Other Local Offices

As mentioned under the lumping of Other Statewide Offices, I am only allowed ten pages attached to this blog so I have had to compress some of my offices. I will quickly cover my local votes for State Board of Equalization, Superior Court Judge, Board of Education, Community College Board, BART Director, Assessor-Recorder, and Public Defender.

State Board of Equalization, District 1

The Board of Equalization oversees the administration of over two dozen tax and fee programs including those for sales and use, cigarette and tobacco, and alcohol and fuels.  In addition, they serve as the appellate body for California income and franchise tax cases and oversee the administration of property tax statewide.  There are four districts.

Four candidates are on the ballot for District 1.  Three candidates submitted position information in time to be included in the Voter Information Pamphlet.  The Peace and Freedom simply said, “Tax the corporations.”  So much for Peace and Freedom.

Betty Yee’s statement focuses on protecting individual tax payers.  Kevin Scott’s statement focuses on bringing businesses back.  California needs to have the appropriate tax environment so corporations do not flee the state.

Kevin Scott gets my vote for State Board of Equalization.

Judge of the Superior Court, Seat 15

This picture is neither Richard Ulmer nor Michael Nava.  Flip Wilson introduced a sketch on Laugh-In where he said, “Here comes de judge!”  I miss Flip Wilson.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, “for the first time in recent history, San Francisco's 51 Superior Court judges have taken a unified stand in a contested judicial election. Conservative and progressive, gay and straight, male and female, ethnic minority and white, all are backing Judge Richard Ulmer against a challenger supported by the city's Democratic County Central Committee.”

Ulmer was appointed by Governor Schwarzenegger in June 2009.  Nava was the only one of the seven judicial candidates on the June ballot to receive a barely passing "qualified" rating from the Bar Association of San Francisco.

Why should people be concerned about this race?  Because this is clearly another contest based upon pure politics rather than qualifications.  Nava is not nearly as qualified as Ulmer.  Two years ago, San Franciscans defeated fourteen-year incumbent Judge Thomas Mellon Jr., a Republican, in favor of Democrat Gerardo Sandoval, a termed-out supervisor who was rated "unqualified" by the bar association.

Again from the Chronicle, “The ballot box can be a valuable check against trial judges who become lazy, reckless, biased or intoxicated with power. No such concerns exist here. San Franciscans should reject this politicization of the judiciary."

I am voting Judge Ulmer.

Board of Education

We have a bisexual sex worker running for Board of Education.  You would think that would make the race more interesting but, no.

You can vote for three candidates here.  One incumbent you should NOT vote for is Kim-Shree Maufas.  She used district credit cards for personal purchases. Even though Maufas eventually paid back the money, she clearly showed a complete lack of judgment and should be kicked curbside.

My choices are Brodkin, Mendoza, and Hoehn.

Community College Board

Three seats.

Three choices.

I found all three candidates to be satisfactory.

I will vote for Wong, Grier, and Rizzo.

BART Director, District 8

Incumbent President James Fang is running against two opponents.

Fang has been a director on the BART board for twenty years.

His leadership as BART president has one important milestone – when the union threatened strikes unless they received raises, Fang and other board members stood up to the union bosses and there was no strike.

I’m voting for James Fang.

Assessor-Recorder

James Pan and Phil Ting, the incumbent, are running for this seat.  The local paper, The Chronicle, claims Ting is running unopposed but the Voter Information Guide shows James Pan in the race.

Ting is a grapefruit-flavored carbonated beverage popular in the Caribbean. It is both tart and sweet.

Pan is the flute-playing god of shepards.

I’m voting for Phil Ting.

Public Defender

Jeff Adachi is running unopposed.

Much will be made about Proposition L, the Sit/Lie initiative put on the ballot by Adachi.  However, in the end, he is correct.

 I will vote Jeff Adachi.