The Green Party of Sonoma County has endorsed the following candidates and ballot measures:

Sonoma County Board of Supervisors:

• 2nd District: Pamela Torliatt
• 4th District: Deborah Fudge

California Ballot Propositions

• Prop 13: No position
• Prop 14: NO
• Prop 15: YES
• Prop 16: NO
• Prop 17: NO

Novato Measure

• Measure F: NO

For information on Green Party candidates and for more background information on the California ballot propositions, please visit the Green Party of California website or download the latest Green Focus newsmagazine.

By Ann Menasche

Proponents of Proposition 14 claim that the “top two primary” would relieve the partisanship and legislative dysfunction that characterize our political system.

I could not disagree more.

Rather than fixing the situation, Proposition 14 would permanently cement in place the appallingly broken two-party system that has been on full display in Washington this year.

Proposition 14 would effectively eliminate the already limited electoral options for many American voters, preventing innovative ideas and solutions from entering the political debate.

Similar laws in Washington and Louisiana have not improved the partisan nature of elections or elected officials. Instead, these laws have made it far more difficult to challenge incumbents or change the direction of government.

Proposition 14 would deny independent and third party candidates and politicians in this country a chance to be heard, while further polarizing our districts and limiting voter choice – all at increased costs to taxpayers and candidates.

Consider a Democrat living in a district that is 60 percent Republican; it is likely that almost every general election will feature the two Republican candidates who got the highest votes in the “primary.”

This person would effectively be disenfranchised, facing a choice of voting for p r o p o s i t i o n a candidate s/he strongly opposes or not voting at all.

The 25 percent of Californians who are neither Democrats nor Republicans may never see an independent or third party candidate on the general ballot again.

Is Proposition 14 the best our democracy can hope for?

Not when there are real, viable solutions to our electoral problems that are easy to implement, and would increase voter participation and help revitalize our democracy:

1. Instant runoff voting (IRV) and proportional representation (PR) – these systems, which allow voters to rank candidates rather than just choosing one, would eliminate costly and poorly-attended primaries altogether. IRV and PR would solve the partisanship issue by allowing all candidates to compete on an open playing field, prevent “spoiling,” and would ensure that the winner, in single-seat elections, garners a majority vote. And that legislative bodies reflect the full range of views found among the electorate.
2. Same day registration and paid time off on Election Day – ensure all Americans have access to vote.
3. Elimination of the two-thirds rule in California, allowing budgets to be approved and taxes raised by a simple majority vote, as is done in most states.
4. Public financing of campaigns – ensures all candidates have an equal voice in the debate, not just the billionaires, and eliminates corporate domination of our elections.

In a year when voters are angry and disgusted enough to look past the bickering Democrats and Republicans for effective, common sense solutions, it’s not surprising that the two major parties would try to prevent the election of independent and third party candidates.

Neither should we be shocked that large corporations like Blue Shield of California and Hewlett Packard have been pouring hefty sums of money into the pro-Prop 14 campaign. The two party system works for them just fine.

Californians defeated a similar “top two” proposition in 2004. Let’s hope voters will see past this partisan ploy, and vote no on Proposition 14 in June.

If you are looking for detailed information on Green Candidates or on California ballot measures this June 8, please download the latest Green Focus newsmagazine available on the Green Party of California website (or download the pdf here directly)

NOTE:
- We sometimes include events that may not have been officially endorsed by the GPSC, but may be of interest to local Greens. - To check for new events and schedule changes, visit our home page at http://www.sonomagreenparty.org

16

(Wed) GPSC General Business Meeting
Location to be determined (check this page again later)
6:45 PM - 9:00 PM
Business meetings are held every 3rd Wednesday of the month. 
All interested Greens are welcome to attend!
Info: 707-202-4507 or email info_at_sonomagreenparty.org

PC (Public Communications) WG
Info: http://www.sonomagreenparty.org/pages/gi_pc.shtml
Monthly newsletter submissions: editor_at_sonomagreenparty.org
Contact: info_at_sonomagreenparty.org

Campus Greens - Sonoma State University Chapter
Listserve: http://lists.riseup.net/www/info/sonomacampusgreens

PO Box 15073 Santa Rosa, CA 95402
Email: info_at_sonomagreenparty.org
Website: http://www.sonomagreenparty.org

SmartVoter.org
Nonpartisan election information by the League of Women Voters.
http://www.smartvoter.org/

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