Marin Maven » Marin Politics

Dizzying Lt. Governor Race

The Maven — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 21:49:00 +0000

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Gavin Newsom. When I listen to him I agree with so many of his positions in terms of universal health care, prison reform, early childhood education, and regulation again predatory banking that keeps people in poverty. He glistens with seemingly earnest passion.

He then finds my weak spot as he quotes Bobby Kennedy. There is this “too good to be true” aspect to him that forces me to find someone in my old hometown of San Francisco to talk me down from being totally in-the-tank over him. I am tough on him because his charms sneak past my higher brain functions into the lower brain-stem. If my knees go weak when I see a candidate, I immediately distrust him.

On March 12th, Gavin Newsom announced he was running for Lieutenant Governor. Both our local representatives, Mark Leno and Jared Huffman have endorsed this run. If Gavin wins the seat that was vacated by John Garamendi, this will open up new possibilities for Leno and Huffman. This isn’t entirely new news, since I pointed out rumors of this on Huffman’s birthday post. Just in case you missed it, here is how more and more people think that this will play out. Newsom’s win statewide will open up the San Francisco Mayor seat, which could very well go to Mark Leno. This will release the State Senate seat in District 3, which can go to Assemblyman Jared Huffman who is in his last term.

If you are bothered by this musical chairs, blame term limits which continues to be a terrible idea.

The next logical question is can Newsom win statewide office? Is the office of Lieutenant Governor innocuous enough for folks who disagree with his stance on same sex marriage to vote for him? Will he be able to explain away why he dropped out of the race for Governor to spend more time with his family only to get back into a contested race for Lt. Governor? Will his opponent, Janice Hahn have the advantage being from a more densely populated Southern California? Given there still may be democrats that blame him for losing the 2004 presidential election by his stance on Gay Marriage too soon, has enough time passed where that is not an issue? I don’t know the answers to these questions.

What do know is what Newsom talked about last April at the California Democratic Convention in Sacramento when he was running for Governor. He stated to a group of bloggers that based on his travels around the state, central Californians were open to him despite his stance on gay marriage. Newsom told us that what mattered to the folks in the interior was jobs. That would be true if we lived in a rational world. Instead we live in a post-rational world where people will consciously vote against their own best interests to make sure laws won’t turn their children gay.

His stance on Same Sex Marriage is one I will always admire. Newsom stepped up and declared that justice delayed is justice denied and made a bold move to legalize gay marriage in San Francisco. The next generation will grow up and see their parents and the politicians they supported be weak willed when it came to their fellow citizens’ civil rights. Gavin can at least tell them he was on the right side of this issue.

Personally, I would prefer someone from Northern California in the Governorship and Lt. Governorship, because power is too skewed to Southern California. So I remain cautiously open-minded to Newsom.

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Supervisor Adams’ Seat May Be A Contest

The Maven — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 06:34:48 +0000

After running uncontested last term, it looks like this time District 1’s Marin County Supervisor, Susan Adams will have company on the ballot this election. The MarinIJ reports that former Marin Assemblywoman Kerry Mazzoni has taken out papers to run and plans to file before the Friday deadline. One of the main reasons cited for running is Adams vote to approve the Marin Energy Authority as an alternative to PG&E.

Three others have taken out papers to run against Susan Adams: Carol Brandt, who ran against Adams eight years ago; Craig Yates, a disability advocate; and Robert Coleman, a leadership training consultant.

Marin Maven invites all candidates to use this forum to inform people what you plan to do as supervisor. Just email us.

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Privatization of Novato Waste Water on June Ballot

The Maven — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 15:51:02 +0000

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On June 8th, Novatoans will be asked to vote on whether the Novato Santitary District can privatize operations of a 90 million dollar water waste treatment plant. The proposal would outsource to a French company, Veolia North America. According to the California Healthy Communities Network, a project of non-profit Tides Center, the company has a history of:”costly lawsuits, conviction of Veolia officials and public officials in embezzlement of public funds, illegal bidding practices, faulty contracts riddled with important costly omissions, breach of contract issues from failure to maintain adequate staffing levels, charging improper expenses to the maintenance and repair bill covered by the public agency, serious sewage spills, failure to comply with the federal Clean Water Act, overcharging the public for services, and plant safety violations.”

The campaign against privatization also cites that Petaluma and Paris, France have recently fired Veolia for not fulfilling promises. They also claim that Veolia operates the plant in Richmond which has the no. 2 highest incidence of sewage spills in the Bay Area. To be fair, water treatment in the southern part of Marin has had spills as well.

