Vol. VIII, No. 4 Editor: Robert Giedt May 1998

June 2 Propositions

LP of San Mateo County's opinions on state ballot measures
by Christopher Schmidt

At the April 15 meeting, we discussed the upcoming election and voted to make the following ballot recommendations:

Prop 219 Ending "Ballot Box Blackmail"
Vote: Yes (8--0--1) (Y--N--A)
Notes: This would prohibit punishment of taxpayers in districts which fail to pass a given measure (as was done by 1993's bi-partisan sales tax measure, Prop 172).
Prop 220 Superior/Municipal Courts Consolidation
Vote: No (0--7--2)
Notes: Does anyone believe the premise of this measure--that government gets more efficient when administration is centralized and salaries are increased?
Prop 221 Subordinate Judicial Officer Discipline
Vote: Position not taken (3--1--5)
Notes: One's vote on this measure will be determined by whether one prefers discipline be administered by a state commission (who may be too distant to be informed) or by a local supervisor (who may be too close to be impartial).
Prop 222 Special Treatment of "Cop Killers"
Vote: No (0--8--1)
Notes: This is one more measure based on the premise that murder of ordinary people is less reprehensible than murder of a member of a privileged class (in this case police).
Prop 223 5% Limit: "Brokered Services", School District Administration
Vote: No (0--9--0)
Notes: The arguments in the state's ballot pamphlet focus on what may be a "straw man" debate--whether school districts should spend 5% or 7.3% on centralized administration. Opponents on talk radio and on the internet allege that the true intent of this measure is to severely limit hiring of outside contractors for services like transportation, cafeteria, safety, security, and professional administration. This thesis follows from the proposition's use of the phrase "unbrokered services" under "Chapter 3, Definitions" at the bottom of page 68 in the pamphlet. This interpretation seems a likelier motivation for a labor union to put this initiative on the ballot than a disinterested desire to shift 2.3% of school spending from one administration budget to another.
Prop 224 State Design & Engineering Bid Formulas
Vote: No (0--8--1)
Notes: This measure seeks to discourage state and local government use of private-sector contractors through a new bid-evaluation formula that favors "in-house" state employees by comparing the total cost of a private sector bid with the incremental cost of state employees' providing the same service. The measure further requires that the State Controller administer the bid-evaluations for all levels of government within the state.
Prop 225 Congressional Term Limits Advisories
Vote: Position not taken (5--4--0)
Notes: This roundabout approach to term limits would instruct state legislators to support federal term limits and require that ballots inform voters whether they did (or signed a pledge, in the case of challengers).
Prop 226 Individual Control of Political Contributions
Vote: Yes (8--0--1)
Notes: This measure would require employers and unions to obtain the permission of individual employees and members to withhold wages or dues for political contributions.
[There is a provision grafted on to the measure which prohibits campaign contributions by foreign interests. We agreed that because this provision would be inoperative (because circumvention is trivial) it would not affect our recommendation of a 'yes' vote. ]
Prop 227 State Bilingual Education Rule Changes
Vote: Position not taken (4--3--2)
Notes: This measure would replace one top-down state-specified system with another. We were divided on the relative merits of the two systems, but agreed that as libertarians we would rather see bottom-up student/parent/teacher-driven alternatives with no state mandates.

Social event May 24: "Meet the Candidates"

by Steve Marsland

Sunday May 24, from 2­4 pm, the Libertarian Party of San Mateo County will host another social gathering, this time focusing on the Libertarian candidates running for office this year.

Sunday, May 24, 2­4 pm
Howard Johnson's
2110 S. El Camino Real, San Mateo

On the agenda: The event will start with a social hour from 2­3 pm where light beverages and snacks will be provided. At 3 pm, each candidate will spend 5­10 minutes explaining their background and why they are running for office. Candidates will also be available after the event to answer questions.

Four candidates have confirmed their attendance thus far: Jon Peterson, candidate for State Treasurer; Mike Moloney, candidate for the 12th Congressional District; Jack Hickey, candidate for the 21st Assembly District; and Steve Marsland, candidate for the 19th Assembly District.

The Libertarian Party is running a very organized set of campaigns, with the candidates working to help and reinforce each other's efforts. The Party is building a network of volunteers covering the entire county. So far four volunteers have been recruited to assist the campaign effort this year, and more are welcome.

Global Drug Peace Rally in San Francisco June 6

by Steve Marsland

The California Legalize! Initiative is planning a Global Drug Peace Rally for the afternoon of Saturday, June 6 from Noon until 6pm at Civic Center Plaza in San Francisco. This event will feature well-known speakers, exhibits, live music and dancing. In addition, a highlight of the rally will be the Global Meditation for Drug Peace which starts at 4:20pm. Please contact the organizers by e-mail at drugpeace@hotmail.com or voice mail on 415/971-3573 if you or a friend would like to assist with this event.

