Vote Vote (October 29, 2004)

Tuesday's election stirs passions and gets out the votes
by Jeb Bing

Polls will open at 7 a.m. in Pleasanton's 44 polling places Tuesday to a record high number of voters in an election sparked by a heated presidential contest and energized campaigns by candidates for Pleasanton mayor and City Council.

City Clerk Dawn Abrahamson said 37,608 Pleasanton residents had registered to vote as of Oct. 25, up from 35,726 registered voters a month ago. That total could rise as late filers are counted by the Alameda County Registrar's office. Voters who prefer voting on paper ballots can request them from polling place workers.

"We're up to 731,831 registered voters in Alameda County right now," Assistant Registrar Elaine Grinnold said Monday. "And we're still putting new registrations into our system that came in by mail with the Oct. 18 postmark, the deadline for registering, to our office and the Secretary of State's office."

Grinnold said the touch screen voting systems have been inspected and certified, and will be delivered to polling precincts over the weekend.

"We're looking for a smooth election," she explained. "We don't expect any of the problems that we had in the March primary with the voter card encoders. We'll be using the ones we had before that worked well."

She said that "miraculously" all of the precincts will be fully staffed for the election as a result of good response from those willing to serve. In addition, county staff has been building a reserve list so that any vacancies at the precincts before polls open on Election Day can be quickly filled.

Still, even with the large number of registered voters, Grinnold said many won't be going to the polls. They've already voted.

"We sent out over 200,000 absentee ballots for this election, a record number, and they've already started coming back. We have more than 50,000 of the ballots already."

Voters can also cast their ballots this weekend from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday on touch screen units at the Registrar of Voters office at 1225 Fallon St. in downtown Oakland. Unlike other counties where touch screen voting has been under way at local municipal offices for several weeks, this will be the only opportunity for Alameda County voters to use the touch screens other than at their regular polling places on Tuesday.

In Pleasanton, voters can expect about 12 screens as they proceed through the voting process, with national contests followed by state, community college district, mayor and City Council and San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District candidates. The 16 state propositions follow, with Pleasanton's only measure, Measure X, at the end of the ballot. A summary follows.
President and Vice President

Voters may be surprised that President George Bush and Sen. John Kerry and their running mates have company. Leonard Peltier, the Peace and Freedom Party's candidate for president, leads the ticket of six presidential candidates, including Kerry (second on the list) and Bush (fourth). The others are David Cobb, Green Party; Michael Badnarik, Libertarian; and Michael Anthony Peroutka, American Independent. Ralph Nader, who is campaigning for president as an Independent, is not on the California ballot.
U.S. Senator

Sen. Barbara Boxer (D., Calif.) and her opponent, former Secretary of State Bill Jones, a Republican, are listed at the top of the ballot, with Don Grundmann, American Independent; James P. Gray, Libertarian; and Marsha Feinland, Peace and Freedom Party, following in that order. Election analysts have noted that Boxer's bid for re-election has gone almost unchallenged since what some viewed as a contentious battle in the March primary over a Republican challenger.
11th Congressional District

Pleasanton became part of the 11th Congressional District in the state Legislature's redistricting in 2002, replacing Democrat Congresswoman Ellen Tauscher, whose 10th District had long represented this city. Rep. Richard Pombo (R., 11th) a six-term veteran Republican, sits on the House Committee on Agriculture and is chairman of the Committee on Resources. Long a member of the House Transportation Committee, he is backing a plan to build a new freeway between I-5 and San Jose to relieve congestion on I-580 and the Altamont Pass by San Joaquin motorists commuting to jobs in the Silicon Valley.

Pombo's lone opponent on the Nov. 2 ballot is Pleasanton Democrat Gerald McNerney, who jumped into the March primary at the last minute when he found that the Democrats were not fielding a candidate to oppose Pombo. Although a political novice, McNerney has generated financial support and campaign help from Democrats in Pleasanton and Livermore, and said he hopes to benefit by a large Democratic turnout on Tuesday.
State Assembly

In Pleasanton, which falls into three different State Assembly districts, the contest for election to the Assembly depends on where voters live. Residents of northwest Pleasanton, roughly from Main Street and Santa Rita Road northwest to the city limits, are in the 18th Assembly District, which covers almost half of Pleasanton. There, Democrat Johan Klehs, who lives in Castro Valley, is seeking to succeed Ellen Corbett (D., San Leandro), who is termed out. Klehs, a long-time San Leandro resident, served in the Assembly for 12 years before term limits became law, and most recently served two terms as an elected member of the state Board of Equalization, where he was also chairman in the late 1990s. He is opposed by Ronald Colfer, a Libertarian Party candidate and air quality consultant from Hayward.

