GILROY
– Voters Tuesday prioritized statewide financial recovery over
the health of local schools and libraries, during an Election Day
in which only a pittance of eligible Gilroy voters cast
ballots.
GILROY – Voters Tuesday prioritized statewide financial recovery over the health of local schools and libraries, during an Election Day in which only a pittance of eligible Gilroy voters cast ballots.
Although the Santa Clara County library system’s attempt to stave off a 21 percent cut in funding failed, two key education measures managed to eke out victories.
As the final votes were tallied, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s two-proposition plan to balance the state’s budget by raising $15 billion in bonds and forever throwing “the credit card” away was welcomed warmly by California and Santa Clara County voters.
“It seems like it’s the only way out of this mess,” Gilroy resident and voter Al Lopez said. “It’s either a bond or start turning people away at hospitals. I voted yes on both propositions.”
Propositions 57 and 58 received 63.3 and 71 percent of the vote statewide Tuesday, sending the rookie governor a clear message he has bipartisan support to pull this economically troubled state up by its bootstraps. Santa Clara County voters were even more enthusiastic about the bills, giving them 63.9 and 72.1 percent approval respectively.
Although localized voting results won’t be available for days, Gilroy voters exiting polls Tuesday seemed split on the propositions.
“I think this is going to hurt us in the long run,” Melissa Scatena said. “We’re covering an expense now that we’ll have to make up for later.”
Longtime Gilroyan Frank Maxwell said he was not against the idea of issuing bonds to pay off the state’s deficit, but after hearing about state Treasurer Phil Angelides’ concerns about the propositions, he decided he would only support 58 and not 57.
“Maybe we should just go back to the drawing board,” Maxwell said. “The devil is in the details with something like this.”
Proposition 57 provides for a one-time $15 billion “economic recovery bond” to refinance past budget deficits while interest rates are low.
“This allows California to start over with a balanced budget and gets the fiscal mismanagement of the past behind us,” Schwarzenegger’s Web site explains.
Proposition 58 is aimed at staving off deficit crises forever, by requiring state legislators to balance the budget every year and prohibiting bond financing of any future deficits. It also creates a “rainy day savings account” to be used for paying the bonds off early and helping the state through any future economic downturns.
Proposition 55, a $12.3 billion bond to improve school facilities serving kindergarten- through college-age students, passed by the narrowest of margins Tuesday (50.6 percent). Just more than half of voters statewide gave a thumbs up to the plan, while 57.7 percent of Santa Clara County voters said yes.
Gilroy librarian Lani Yoshimura was hard-pressed to describe her feelings as disappointing Measure B results poured in Tuesday night.
The measure was aimed at restoring a $42-per-parcel tax used to maintain community library levels of service. It failed to garner the two-thirds voter approval required for it to pass. Only 60.7 percent of voters supported the measure.
“From what we could gather from our volunteers there was a very positive reaction to the measure,” Yoshimura said. “We were anticipating 66 percent of the vote.”
Failure to pass the bill means Gilroy’s library will likely cut back its hours of operation from 54 hours a week to 30 hours a week.
“The timing of this is unfortunate. There’s so many other issues in this state with the budget and locally with Gavilan College,” Yoshimura said. “People look at libraries and have a fond spot for them, but they don’t always think about how they’re funded and it how it costs money for them to be there.”
Big issues, piddly turnout
On an Election Day that gave voters a chance to pull California out of economic hardship, nominate presidential candidates and issue hundred of millions of dollars to schools, voter apathy was easier to locate than voters Tuesday.
Local poll workers reported abysmal showings Tuesday night as polls were readying to close.
A little more than 350 voters, of a total 1,425 eligible voters – less than 25 percent – cast ballots at the Hart residence in west Gilroy off Westwood Drive. On the east side of town, with only 10 minutes left before polls would close, workers at the South Valley Middle School precinct reported a 22 percent voter turnout. Only 157 out of 709 eligible voters showed up to vote Tuesday.
“I shy away from the presidential elections. I kind of think the whole thing is rigged,” said Joseph Viviano, a Gilroy resident who says he hasn’t voted since 1990.
“I don’t have a favorite yet,” said Kathy Henderson, an electrician who recently moved to Gilroy and is not yet registered to vote. “I guess I’ve got to wait a little longer and hear what people have to say.”
Electronic voting
As much of California encountered paperless voting for the first time Tuesday, Santa Clara County voters and pollsters had their second experience with electronic ballot machines.
No major problems with the fledgling, cutting-edge voting system were reported in Gilroy.
“We had no problems. At least not yet,” said poll inspector Ruby Hart, 30 minutes before polls closed. “Things are going much smoother this time around with the machines.”
In the November election, Hart said one machine booted up incorrectly and could not be used.
