Disenfranchised voters have lost trust in county and local
government
Election Day’s big surprise was the demise of Measure E, the parcel tax for local schools, and Pombo’s eighth Republican nomination for the 11th congressional seat, despite being challenged by GOP maverick Pete McCloskey.
The expected low voter turnout was anticipated as county election officials predicted between 40 and 45 percent of registered voters would make it to the polls. Statewide, the prediction fell way short, with only 34 percent of voters dragging themselves to the ballot box June 6.
As we had not endorsed Measure A, the widely supported half-cent sales tax proposal that would have jacked up our taxes to 8.75 percent, we were relieved when the measure failed to earn the 50 percent majority needed to pass. The measure’s hidden unspecified costs would have surely funded the astronomically expensive BART extension to San Jose. Opponents argued that it was asking for too much: No strings attached and no specificity in how the money would have been spent. Had proponents gone for a quarter-cent sales tax increase and been more forthright with the public about how the money would have been used, the change would have been more appealing. They should try another approach in 2008.
We scratch our heads at the almost 1,000 voters who did not support Measure H to lift the restriction against supermarkets at the Cochrane Plaza shopping center. H is needed to make the center viable and prevent that section of town from becoming blighted.
Measure B’s 70 percent approval is to be commended. Voters were smart enough to realize extending the park charter fund until the year 2021 is a good idea. The fund provides 85 percent of funding for the county’s public park system which includes 28 parks that total 45,000 acres.
We were disheartened to learn that Morgan Hill resident Terry Mahurin, whom we had endorsed, didn’t make it to a runoff with incumbent Rosemary Kamei for the Santa Clara Valley Water District 1 seat. Mahurin had impressed us with his desire to continue to dig into the district’s finances, but he was pushed to third place by San Jose State professor Ram Singh. Clearly the issues for the district’s seat are keeping water rates down, creating programs that encourage conservation and improving budgeting operations.
The race for the county district attorney’s office revealed Superior Court Judge Dolores Carr was bolstered by the backing of all the law enforcement agencies in the county, but we worry that if Chief Assistant District Attorney Karyn Sinunu doesn’t garner enough votes in November the public’s right to know will be eroded. No matter who gets elected, it will be the first time in the history of county’s justice system that a woman will be the leader.
Results reminiscent of last year’s special election proposition debacle came also at the end of this election. Neither Proposition 81 nor Proposition 82 passed. The first would have generated $600 million in bonds to help build or renovate local libraries and the latter would have imposed a new tax to fund voluntary preschool for all 4-year-olds. The last one would have accomplished its goals on the backs of the rich.
Now that the election is over, we’ll receive a reprieve from all the unwanted voting fliers and pamphlets that inundated our mailboxes and the many negative campaign messages left on our telephone answering machines. We’ll also get a break from having to watch obnoxious political television ads full of attacks on candidates’ opponents or exaggerating and even lying about their accomplishments.