In the 20th, which covers Vintage Hills, Ruby Hill and other areas in southeast Pleasanton starting at Main Street, Assemblyman John Dutra (D., Fremont) is stepping down after three terms. Newark Vice Mayor and City Councilman Alberto Torrico is the Democratic Party's candidate to succeed Dutra, and is running against former Milpitas planning commissioner Cliff Williams, a Republican. The area hasn't elected a Republican Assembly member for at least 40 years. Before Dutra, the seat was held by Liz Figueroa, now a state senator, who will be termed out in 2006. Both Dutra and the 18th District's Assemblywoman Corbett have announced their intention to seek the Democratic nomination to replace Figueroa.

The only active political contest is in the 15th District, where Democrat Elaine Shaw, a Danville lawyer, is trying to oust Assemblyman Guy Houston (R., Livermore), who is seeking re-election to a second term. Shaw, who ran unsuccessfully two years ago against Pombo for Congress, has questioned Houston's qualifications to serve after a lawsuit was filed accusing him of fraud in a case involving his father's investment firm.

Houston, whose district represents about 15 percent of Pleasanton, has called the charges political based and untrue. He cites his record of accomplishments as mayor of Dublin and in the Legislature as reasons for voters to support him. A member of Assembly committees on Banking and Finance and on Labor and Employment, Houston also is vice chairman of the Assembly's Transportation Committee. (Also see in News: Houston, Shaw trading jabs in 15th District mailing duel)
Chabot-Las Positas Community College District, Trustee for Area 5 (Pleasanton)

Former college board trustee Lynn Martin, a certified public accountant, is seeking to return to the board after four years out of office against Carlo Vecchiarelli, a retired college dean in the college district and former teacher on the Chabot campus. Both candidates live in Pleasanton. The two are seeking the seat currently held by Gary Schwaegerle, a Pleasanton Realtor, who has chosen not to seek re-election. Martin lost to Schwaegerle in the 2000 election.

Martin has the endorsements of the Alameda County Republican Party, Assemblyman Guy Houston, Mayor Janet Lockhart of Dublin, the Operating Engineers local union and others.

Vecchiarelli, a Main Street business owner, is endorsed by Assemblywoman Ellen Corbett, Mayor Tom Pico, County Supervisor Scott Haggerty, former Mayor Ken Mercer, State Senators Figueroa and Tom Torlakson and others. (Also see: College board election heats up, p. 5)
Pleasanton Mayor and Members of the City Council

Competing for the mayor's post, which is being vacated by Mayor Tom Pico, are, in order of their listing on the Nov. 2 ballot, Councilwoman Jennifer Hosterman, corporate attorney Gabe Kralik and Councilwoman Kay Ayala.

Council candidates, in order of ballot listing, are former school board member Cindy McGovern, Planning Commissioner Matt Sullivan, and Parks and Recreation Commissioner and retired business executive Jerry Thorne. (Also see: Weekly's endorsements in Opinion)
BART District #5

Long-time board member and former Dublin Mayor Pete Snyder is seeking re-election against challengers Zoyd Luce, an environmental engineer, and Edgar Centeno, a retired consultant.
State Propositions and Measures
Prop. 1A: Ensures that local property tax and sales tax revenues remain with local government except for a state fiscal emergency when a two-thirds majority vote by the Legislature can borrow funds from these revenues with a repayment guarantee. (Also see in News: Council urges vote for Prop. 1A)