Here's the primary reason for the rally. The United Nations General Assembly will be holding a Special Session on Drugs June 8­10, and preliminary indications are that the focus of the session will be to push for further tightening of an already highly destructive and expensive global drug policy.

In response to this, the Legalize! Initiative has brought together a Global Coalition for Alternatives to the Drug War made up of influential groups who wish to propose alternatives to the harmful prohibitionist drug policies currently being promoted by the United States. This coalition has declared June 6­8 "Global Days Against the Drug War," and they intend to present a joint statement to the UN expressing disapproval of continuing the Drug War.

Events are scheduled in 25 cities for the weekend prior to the UN session. Organizers interested in joining the Coalition or putting together their own related events are welcome to browse their Web sites at http://www.legalize.org and http://www.stopthedrugwar.org

The prohibition of drugs is increasingly wasting our tax dollars and is overcrowding our prisons with its victims. If ending this injustice is a cause that speaks to your heart, then please spread the word about these events to any sympathetic or influential ear. The drug policy reform movement is now closer than ever to a major breakthrough, so every offer of assistance can make a real difference.

April meeting notes

by Christopher Schmidt

Because this is the last issue of the newsletter prior to the primary, we set aside most of April's agenda to debate the state-wide propositions on the ballot and to consider a last-minute assembly challenge.

June state propositions discussion

The 10 of us present discussed the June 2 ballot measures (but visiting former editor Delmas Gault did not vote). Our recommendations differ slightly from those of the LPC executive committee, but they do not conflict because we took positions on different measures.

It's certainly much more pleasant to discuss the measures in a group rather than stay up all night reading Sacramento-speak by one's self!

Crockett/Bunce Award fund

We voted to order 300 copies of the "Not Yours to Give" pamphlet which is the basis of our region's 'Crockett/Bunce Award'. Members have contributed over $300 to the award fund, but no suitable contenders have been identified since that time. We will include copies of the pamphlet in a future newsletter as part of a campaign to identify an awardee deserving of recognition.

Jack Hickey's 21st Assembly District nomination --
Your write-in vote is needed!

The executive committee voted 6-0-0 to endorse Jack Hickey as our candidate for the 21st State Assembly district and to share with him the list of signers of other petitions.

Jack has written successful ballot arguments against local school bond measures and is currently working to deprive the Mid-Peninsula Regional Open Space District of its eminent domain power in San Mateo County through de-annexation. He is also a candidate for Ward 6 of the MPROSD.

To appear on the November ballot he needs 1,528 write-in votes in the primary. Please encourage your friends of all parties to cast a write-in vote for Jack! Any help would be greatly appreciated and would be a tremendous boost to the party this November.

Working with other third parties

Finally, we discussed the pros and cons of working with other small parties in the county. We concluded that we should limit such involvement so as to avoid blurring our public identity, but resolved to reach out to Reform Party members who may be ready to take the next step--from the vague feeling that reform of some kind is necessary to the specific conclusion that reforms that protect and restore personal and economic freedom are those that merit concrete support.

Precinct workers needed for open primary

by Bernie Jackson

Mike Moloney is looking for a few good Libertarians. Soon his campaign will be making the final push to contact his district's voters by phone. Mike hopes to energize enough non-Libertarians to post a significant return in this year's open primary on June 2, sending a message to November's voters that this Libertarian is a viable alternative. He has put forth a serious and strenuous effort, campaigning in person in several key cities for nearly a year. With your help, Mike can extend his reach into the rest of the district.

Mike has discovered that the average voter is very unhappy with the incumbent Tom Lantos, even though Lantos has held his seat since 1980. It seems voters simply have never felt they had a realistic alternative. But in this year's open primary, anyone can cast a vote for Mike, even those who are not registered Libertarians. Because none of the candidates in Mike's race are opposed within their parties, voters can cast a Libertarian vote risk free on June 2 (without worrying about "wasting" it). Imagine the reaction if Mike pulls a healthy percentage of the vote!

All Mike has to do is spread the word to enough of the district's disaffected voters. If you can spare one or two hours of your time (or more!) to help send a Libertarian to Congress, please call Mike at 415/715-5419. Steve Marsland (19th State Assembly) and Jack Hickey (21st State Assembly) are also looking for volunteers, and the party plans to leverage volunteer efforts to maximize the benefit to all three candidates.

Next meeting of the LP of San Mateo County:

Wednesday, May 20
Prime Time Athletic Club
1730 Rollins Road, Burlingame (between Broadway and Millbrae Avenue)
Informal chat/dinner: 6:30­7:30pm in the café
Business meeting: 7:30­9:00pm in the multipurpose room.
Business agenda:

  1. Final planning for May social event.
  2. Additional items as necessary.