California Special Election - May 18 2009

"I pledge to you that if the Supreme Court upholds Proposition 8 I will fight with every legal tool for marriage equality."

- City Attorney Candidate Jack Weiss

The big ticket in today's race is Carmen "Nuch" Trutanich vs. Jack Weiss for City Attorney. This one is easy: only Jack Weiss has consistently explained that Proposition 8 is a civil rights disaster and promised to help in its downfall. He is endorsed by Mayor Viarigosa who is also a supporter who deserves our support. On the other hand, Trutanich cannot be a fair city attorney when he hates his constituents, and his people are really mean.

Propositions 1A-1F are more contentious. On a technical level, they move money around so we can better pay our bills. On a practical level, they let the legislature do what we have legally prohibited them from doing in the past: raising taxes and cutting programs.

As a single-issue-voter, I am deeply torn. These propositions are endorsed both by the fair-minded legislators who brought us AB 43 and the jackasses who brought us Proposition 8.

At a pragmatic level, I think we need to raise our taxes rather than cut our safety nets of education and children's services. To send that message most clearly I'm voting NO 1B and 1D and YES on everything else.

Finally, on School Board of Trustees, the vote is important. These are the people who decide if evolution or science will be taught in our schools, and if all families or just "certain" families are represented in the program. The Opponents of Equality are voting for Tina Park and Robart Nakahiro, therefore I will vote for Angela Reddock and Nancy Pearlman.

Prop 1A - 54 YES
Prop 1B - 59 NO
Prop 1C - 61 YES
Prop 1D - 67 NO
Prop 1E - 69 YES
Prop 1F - 73 YES

City Attorney - 81 Jack Weiss

Board of Trustees - 85 Angela Reddock
Board of Trustees - 88 Nancy Pearlman