Election day: November 2, 2010 1 Index reen voter guide Statewide Offices ............................................. 1, 3, 4, 5 State Assembly, Federal Offices................................... 7 State Propositions ................................................ 1, 5, 6 Judicial Offices .......................................................... 15 Special Districts ................................................... 14, 15 County Offices and Measures ...................................... 6 REEN City Offices and Measures. voter guide Alameda .................................................................... 8 Albany ............................................................... 11, 13 Berkeley ........................................................ 1, 12, 13 Election Day: November 2, 2010 Emeryville ................................................................. 8 A special election publication of the Green Party of Alameda County, Oakland ...................................................... 1, 9, 10, 11 Voter Card ..................................................... Back page an affiliate of the Green Party of California General Election November 2, 2010 Statewide Races 1978? Under Prop 13, a property is not considered to have Proposition 23 - No, No, No! Governor changed ownership unless over 50 percent of it is purchased Guts Greenhouse Gas Laws by a single owner, so if three purchasers buy a property, no The Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB 32) Laura Wells change of ownership occurs. Publicly traded companies requires that by 2020, the level of emissions of greenhouse Two of the most important points of the Green Gu- and corporate entities, but not the elderly, benefit from such gases in the state must be reduced back to their 1990 level. bernatorial Candidate Laura Wells’ campaign platform— loopholes. So the bulk of the land in Disneyland is taxed at This would require an approximate 25 percent reduction among her many ideas to protect civil rights, increase 1975 values: five cents per square foot. Orange County is over the level of emissions in 2006, the year the bill was renewable energy and provide for the health and education losing over $4 million in taxes per year this way. signed. of all Californians—are her solutions to address the current Most voters are also not aware that Prop 13 requires a Prop 23 suspends the state’s greenhouse gas reduction financial catastrophe in California: the establishment of a 2/3 vote of the State Legislature to pass a budget or increase law until California’s unemployment rate has been 5.5 State Bank, and making significant changes to Proposition taxes, but only a simple majority vote to lower taxes. As percent or less for four consecutive quarters, and suspends 13. Governor, Wells would push to change that. requirements for increased renewable energy and cleaner Both Jerry Brown and Meg Whitman support Prop 13 Laura Wells’ second solution is the establishment of a fuel, as well as mandatory emission reporting and fee re- (which passed during Brown’s first tenure as Governor) State Bank, which is where North Dakota, oddly enough, quirements for major polluters such as power plants and oil and claim to be defending the people of California by comes into the story: refineries. doing so. Brown’s website states that he “embraced and “North Dakota,” Wells says, “has had a state bank for According to the California Employment Development implemented Proposition 13 after it was passed by voters, more than 90 years, and is now the only state with a budget Department, there have been only three periods during and he has vowed not to raise taxes as governor unless they surplus not a deficit. If North Dakota (with its 650,000 the past 34 years (since 1976) when unemployment in the are approved by the voters of California.” Similarly, Meg people) can do it,” Wells says, “California (with almost 40 state remained below 5.5 percent for four or more quarters. Whitman’s website states that she “pledges to uphold Prop. million) can do it too. Our state is wealthy in both natural (Each of these three periods lasted less than two years). As 13 and stand tough against any efforts to weaken it.” and human resources. There is no reason we should be unemployment in California is presently around 12 percent, However, Prop. 13, in 1978, was promoted to California begging Wall Street bankers for credit and investments. it is highly unlikely to fall to 5.5 percent in the foreseeable voters as a way to reduce taxes and to stop fixed-income And not only did the Big banks take bailout money, future. Thus passage of this proposition will virtually elimi- seniors from losing their homes due to escalating property Wells points out, but they also paid themselves big bonuses nate the requirements of AB32 for the foreseeable future in taxes, Wells says. “But since then, the bulk of the ‘tax relief’ and bought up small banks. Such scenarios could be elimi- the state, and will likely influence the stalling of national goes places the voters never intended: giant corporations. nated if California could control its own money supply and legislation as well. Corporate properties are rarely reassessed since corporations credit, putting interest earnings back into California instead By cynically linking the reduction of greenhouse gasses don’t die and seldom sell.” of into the pockets of the Big banks. with unemployment, the supporters of Prop 23 are relying Under Prop. 13, corporations win. For example, we “When I call the two biggest political parties the Titanic on scaring people who are already in a vulnerable position all know when a home has changed ownership, but has Parties,” says Wells, “people immediately know what I’m or are sympathetic with the plight of the unemployed. ownership of the Disney Corporation changed hands since continued on page 3 However, AB32 has encouraged clean energy busi- nesses in California. With over $9 billion in venture capital funds, California’s clean energy firms have received 60 Oakland Mayor Berkeley Measure R percent of venture capital funds in North America. The independent Legislative Analyst’s Office has stated that #1: Don Macleay No, No, No! suspending AB 32 would “dampen additional investments (Jean Quan ranked #2, Downtown Area Plan in clean energy technologies or so-called ‘green jobs’ by Rebecca Kaplan ranked #3) Measure R was placed on the ballot by the moderate/ private firms, thereby resulting in less economic activity developer-friendly majority of the City Council in a con- than would otherwise be the case.” Do Not Vote for Don Perata! temptuous and deceptive attempt get voter approval for Prop 23 was launched by, and its campaign is being The earth’s biosphere is overheating, natural resources highly controversial land use and permitting policies. The almost entirely funded by, the oil industry. Valero has con- are declining, jobs are disappearing, pension plans are crum- Ballot Question sounds great—who wouldn’t want Berkeley tributed over $4,000,000 to the campaign, and Flint Hill bling, states and cities are heading toward bankruptcy—and “to adopt policies to revitalize the downtown and help make Resources, (a subsidiary of Koch Industries) and Tesoro still the War Machine and Wall Street rumble on, sucking out Berkeley one of the greenest cities in the United States?” each a million. whatever assets are left of our national treasure. Oaklanders Too bad this measure won’t do that. Defeating Prop 23 is critical to the future well-being are becoming aware that we will be on our own more than Measure R isn’t even a plan—it’s a five-page docu- of our state, country, and planet. In addition to voting “No” ever in the coming years, so we had better get serious about ment with lots of lovely green statements and goals and a on Prop. 23, you can also support the opposition campaign building a city government that is flexible, focused, and paragraph about guidance for council-decision making. If at: http://www.stopdirtyenergyprop.com or 888-445-7880. independent enough to work for us in a very different, very Measure R passes, the process for creating a Downtown constrained future. This year's mayoral election is therefore Plan starts all over. The hard work of citizens over the last 5 Proposition 19 - Yes, Yes! especially important. Greens have a better chance in this election with the continued on page 12 Legalizes Marijuana implementation of Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) for the This proposition is very explicit in stating how mari- first time in the Oakland Mayor race. We have struggled Berkeley Rent Board juana will be legalized for personal use, cultivation and long and hard to get RCV for our local elections, and now Dave Blake, Asa Dodsworth, purchase, less explicit in stating how it will be legalized for commercial production, taxation, and purchase by wholesal- Oaklanders can vote for their preferred candidate without Katherine (Kathy) Harr, Lisa worrying if their “spoiler” vote will put the worst candidate ers and retailers. in office. Congratulations to all who made this happen! Stephens, Jesse Townley, and Because it is short on details, complex in its en actment, In this year’s race we have an excellent first-choice Pam Webster and uncertain in application, some politicians, law enforce- candidate for Mayor, out of a crowded field of 10 hopefuls. ment officers, and religious leaders in Alameda County, who For a number of election cycles, the Green Party has Longtime Oakland resident Don Macleay (www.macleay- might share progressive values,