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Legislative candidates takes steps to switch places as nomination filings proceed June 3 election |
By Pat Keeble
Editor, contracostainsider.com
There have been no surprises so far in the filing of nomination papers for the June 3 primary election. The top candidates, even with few incumbents running, were pretty much decided when Prop. 93, the term limits extension, failed in February. Most of these had announced their intentions last year.
The February election left all five of the incumbents in legislative districts in the county termed out of their respective offices as of early December. Three of the five are seeking to switch legislative houses. State Sen. Don Perata of Oakland is collecting funds for a run at the State Board of Equalization in two years. Assemblyman Guy Houston, R-San Ramon, is going down the ladder, looking for a seat on the county Board of Supervisors.
Candidates have until this 5 p.m. this Friday, March 7, to complete their nomination papers and turn them in, except in the cases where incumbents do not file for re-election. They then have until 5 p.m. Wednesday, March 12.
Candidates in the county's three congressional districts will all have to file by this Friday, since all the incumbents are seeking re-election. All are multi-county districts, so the list here is incomplete, including only Contra Costa candidates.
In addition to the partisan primaries, voters will decide three county supervisor seats , nine Superior Court judgeships and seats on political party county central committees. None of the nine incumbent judges is being opposed so far.
As of last Friday, most candidates for partisan office or supervisor have taken out nomination papers, but have not filed them to get on the ballot. The Contra Costa Elections Office listed the following candidates. Other would-be candidates can take out papers and complete filing by Friday or, in the case of extensions, March 12. (*=incumbent)
CONGRESS
7th District
(not including Solano County portions)
Democrat -- *George Miller, D-Martinez
Republican -- Virginia O. Fuller-Kendall, Pinole
-- Roger A. Peterson, Clayton (filed final papers)
Libertarian -- Camden McConnell, Pittsburg
Peace & Freedom -- William Callison
10th District
(not including Alameda, San Joaquin and other county portions)
Democrat -- *Ellen Tauscher, D-Alamo
Republican -- David Peterson, Walnut Creek
-- Nicholas Gerber, Moraga (filed final papers)
Peace & Freedom -- Eugene Ruyle, Oakland
11th District
(not including Alameda, San Joaquin and other county portions)
Democrat -- *Jerald McNerney, D-Pleasanton
(Republicans and others are expected to file in other counties.)
STATE SENATE
7th District
(*Tom Torlakson not running)
Democrat -- Mark DeSaulnier, Concord
Joe Canciamilla, Pittsburg
9th District
(not including full Alameda County filings)
(* Don Perata not filing)
Peace & Freedom -- Marsha Feinland, Berkeley
Assemblywoman Loni Hancock, D-Berkeley, and former Assemblywoman Wilma Change are expected to be the main candidates.)
ASSEMBLY
11th District
(* Mark DeSaulnier not running)
Democrat -- Tom Torlakson, Antioch
14th District
(not including Alameda County filings)
(* Guy Houston not running)
Democrat -- Joan Buchanan, Alamo
-- Stephen Filson, Danville
-- Ted Ford, Walnut Creek (filed final papers)
-- Seven Thomas, Danville
Republican -- Abram Wilson, San Ramon
Judy Lloyd, Danville
COUNTY SUPERVISOR
2nd District
*Gayle Uilkema, Lafayette
3rd District
*Mary Nejedly Piepho, Discovery Bay
Guy Houston, San Ramon
5th District
*Federal Glover, Pittsburg
Donald Parscal, Brentwood
Erik Nunn, Oakley
Gary Agopian, Antioch
Information on the filings in Contra Costa County can be obtained from the elections office at (925) 335-7800.
Filing papers which are available to the public include state and local candidates' declarations of intent to run, pledges to stay within state or local voluntary mandated funding limits, conflict of interest statements and other materials. Congressional candidates file only nomination papers locally. Other requirements are met with filings with the Federal Elections Commission or the House of Representatives. |
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Killing the messenger with a BANG |
By Pat Keeble
Editor, contracostainsider.com
I wonder if Dean Lesher, for whom I worked for 27 years, would understand what's going on at the Contra Costa Times and its sister papers, which he started and owned for so long. He would do lay-offs every two or three years or so.
We'd say, "he must need money" and in due time he'd announce he was building a new printing plant in North Concord or buying into the Walnut Creek Regional Arts Center. And in a year or so we'd be back up to strength.
But he never gutted the paper. It was a matter of saving a little money, and at the same time maybe let the editors delete a few of the lesser staff. We didn't have a union so we had no protection whatsoever from economic cutbacks. But it always came back.
What's going on now, combined with what else is going on in the newspaper business, is a comparative slaughterhouse. With the News Media merger, gobbling up Bay Area papers and adding to numerous mergers around the country in recent years, the news window is narrowing. Fewer newspapers, featuring "combined" coverage by fewer reporters, are not replacing today's news with better news. It's eliminating news, particularly local news, that is not being replaced by other media.
The new organization has invited the employees of all the papers to apply for a buy-out or risk being fired. In such cases, the experienced (and higher paid) journalists are the first to go. Coverage gets "combined" as newspapers merge. Fewer voices are presented.
One wonders where the future's trained, professional journalists will come from and how they will be paid. Recently a newspaper editor reported on his discussion with a college journalism class. He and they thought the web was the future of news. But the students also thought, vehemently, that the web should be free to readers. Advertising pays the costs of putting out a print paper, but only an average of 3-5 percent of newspaper websites. Yet these students expected to make a living working for webpapers.
Newspapers are losing readers and money hand-over-fist. The web is where it's at, they say. Then they wonder why newspapers' websites don't take off.
Because it's not the same thing. The websites haven't been able to make the ad money that the newspapers can make, no matter how many flashing pop-up ads they put on.
Newspapers will survive in some form or another, for awhile, anyway. New readers will be found as they rediscover this thing that doesn't need batteries and the hard drive never gets knocked out. One can spread out a page and see lots of things, including an ad that might catch the eye even though it doesn't jump around all over the page.
News is essential to a living, breathing, supportive democracy. As much as people complain about the news media, we cannot do without it. When have you read about a merger where it says "we're going to do a better job of protecting our freedoms" as opposed to "we have to cut costs"?
Reporters are the messengers of democracy, and we're killing them off, merger by merger.
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California's too big for 'up close and personal' |
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By Pat Keeble
Contra Costa Insider The presidential primary campaigns are finally in California (and a few other states at the same time) but most of us won't get to see the candidates up close and personal as did the Iowans and New Hampshirites.
A friend in Iowa told me she got to see every candidate there and talk to several of them. She ended up being assigned precinct captain for Chris Dodd at her caucus. There was only one other Dodd supporter at the event, foretelling perhaps Dodd's quick exit from the hustings the next day.
One issue has been largely absent from the campaigns until now and that's the war in Iraq. When you're talking to a potential voter practically (or actually) face to face, they seem to be more interested in Social Security, health care and lost jobs than in international affairs.
That's beginning to change and will, I feel, become the predominant issue as soon as the nominees become evident. It will be made so by the Republicans. Their theme will be that they are best suited to fight terrorism -- especially if the Dems nominate a woman.
Expect blood to flow. |
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