Hey Focus fans!
If you’re among the 89% of Stanislaus County voters who have not yet cast a ballot for the June 2 primary, there’s no sense beating yourself up – as long as you get it together soon.
Voting around Friday or Saturday is the “sweet spot” for none other than Kim Alexander, California Voter Foundation president, she said in a recent CalMatters column. Late voting allows you to make sure that the candidate for governor you picked early on hasn’t dropped out, she says.
But make sure you use a drop box or voting center rather than mailing your ballot this late in the game, because anything mailed here gets sent up to West Sacramento for a postmark. And those stamped later than Election Day on Tuesday won’t be counted at all.
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Where do politicians stand on Measure J, the fire tax that residents of Salida, Del Rio and Wood Colony are voting on?
It’s a political dilemma. Most in these parts want to look no-new-taxes tough. Is it right to take nearly $2 million a year from people struggling to put gas in their cars and food on the table and give it to the government?
On the other hand, our leaders should be honest about the cost of providing services. Pretending that firefighting can go on as usual in those communities would be irresponsible.
Hoping for transparent answers in recent Modesto Focus-moderated debates, we asked candidates running for state and county offices representing Salida, Del Rio and Wood Colony for their positions on Measure J.
Republicans Jim Shoemaker and Brandon Owen, both running for Assembly District 9, took up the no-new-taxes banner, as did Republican incumbent Marie Alvarado-Gil in Senate District 4.
Republican Alexandra Duarte and Democrat Jaron Brandon (both Senate 4) and Democrat Matthew Adams (Assembly 9) took no position, noting the obvious – that it’s up to local voters.
At least Tami Nobriga (Assembly 9) was honest in admitting she wasn’t aware of the tax vote facing people she wants to represent.
Rally Valenzuela and incumbent Mani Grewal, who would represent Del Rio in Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors District 4, said they support the tax.
Of all the candidates, Grewal provided the most helpful context – noting that when the tax was enacted three decades ago, leaders failed to include an escalator clause and residents continue to fund fire protection at insufficient 1990s levels. Contributing an extra $168 a year, for homeowners, would keep firefighting services at levels people now expect, he explained, through an existing contract with the Modesto Fire Department.
His colleague on the county board – conservative Terry Withrow, far from a tax-and-spend liberal – came out in strong support of Measure J in a mailer. He’s on the June 2 ballot, too, and will be reelected to a fifth term because he doesn’t have an opponent.
Even with that high-level backing, any additional tax is a tough sell in a down economy, and this one needs two-thirds approval to win.
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Also unopposed is Assemblyman Juan Alanis, a Modesto Republican who represents most of Stanislaus County. When no write-in candidate qualified by last week’s deadline, his team sent a note of appreciation, saying he is “deeply humbled and grateful.”
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Modesto Progressive Democrats drew candidates for two statewide offices – Fiona Ma (lieutenant governor) and Jane Kim (insurance commissioner) to town for an event Tuesday, and a third, Eleni Kounalakis (treasurer), made a video appearance. In the election homestretch, that’s impressive for any region and suggests politicians are paying attention to the Valley, to some degree.
If your group is hosting an upcoming event, drop me a line for consideration in this newsletter. We intend to keep it going after the primary on a semiregular basis, especially as things heat up in the fall.
Feel free to share notes, tips and insights for Stanislaus-centric campaign coverage at garth@themodestofocus.org.