Election Predictions, How Did I Do?

 Election Predictions, How Did I Do?  ACDCC, Politics  No Responses »
Dec 052014
 
Election Predictions, How Did I Do?

At the annual Alameda County Democratic Central Committee (ACDCC) holiday party this week, a colleague asked me how accurate I was on my election predictions.  This post is meant to answer his question. Truth is, I didn’t make many predictions.  This year, I endorsed candidates throughout Alameda County.  I thought some of them had a good chance of winning and I was less hopeful about others.  Voters, however, like to go with likely winners so I wasn’t about to suggest that my endorsed candidates were going to lose. This is not to say that I avoided calling all races.   In [Continue Reading]

Alameda County Heads Right: Liberal Candidates Lose Countywide

 Alameda County Heads Right: Liberal Candidates Lose Countywide  Politics  No Responses »
Nov 132014
 
Alameda County Heads Right: Liberal Candidates Lose Countywide

It’s time to face the facts.  Alameda County has ceased to be a home for liberals.  Perhaps we can trace this development to the replacement of the word “liberal” by the word “progressive,” perhaps to the broken promises of the Obama administration or even to 9/11.  Or perhaps the yuppy generation grew old, more afraid, more conservative.  In any case, policies throughout the county show that, by in large, liberal values have been abandoned.  We now welcome mass surveillance, the loss of fourth amendment rights and the militarization of police, under the fear or excuse of crime, even as crime [Continue Reading]

Winners, Losers & Endorsements

 Winners, Losers & Endorsements  Politics  No Responses »
Nov 132014
 
Winners, Losers & Endorsements

The following is a list of the candidates that won competitive races in Alameda County, where either I or the Democratic party made an endorsement. I tried to endorse the most liberal candidate, except in the case of agencies where I went for technical competence as well. Neither I nor the Democratic party endorsed in every race. As you can see, we have not fared very well. * I endorsed/recommended Δ Democratic Party endorsed [i] Incumbent ALAMEDA Mayor: * Trish Spencer (lost Δ Mary Gilmore [i]) City Council: Frank Matarrese & *Δ Jim Oddie (lost Δ Stewart Chen [i]) School [Continue Reading]

Vote to Retain All Judges

 Vote to Retain All Judges  Legal, Politics  2 Responses »
Nov 042014
 
Vote to Retain All Judges

A last minute reminder: please vote to retain all the appellate and Supreme Court judges. Some of them may be too liberal for you, some too conservative for me. But judicial independence requires that judges not be punished with removal just because they made rulings we disagree with – as long as those rulings are still legally legitimate. For example, there is a movement to remove the California Supreme Court justices who voted against allowing Prop 49 in the ballot. Prop 49 would have asked whether the US Congress should pass an amendment nullifying Citizens United, and the CA Legislature should ratify [Continue Reading]

Reevaluating my Recommendation: Victor Aguilar is Really the Best Choice for SL Council Dist. 3

 Reevaluating my Recommendation: Victor Aguilar is Really the Best Choice for SL Council Dist. 3  Politics  No Responses »
Nov 022014
 
Reevaluating my Recommendation: Victor Aguilar is Really the Best Choice for SL Council Dist. 3

As a growing number of California votes, I get an absentee ballot but I wait until election day to fill it out and drop it at the polls. That way I can be sure I have as much information as possible before I cast my ballot.  This also gives me time to discuss my choices with others, and do some more deeper thinking.  Inevitably, this leads to changing my mind in a few races.  That’s the case with the San Leandro City Council District 3 race.  I am now recommending the following voter order: First Choice: Allen Schoenfeld Second Choice: Victor Aguilar [Continue Reading]

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