This Friday, March 12, the movement to stop privatization will have a party to kickoff the campaign at the Old Novato City Hall at 901 Sherman Street. From 5pm to 7 pm, there will be music, food, drink, friends, and the ability to find out how you can work for local control on the water treatment. They are asking for $35.00 donation or whatever you an afford. The sponsors of this event include: Novato Democratic Club, Marin Peace and Justice Coalition, Food and Water Watch, David Schonbrunn, Frank Egger, who has been active in so many efforts to protect our environment including trying to stop the Moth Spraying (which is coming back…more on that later…)

You can RSVP for this event to Dotty E. LeMieux at 415-485-1040 or coastlaw@earthlnk.net

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Maven’s Census Awareness Week Special

The Maven — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 06:21:43 +0000

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Almost exactly 220 years ago the United States had its first census, and we are now bracing ourselves for the 2010 census. In February and March census forms will be mailed out. There will be select public sites for those who did not receive one by mail. April 1st will be Census Day. Between May and July census takers will visit households that did not return a questionnaire by mail. December 31,2010 the census numbers by law has to be delivered to President Obama.

The census will NOT ask social security numbers or legal immigration status. Instead it WILL ask questions about how many people are
living at the residence and how many may be staying there temporarily on April 1 on Census Day. The census will ask whether it is a house, apartment, or mobile home. It will ask you your phone number, names, gender, age, hispanic origin, race, and whether you will stay somewhere else.

The Grassroot Leadership Network of Marin is hosting various events this week of March 1-5 because it is Marin County’s Census Awareness week. There will be census presentations at English and Business classes at the Canal Alliance, check out www.canalalliance.org for details. The San Anselmo Police Department will be using its Nixie system to spread census information. On March 5th, Spectrum will be hosting a Census Awareness night at Club 101 in San Rafael at 8:30 pm with census materials distribution.

We care about the census because it will determine how much federal dollars our county will get. It does our county no favors under representing people who actually live here and use our roads, hospitals, schools, and other public facilities. Everyone should be counted.

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My Dear Joe Letter

marinmaven — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 08:08:50 +0000

Maven loves getting mail. Especially, if it has to do with something I wrote and even if a person disagrees with me. So I got and email from Joe Nation. Here is what I wrote back.

Dear Joe,

Joe you always know where to find me and you are always welcome to share your thoughts as I write on a public forum.

If you read here and here, I keep my criticism to my legitimate complaint about these fliers coming from the “Common Sense Coalition” or PG&E. Like I said, these fliers are no better than the fliers that were going on about you in Spring 08. I wrote against those hit pieces that were against you, and I remain consistently against these fluffy appeals to fear now. You were once a grand benefactor of my disdain of hit mailers, now you are just going to have to take your lumps.

I also wrote, “I understand that even the best ideas like Community Green Power, the devil is in the details. How the program is ultimately executed is important. It is easy to sit up and take notice when our own Marin County Controller, Micheal Smith from Sausalito says, “don’t do it” or when a Marin Grand Jury agrees. As with any public agency, citizens need to educate themselves and hold those who run any agency, including the Marin Energy Authority accountable.”

I do not ignore that 2 out 5 Supervisors voted against it, but I also saw that same body rejecting many of the claims made by the that Marin Grand Jury. Here is the MEA’s response to the Grand Jury. Then there is an investigation about how PG&E got the Grand Jury findings before it was released? While I have no evidence to PG&E’s suspected influence on the Grand Jury and with the rhetoric used I can see how people might get suspicious.

From The Ross Valley Reporter, “The MEA’s contract was reviewed by MRW and Associates, which was commissioned to study the contract to assess financial risks to member cities. The only risks identified in the report were potentially high PG&E exit fees, for which MEA was encouraged to assume responsibility.” Which is odd, because on the latest flier from your Common Sense Coalition it warns us, “and if you don’t opt out of the MEA’s system during the initial opt-out period, you may be charged exit fees” for leaving the program. In the Grand Jury, one of the biggest identified risks was that PG&E was promising to sue municipalities that elect to leave or lobby for laws that will obstruct them (ie. Prop 16). The problem wherever I turn is PG&E, not once is there an affirmative message why we should stay with PG&E. This campaign of PG&E is employing fear, uncertainty, and doubt and that always raises my suspicions.

Another problem is PG&E is not really a disinterested party in this. There may be legitimate issues with financing risks or issues of where we get power, but the messenger is the problem.

Joe, as I wrote in my blog PG&E did this to themselves and if they lose they will have only themselves to blame for their heavy handed way. The best way to keep customers with you is give them a reason to believe in you. If you have to sue to keep your customer, perhaps you need to work on your customer service skills.

Matier & Ross weigh in. Here is not a mindless, but very well reasoned blog on this topic.

Don’t even get me started on Proposition 16. Well, at least you guys are not trying to spin it as some “voter’s rights” proposition. Wait! Really?

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