Ten years ago, my family was living in Rochester Minnesota. In
1992, I was one of many Clinton/Gore volunteers calling voters and
posting signs and mailing out campaign literature.
Ten years ago, my family was living in Rochester Minnesota. In 1992, I was one of many Clinton/Gore volunteers calling voters and posting signs and mailing out campaign literature. During Halloween week 10 years ago, I had the privilege to meet Sen. Paul Wellstone at a campaign rally I was attending. He spoke to me for a few minutes and kissed the toddler and infant I had piled into the double stroller on that frigid day. I was so impressed with Sen. Wellstone, that I have followed his career to this day. He was a little too liberal for me, but he was passionate about his beliefs. He was a force to be reckoned with when it came to social justice issues, and up to the end, a fighter for his causes. His death this week deeply saddens me.
I’ll jump right into the election. Here is how I will vote: I am skipping the top of the ticket, I just can’t decide which person I want to be in charge of mismanaging our states highest office. I will vote for Cruz Bustamante for lieutenant governor. I must admit that I was very tempted to vote for Pat Wright, the Libertarian, who is running his campaign on the issue of legalizing ferrets. I am for doing away with nonsense laws such as the one which makes owning a ferret a crime.
I am voting for Green Party candidates for Secretary of State (Lightfoot), Controller (Wells) and Treasurer (Rosenmeier). I support Democrat Bill Lockyer for Attorney General. I am skipping Insurance Commissioner and Board of Equalization. I am enthusiastic about Mike Honda for Congress.
In a close call, I will support Simon Salinas for Assembly. His overwhelming support by the teachers and educators swayed me. While I like Jane Howard, I feel she is too conservative for this district. I am voting yes for all state Supreme Court and appellate judges. I am supporting Aaron Persky for Superior Court. I am skipping Superintendent of Public Instruction, an office I would like to see dissolved. I am for Laura Perry for a Gavilan Board seat.
My favorite part of the voting comes at the end of the ballot.
I am endorsing Tom Bundros for school board. He gets a big thumbs up. I am endorsing the two incumbents, Jim Rogers and T.J. Owens. Though very dissimilar in their approach, both have served the Board well, and deserve re-election. In another close call, I will endorse Jesus Gonzalez narrowly over David McRae.
Jesus has the invaluable something that no other candidate has – children in Gilroy schools. He is a bit of a maverick, but the Board needs that. I cannot support David Oberstadt. He is young and speaks well, two qualities the board could use. In the wake of the murder last week of a transgender student in San Mateo, I cannot support Mr. Oberstadt. I know that Gilroy High School has a group called the Gay/Straight Alliance, and I fear that Mr. Oberstadt’s beliefs would conflict with the support this group of students will need. (As James Fennell has pointed out, I am a big fan of tolerance, and I think our School Board should be too.)
I am voting in favor of most of the state propositions. I am voting yes on Propositions 46, 47, 48 and 49 and 50. I am voting against Prop 51 and Prop 52. I am voting in favor of the Santa Clara measures A and B. I am voting YES on Measure I, the school bond.
That is number 269 on your ballot folks. Even if you are disgusted with the top of the ticket like I am, make the trip just to vote on the school bond. It is imperative that all voters who support the bond actually get out and vote this time around.
As I told a friend who was unhappy with a district policy “don’t vote No on I because you want to send a message to Mr. Diaz, vote Yes on Measure I and send a message to the students.”
Finally, thanks to the Gilroy Unified School District. They made a wise decision to give students the day off today and tomorrow. As my son says “it’s all about the candy…”
Happy and safe Halloween to all!
Denise Baer Apuzzo has lived in Gilroy for 5 years. She is married and is a parent of three children who attend Gilroy public schools. You can reach her at: lu*****@ea*******.net. Her column is published each Thursday in The Dispatch.