Prop. 59: This long-sought "Sunshine Amendment" enshrines the principles of access to government in the state constitution. Passage of Proposition 59 would reinforce access to government as defined in the Ralph M. Brown Act and in the California Public Records Act, making these laws fundamental rights under the state constitution, giving them more weight, and placing the burden on government to prove why access should be denied. It would ensure the public's and media's right of access to all meetings of state, regional and local government agencies as well as public writings by government officials, including public e-mails.
Prop. 60: Requires that the general election ballot include the candidates who received the most votes among candidates of the same party for partisan office in the primary election.
Prop. 60A: Sales of surplus state property will be used to pay off state bonds.
Prop. 61: Authorizes $750 million in general obligation bonds for new construction, expansion, remodeling and renovation of eligible children's hospitals, with the estimated cost to taxpayers of $1.5 billion over 30 years.
Prop. 62: Opens primaries to all voters for any state or federal candidate regardless of political party affiliation, with the two top winners, regardless of party, to qualify for the general election ballot.
Prop. 63: Establishes a 1 percent tax on taxable personal income of more than $1 million to fund expanded health services for the mentally ill. This measure would effectively increase the top state income tax from 9.3 percent to 10.3 percent, affecting an estimated 30,000 Californians. Prop. 64: Stops so-called "shakedown" lawsuits whereby private lawyers can file suits without any client or any evidence of harm against businesses. New law would allow unfair business practice lawsuits only if an actual loss occurs.
Prop. 65: Requires voter approval of any reduction on local fees and tax revenue sources mandated by the state if no state reimbursement to local governments from state borrowings within 180 days.
Prop. 66: Preserves California's Three Strikes sentencing but restores it to its original intent: life sentences for repeat violent offenders. Prop. 66 also would protect children by creating a One Strike sentence for child molesters. But it ends the sentencing of non-violent, petty offenders to life prison terms and allows judges to re-sentence those offenders. According to a non-partisan legislative analysis, the cost for incarcerating non-violent offenders to life terms has now reached $6 billion.
Prop. 67: Increases by 3 percent the existing 0.75 percent surcharge on monthly telephone bills now allocated to support the state's 911 emergency telephone number systems to also fund physicians for uncompensated emergency care and hospital emergency rooms and community clinics. The measure would add $500 million annually to these charges.
Prop. 68: Authorizes Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who opposes the proposition, to negotiate tribal compact amendments requiring that Indian tribes pay 25 percent of slot machine/gaming device revenues to the state, comply with multiple state laws and accept state court jurisdiction. If tribes don't unanimously accept the terms within 90 days, then 16 specific racetracks and card rooms would be authorized to operate 30,000 slot machines/gaming devices, paying 33 percent of net revenues to fund government public safety, regulatory, social programs.
Prop. 69: Requires DNA samples from all prisoners and others arrested or charged with specific crimes. This proposition also would apply retroactively, empowering the government to seek out individuals previously arrested for a felony but found not guilty and require them to turn over their DNA.
Prop. 70: Like Proposition 68, this proposition also is opposed by Gov. Schwarzenegger. Upon request by federally recognized Indian tribes, Schwarzenegger would be required to offer renewable 99-year gaming compacts with no limits on the number of machines, facilities and types of games on Indian lands. In return, the tribes would contribute a percentage of net gaming income, based on the prevailing state corporate tax rate.
Prop. 71: This $3 billion bond measure would provide California researchers $300 million annually for 10 years for human embryonic stem cell research, including funding cloning projects intended solely for medical research. With interest, it would cost the state $6 billion to pay back off the bonds.
Prop. 72: Conceived in an effort to help the estimated 7 million Californians who have seasonal or no health insurance, Proposition 72 would require companies with 50 or more employees to offer health insurance to workers or pay into a fund that would offer coverage. Employers would pick up 80 percent of the costs and employees would cover the remaining 20 percent, although employees earning less than $19,000 a year would be capped at paying 5 percent. The program would cost employers an estimated $5.7 billion annually and eligible employees with $1.5 billion in required health insurance payments.
BART District Measure AA: Authorizes BART to issue $980 million in bonds to make earthquake safety improvements to BART facilities in Alameda, Contra Costa and San Francisco counties, including strengthening the Transbay Tube.
City of Pleasanton Measure X reads: Shall the voters be guaranteed the right to approve the land use plan (Phase II) for the Bernal Property?

The Bernal Property Specific Plan was adopted by the City Council in August 2000 to provide an orderly development of the property, about 516 acres south of Bernal Avenue and on both sides of I-680. About 198 acres are being developed by private developers, and the remaining 318 acres are owned by the city. The Phase I land use plan includes the 30-50-acre community park with lighted sports fields in the northeast corner; the fire station now being built on Bernal Avenue; and a 5-acre neighborhood park site. Phase II covers the rest of the city-owned land, a design for which was chosen in a competition held over the summer.

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