on E (Oceanside): Vacancy Decontrol
NO on F (Oceanside): Change Council Seats from At-Large to Numbered and add Runoff Elections
YES on G (Mountain Empire Unified School District): School Improvement Bonds
YES on H (Alpine Union School District): School Improvement Bonds
Sunset behind the tip of the Point Loma peninsula from Coronado.
