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One congressman, eight veteran city council members ousted by Contra Costa voters

By Pat Keeble, Editor

While newly elected office holders fidget in the wings waiting for their swearing-in ceremonies, city council members from eight cities are cleaning out their desks.

Dis-electing incumbents happens in every election, but, in the absence of particularly heated controversy, it's not common. Voters, especially in non-partisan races, seem to go along with the incumbents, often even in the face of local controversy.

To have eight incumbents, some of them well-known veterans of several terms, lose their seats in one election is unusual.

In a few of the races, the count is still close, although Contra Costa County elections chief Steve Weir notes that the electronic system used here is about as accurate as it could get. Few if any changes in rankings are expected when the final tally is accounted on Dec. 5, the deadline for reporting the official results to the state.

John Nejedly's last appeal on behalf of California Water

Editor's Note: Former state Senator John A. Nejedly of Walnut Creek, an honored environmentalist during and after his legislative career, passed away Sept. 19, 2006. Until his final illness, he was in the process of finishing an article warning of the dangers facing the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, and what he felt would be a disaster for California water if Proposition 1E passes on Nov. 7.

We offer the article as his last effort to protect California water resources.

•••

By Senator John A. Nejedly, retired
(1916-2006)

California voters are being asked to approve $4.1 billion in water bonds on the Nov. 7 ballot with no assurance that the money will be used to avert any of several disasters facing our delicate water systems.

What's more is that the money would go to the state and federal agencies which have squandered $3 billion in the last 10 years and come up with virtually nothing to advance the cause of providing much of the state with the quantity and quality of water it needs.

Instead, we are closer to disaster as our levees are not maintained, with no specific plan to improve them in spite of the Jones Tract levee breaks and the Katrina disaster in Louisiana.

After the precedent-setting drought of 1976-77, and the 1982 defeat by voters of the Peripheral Canal bill, the state and federal governments established CalFed to jointly manage the huge state and federal water programs, including overseeing projects to strengthen the ancient levees integral to the operation of the joint system.

Oh, wait. That's not news...

By Pat Keeble, Editor

Tuesday's general election will hold few surprises in local races. In partisan elections, Contra Costa and its surrounding counties are among the most gerrymandered in the state.

Thanks to the carefully orchestrated assurance that there will be no competition in most congressional and legislative races, there are only two partisan races that are in any way competitive.

The 11th Congressional District held by Republican Richard Pombo of Tracy is turning out to be a real potboiler with Democrat Jerry McNerney of Pleasanton even showing a slight lead in most recent polls.

In the 15th Assembly District, Democrat Terry Coleman of Danville is showing surprising late strength against incumbent Republican Guy Houston of Livermore, enough to cause the state Democratic Party to pour money into his campaign and the GOP having to try to match it. Each has received more than a quarter of a million dollars from his party sources in October.

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John Nejedly's last appeal on behalf of California Water

Oh, wait. That's not news...

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