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Rick -> Rick's Election Analyses -> Nov. 8, 2011

Tuesday, 2011-11-08 Consolidated Municipal, School & Special Election

Notes by Rick Moen

Last updated 2011-11-11

Date: Tue, 18 Oct 2011 00:13:49 -0700
From: Rick Moen <rick@linuxmafia.com>
To: Deirdre Saoirse Moen, Cheryl Morris
Subject: My recommendations for the Tu., Nov. 8th election

Measure H:

This is a $1/2 B bond measure to upgrade physical facilities at Canada College, Skyline College, and CSM. Serving the debt would add $12.92 / year to each $100k of read estate evaluation for the 30 year term of the bonds. Survey suggests the measure's likely to pass by a 70/30 vote. A 55% vote is required for passage.

I recommend yes. This is the first bond measure of any sort I'll have voted for or recommended for many years. The state is still strapped and overextended on debt. I'm making an exception because this isn't the state, because San Mateo County Community College District badly needs this upgrade, and because community colleges are an extremely cost-effective way to bolster the local economy (that are currently turning away students for lack of funding, partly because of state cutbacks, and partly because of direct investment losses in Lehman Brothers's collapse).

Measure F: The voters have to re-approve authorisation for any local government that wants to spend revenues beyond an annually adjusted limit called the 'appropriations limit' or Gann limit. This authorisation can last a maximum of four years, then must be renewed. Our fire district's authorisation is up for renewal (authorising $40M per four-year period). This vote has no effect on taxes/revenues. It's just the authority to spend revenues already raised.

I'm voting yes.

San Mateo County Community College District (three open seats).

Dave Mandelkern has really compelling endorsements (Jackie Speier, Rich Gordon, the entire S.M. County Board of Supervisors).

Joe Ross. Newcomer, endorsed by Rich Gordon.

Karen Schwarz. Incumbent, endorsed by Jackie Speier.

Menlo Park Fire Protection District board of directors (two open seats). The big issue with the District remains pensions and the ongoing contract impasse with the firefighters' union. Local news: http://www.almanacnews.com/news/show_story.php?id=9836

I'm voting for Bart Spencer (incumbent and former fireman), as he sounds reasonable all-around.

I'm voting for Virginia Chang Kiraly, as she seems at least finance-knowledgeable and not a huge ideologue.

Sequoia Union High School District: Members, Governing Board (three open seats).

Larry Moody: Endorsed by my family friend (and former Sequoia UHSD Board President) Sally Stewart.

Lorraine Rumley: Endorsed by Rich Gordon and Joe Simitian.

Carrie B. Du Bois: Endorsed by Anna Eshoo, Jackie Speier, and Joe Simitian.

Date: Fri, 11 Nov 2011 00:31:57 -0800
From: Rick Moen <rick@linuxmafia.com>
To: Deirdre Saoirse Moen, Cheryl Morris
Subject: Re: My recommendations for the Tu., Nov. 8th election

I wrote:

> Measure H:
>
> This is a $1/2 B bond measure to upgrade physical facilities at Canada
> College, Skyline College, and CSM. Serving the debt would add $12.92 /
> year to each $100k of read estate evaluation for the 30 year term of the
> bonds. Survey suggests the measure's likely to pass by a 70/30 vote. A
> 55% vote is required for passage.
>
> I recommend yes. This is the first bond measure of any sort I'll have
> voted for or recommended for many years.

It failed.

Yes: 52.57%
No: 47.43%

Because of Jarvis/Gann, that's still a failure. This is a serious problem for the community colleges.

> Measure F: The voters have to re-approve authorisation for any local
> government that wants to spend revenues beyond an annually adjusted
> limit called the 'appropriations limit' or Gann limit. This
> authorisation can last a maximum of four years, then must be renewed.
> Our fire district's authorisation is up for renewal (authorising $40M
> per four-year period). This vote has no effect on taxes/revenues. It's
> just the authority to spend revenues already raised.
>
> I'm voting yes.

Measure succeeded by a 3:1 voting margin.

> San Mateo County Community College District (three open seats).
>
> Dave Mandelkern has really compelling endorsements (Jackie Speier, Rich
> Gordon, the entire S.M. County Board of Supervisors).
>
> Joe Ross. Newcomer, endorsed by Rich Gordon.
>
> Karen Schwarz. Incumbent, endorsed by Jackie Speier.

Joe Ross lost. The other two won.

> Menlo Park Fire Protection District board of directors (two open seats).
> The big issue with the District remains pensions and the ongoing
> contract impasse with the firefighters' union.
> Local news: http://www.almanacnews.com/news/show_story.php?id=9836
>
> I'm voting for Bart Spencer (incumbent and former fireman), as he sounds
> reasonable all-around.
>
> I'm voting for Virginia Chang Kiraly, as she seems at least
> finance-knowledgeable and not a huge ideologue.

Kiraly won. Spencer lost.

> Sequoia Union High School District: Members, Governing Board
> (three open seats).
>
> Larry Moody: Endorsed by my family friend (and former Sequoia UHSD
> Board President) Sally Stewart.
>
> Lorraine Rumley: Endorsed by Rich Gordon and Joe Simitian.
>
> Carrie B. Du Bois: Endorsed by Anna Eshoo, Jackie Speier, and Joe
> Simitian.

Du Bois and Rumley won. Moody lost.