For Fullerton, Orange County, CA 92831. I hope this will be helpful to someone who intends to fill out a ballot! Find your polling location: vote.org
Propositions
1. Yes, invest in improving affordable housing in the State.
2. This is a tough one. For now I say No, taking money away from mental health treatment to house the homeless is not a solution, it's like dumping the lawn rakings in the living room.
3. I was initially for funding water quality and conservation projects, but the Sierra Club opposes it due to specific projects it would fund such as dams in sensitive locations and redirects cap-and-trade funds away from climate change mitigation, so I will vote No.
4. Yes, fund retrofitting children's hospitals for earthquake safety.
5. I've heard reasonable arguments on either side of this and am leaning toward Yes.
6. No.
7. Daylight Saving Time: for once, I might abstain.
8. Yes, limit profit on dialysis as a percentage over cost.
10. Yes, allow local administrations to implement rent control.
11. No, don't offset healthcare costs by violating labor laws that protect the humanity of emergency workers.
12. Yes.
Candidates: the top-two system leaves voters little choice
Governor: Gavin Newsom. I listened to a debate on KQED Forum and I just don't believe the opponent, especially the way he walks back discriminatory stances against gender nonconforming teachers. I don't love Newsom either, but the top-two system's the pity.
Lieutenant Governor: toss-up, leaning toward Kounalakis for her ambition and explicit commitment to limit tuition increases at state colleges and universities.
Secretary of State: Alex Padilla, endorsed by Sierra Club and Planned Parenthood.
Controller: Betty Yee
Treasurer: Fiona Ma
Attorney General: Xavier Becerra
Insurance Commissioner: toss-up between Poizner whose fierce independence I like, but Lara focuses on health insurance which I feel is a higher priority.
Board of Equalization, District 4: No confidence, which I can't write in because of the top-two.
US Senator: De Leon. Thank you, Senator, and it's time.
US Representative 39th District: Gil Cisneros. Again, no choice due to top-two.
State Assembly 65th District: I was going for Quirk-Silva but then got a mailer for hardening the charges against murder suspects of police. Learning about past cases and the relationship between courts and police has severely eroded my confidence in the criminal justice system. Again, because there is no write-in, I will probably vote for her anyway.
Superintendent public instruction: Tony Thurmond. The other candidate's statement reads like a front for corporate expansionism.
Community College District: Brown's statement is weak, but he is a community member whose entire family attended Fullerton College. I might write in no confidence.
High School District: both candidate statements are weak, but Klatzker has more of a human and experiential focus that reflects my values in education.
Fullerton School District: Shana Charles
County Supervisor: No confidence. Amazingly, neither candidate submitted statements to Voter's Edge. Neither impresses me, though Chaffee is clearly the conservative.
District Attorney: No confidence. They both sound rude and repulsive.
Sherriff-Coroner: Either no confidence or Nguyen. This is an unethical combined office. I do like the cooperative tone of Nguyen's brief statement, especially in contrast with the opponent's heavy-handedness.
District 5 Council: Ahmad Zahra prioritizes affordable housing.
Judicial confirmation
Carol A Corrigan: NO, voted repeatedly for sexist marriage law and opposed by San Diego Democrats for Equality. I disapprove of judges who want people to vote on who gets human rights. Rights are issues of justice, not popular opinion.
Leondra R. Kruger: yes. This is probably my first approval of a justice based on a detailed endorsement in the LA Times.
William Dato: yes. Here's the little I could find that was helpful, a dissent against curbing the power of State DA from suing pharmaceutical companies.
Judith Haller: no. (San Diego Democratic Clubs)
Richard Huffman: no. (San Diego Democratic Clubs, and his son was disbarred for misconduct)
Patricia Guerrero: YES! She has done great advocacy work for people displaced by violence in other countries and for women.
Patricia Benke: no, this is the kind of judge who has eroded my faith in the criminal justice system.
Richard Fields: yes, he does great advocacy and community outreach work to get at-risk defendants and addicts into recovery.
David Thompson: yes. I like a justice who stands up to prosecutors.
Thomas Goethals: yes, for the same reason.
