San Francisco Chronicle on Proposition A: School Facilities Special Tax 2:36AM Jun 01, 2010

This measure would extend a small school tax for another 20 years. The levy brings in $7 million per year for seismic and maintenance work, badly needed in a city with more than 100 school buildings.

The extension, which needs a two-thirds majority to win, amounts to $32.20 for an average home or $16.10 for a dwelling on a multi-unit parcel.

With the city schools considering up to 350 layoffs and a reduced school year, it’s no time to cut support, even for renovation and safety work. This reality explains why there is little opposition and widespread support.

If the $7 million sum sounds small, consider that school supporters are weighing a bigger parcel tax for the November ballot. There’s clearly a need for broad financing to support smaller class sizes, larger teacher salaries and a range of programs. In the meantime, voters have a chance to endorse extra money for brick-and-mortar projects, typically the first to suffer in tough times

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/05/15/EDDH1DD0RA.DTL#ixzz0pZ6Y55Ja (less)

Blog: Valley Of The Shadow on Governor (R) 1:59AM May 24, 2010

Even before Meg Whitman began to run, I heard some bad stories of eBay through one of my friends whose business depends on it.

Then, I took my trip down to San Diego and Poizner answered my question and then asked for my vote. Twice.

In Los Angeles, Steve Poizner showed up to two meetings I went to, the SFVRC and the LAGOP. Again, he asked for my vote. A Whitman partisan fired some hard questions at Poizner and he volleyed them back. With a smile. All the Whitman partisan managed at the SFVRC was to anger those who would have been interested in voting for Whitman. Whitman hasn’t shown up at the SFVRC and answer the hard questions.

This is politics, not acting – the only way you win in elections (especially in primaries) is asking the active partisans to vote for you and answering their hard questions. The current Governor has never shown up at a LAGOP or SFVRC meeting before elections (or during). His name can be found on IMDB, thus he was known before he ran. If Meg Whitman is trying the same strategy, it will not work.

Hint to all Whitman partisans: She cannot run TV ads without coming to the meetings and answering questions from the active partisans. This is known as “vetting,” and the current Governor did not do that. Poizner is doing the hard work.

And if Whitman wins, she will lose against Brown. Why? Brown, unlike Whitman, knows to ask for votes and take hard questions. And if Poizner wins the primary, I wonder, will Whitman campaign for Poizner?

She hasn’t shown up at any meetings to answer these questions. Also, at any meeting in the Los Angeles area, you can find Poizner’s people ready to answer questions. Not one Whitman partisan has asked for help, support or our votes.

So, because Steve Poizner knows how to do the hard work of getting elected (and he has run statewide before), the Valley endorses Steve Poizner for Governor. (less)

Blog: Valley Of The Shadow on Superintendent of Public Instruction 1:58AM May 24, 2010

This position is about dealing with kids and schools, who better then a teacher? The Valley endorses Lydia Gutierrez for the primary and November.