“Votivator” for 6/5/18 CA Primary Election: Jim Burklo
A "votivator" is a person who researches candidates and propositions for every election, and votes every time - and lets her/his friends and neighbors know about his/her voting choices. Copying a trusted votivator's votes is an honorable way to participate in democracy. Over time, people who follow votivators can become informed votivators themselves! Learn more about VOTIVATORs
US Senate: Dianne Feinstein. She is going strong – holding strong against Trump and for the environment, for the social safety net, for women’s rights, etc, etc. Her seniority counts for a lot – she has heft that her challenger, Kevin De Leon, would take years to develop. We need her in the Senate more than ever.
US Congress: Adam Schiff. He is a superstar in Congress – handling the Russia investigation with firmness and civility….
Governor: John Chiang. I have been very impressed with his pragmatic, progressive approach to his work as State Treasurer. I really admired the way he successfully stood against Schwartzenegger’s butchery of the state budget. Chiang is a champion of something I’ve hoped would happen for a long time: a State Bank of California that would save the state a lot of money and enable needed investments in housing, etc. Newsom is too dependent on the public employees’ unions. Villaraigosa sold out to the Herbalife pyramid scheme, to the outrageous Cadiz Valley water-grab, and to the charter school industry. NOTE: I seriously considered voting for Villaraigosa simply to heighten the chances that we'd have two Democrats and no Republican making it to the November election. With no Republican at the top of the ticket, Republican votes "down-ballot" would be dampened, giving an advantage to Democrats, particularly House candidates in swing districts. We call this "strategic voting" in a "jungle" primary where party affiliation no longer matters. The fact that I was tempted to do this is a sign that our CA "open" primary system has weakened the party system in an unhealthy way.
Lt Governor: Jeff Bleich. I did some research on the candidates and concluded that he’s the guy, based on his solid public service cred as Ambassador to Australia, his progressive but pragmatic policy positions, and his stellar list of endorsers - especially Rep. Jackie Speier, whom I venerate.
Secretary of State: Alex Padilla, the incumbent. I think he’s doing a good job – having substantially raised the number of registered voters in the state, and updated voting systems. Much more work to do, but he’s most qualified to continue it.
Controller: Betty Yee, incumbent. She’s smart and capable and is working hard to educate politicians and voters about how totally out of date our state tax system has become. (We need to even-out the income tax base and start taxing services as well as goods, in order to be able to ride out inevitable recessions.
Treasurer: Fiona Ma. Member of the Bd of Equalization, well-qualified progressive....
Attorney General: Xavier Becerra, incumbent (appointee). I really admire how vigorously he’s fighting back against the Trump administration, re: DACA, immigration generally, and other issues.
Insurance Commissioner: Asif Mahmood. An outsider candidate but with good qualifications (an MD) and progressive but grounded policy positions. Poizner is really a Republican, with a history of immigrant-bashing. Lara made a hash of his single-payer proposal in the CA legislature – progressive for sure, but not practical.
Board of Equalization: Scott Svonkin. I’m going with his overwhelming list of endorsers here – Mayor Garcetti, Sheila Kuehl of the Supes, etc, etc, etc.
State Senator: Ben Allen, incumbent – so far, so good – no real challengers –
State Assembly: Laura Friedman, incumbent – very good so far…
LA Judges: I am going with the LA Times rec’s, except for Michel -- read why here - and Berger, who the Bar Assn says is not qualified. Very hard to get other independent advice on these candidates. Coletta, Hunter, Segall, Hancock, Mackey, Armendariz, Gibbons, Ribons, Diamond, Gilbertson, Spear. More info on judges, always, at LA County Bar Assn - they rate their qualifications, don't make recommendations.
Superintendent of Public Instruction: Tony Thurmond. I am suspicious of both the public employees’ unions and the charter school movement. Thurmond is more on the side of the teacher’s union, Tuck on the side of the charters. I am really concerned that charter schools are sucking the regular public schools dry. There will be no real improvement in our schools unless the regular, non-charter schools can thrive. So I’m tilting toward Thurmond for this reason.
County Assessor: Jeffrey Prang, incumbent
County Sheriff: Jim McDonnell, incumbent. He’s far from perfect but needs more time continue to clean up the messes of the previous administration –
LA County Supervisor: Sheila Kuehl, incumbent – I love her – a practical progressive --
State Measures:
66: Yes – water, park bonds-
69: Yes – mew fuel tax for transportation expenses only – good
70: No – This is on the ballot as part of a back-room deal that Jerry Brown pushed in order to get the cap-and-trade deal through the Legislature. He promised to put it on the ballot but he really isn’t in favor of it, and neither am I – this law eliminates “majority rule” on future decisions re: the cap-and-trade fund.
71: Yes – sensible revision to delay enactment of ballot issues until votes are fully counted.
72: Yes – effectively offers a tax incentive for solar panels on houses, etc.