Getting out the Vote

For any of you who may not know, I live in Merced, CA (San Joaquin valley). We're part of the 18th Congressional District with the only Democratic (sort of) congressman in the area. The Congressman in our neighboring district to the north is Richard Pombo which should tell you something about what I live with on a daily basis.

Yesterday was the California primary and also a time when State and local issues appear on the ballot.

Two state propositions, one for libraries and the other for pre-schools were defeated.

We had one local issue, Measure A, which would have added a miniscule amount to our local sales tax to improve the roads in the county. The money would have stayed here and our roads are some of the worst I've seen. We don't need any signs to tell us when we've left Merced County for Stanislaus, the next county to the north. The road reminds us every time.

There was no organized opposition. Most people, if asked, said they favored it. It needed 2/3 to pass - it got 63%. Back to the drawing board once again.

The same thing has happened over and over with proposals aimed at improving our schools.

So what happened? 24% of the registered voters in the county bothered to vote. Of that 24%, you can be sure that enough of the opposition showed up. They view every election as important (as do I) and there are enough of them with a small turnout to swing an election

I'm sure the people who forgot or opted out thought a Primary in a non-presidential year was unimportant. The only real contest in our area was the Democratic gubernatorial competition between Westley and Angelides and I'll confess I almost flipped a coin. Our Senator was running basically unopposed and nobody opposed our Representative.

The same was true of the candidates for State office. A little competition, but not much. I cast a sentimental vote for Jerry Brown for Attorney General. Wow, he won the primary.

Why should it matter? It matters because our school buses will continue to roll on unsafe roads. Our moms and dads will continue to transport their kids on roads filled with chuckholes and crumbling shoulders. The county will do what it can to fix the worst of the worst but it's never enough.

It matters because kids who couldn't go to pre-school still can't.

It matters because our local library, already running on limited hours and with a largely volunteer staff, will have to struggle even more.

There's a pattern here. Every one of these issues affects our kids. The party of "family values" doesn't care so we must.

There was no excuse for the low turnout yesterday. California has some of the most reasonable voting laws I've seen and I've moved around a lot. Anyone can vote absentee by signing a form. No reason necessary. Read the ballot and fill it out, mail it back or drop it off. Our voter pamphlets are comprehensive, understandable, and timely.

We can probably get along with the roads we have now but November is coming up soon. If we want to take back at least one of the Houses of Congress, we somehow have to convince the 76% who didn't bother to vote that it's in their best interests to do so. You'd better believe the Republicans are several jumps ahead of us already.

I'll be doing what I can here and even if it's just helping with phones and mailers, it will be something. I'm tired of legislation by default.

Finally, although you're probably tired of hearing me say it, "all politics is local".

Ann