GARAMENDI, BOWEN, BROWN IN THE DOWN TICKET RACES

The bad thing about the musical chairs of term limits is that good people are forced to retire just as they get their mojo working in their current jobs. The good thing is that we get to take a look at politicians' record in public office before we vote, not just their promises. Term limits also encourage a new crop of ambitious do-gooders to run for the legislature where, we hope, the cream will rise to the top.

There are six statewide races besides governor that have several big names jockeying to stay in elected office. Some need to keep their names in the news until the timing's right to run for governor, congress, or something even bigger. Others were born for the job they seek.

Here are my choices for the down ticket statewide races:

Lieutenant Governer: JOHN GARAMENDI
With this largely ceremonial position, we have to remember that the winner could become governor at any time. As insurance commissioner Garamendi has done a lot to protect consumers. He's steadfastly refused to take campaign money from the industry he regulates, and we've been spared the scary rate hikes that other states have had.

His strongest opponent, the less liberal state Senator Jackie Speier, is capable, but there's one big difference. Garamendi supports universal healthcare, and Speier does not. As an expert in the field of insurance, I think Garamendi has what it takes to advocate for the universal healthcare bill and the bully pulpit of the Lieutenant Governor's office is the best place to do it.

John Garamendi's website:
http://www.garamendi.org/

Secretary of State: DEBRA BOWEN
This is the office that oversees our elections. With new voting machines being churned out by for-profit companies, voter registration databases being threatened, and partisan squabbling over recounts, this is THE MOST IMPORTANT RACE right now in the state. Senator Bowen has taken the lead in the legislature to protect our elections from companies like Diebold whose CEO promised to deliver Ohio to George W. Bush in 2004. She begins her stump speech by saying, "I'm running for Secretary of State for two reasons: Florida and Ohio!"

When Democrat Kevin Shelley was forced to resign, the governor appointed Republican Bruce McPherson to the office, and immediately the standards for voting machine integrity were relaxed. Most recently, McPherson had tens of thousands of newly registered voters purged from the rolls because information didn't exactly match DMV records. So if your driver's license says Dave Jr., but you registered as David II, you're out. Bowen has fought that tooth and nail in the Senate.

The rest of her record shines too. Bowen has taken the lead on privacy protection in California; she wrote a 2001 bill to protect your social security number. She hasn't been so generous with your government's privacy; she authored the law that puts public records and legislative deliberations online for all to see.

She's a bold, stand up public servant, and if you want your votes to count, vote for Debra Bowen.

Debra Bowen's website:
http://www.debrabowen.com/

Controller: JOE DUNN
This one is really a tossup for me. Both Dunn and John Chiang will do a fantastic job. Dunn's experience and steady demeanor contrasts with Chiang's energetic, quick mind and I really like both. I give Dunn the slight edge because of his work as hairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee where he investigated the Enron scandal. According to Dunn, he lost a friend in Gray Davis because of it. He's a Democrat from Orange County, and quite a liberal one at that. Because of his cojones, I'll vote for Joe Dunn.

Joe Dunn's website:
http://www.joedunn.org/

Treasurer: BILL LOCKYER
Well, he's unopposed. That about does it.

Lockyer's website:
http://www.lockyerfortreasurer.com/

Attorney General: JERRY BROWN
"I used to be Governor Moonbeam," says Brown, "now I'm Mayor Pothole!" I love a guy who's been top dog in the nation's biggest state and doesn't mind stepping back to be mayor of a troubled town like Oakland. In attorney general races, we're used to hearing the tough-on-crime mantras, and it's refreshing to see someone different as the frontrunner.

Brown's two terms as governor and his three runs at the Democratic nomination for President have earned him a reputation as the liberal torch bearer. As mayor his pragmatism has pissed some traditional liberals off. But his creative approaches to his city's woes have reduced crime significantly, and Oakland is a city on its way up.

The opponent, LA City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo aims his square jaw at LA's gangs, and between him, Mayor Hahn, and Police Chief Bratton, we've seen a reduction in crime as well, but at at a significant price. Delgadillo says he wants to help gang members get out of the life, but his Orwellian gang injunctions have done the exact opposite.

There is a list of gang members managed by a publicly traded company, called the Cal/Gang Database. Once on the list, citizens are denied the right of assembly, free speech, and expression. You get on the list by having the wrong tattoo or being seen with known gang members. You get off the list... well, nobody's ever got off the list (KPCC report by John Rabe, 6/1/06). Even the most generous estimates say gang injunctions only reduce crime by 6-9% and opponents say they just move the crime to the next neighborhood over. This is the program upon which Delgadillo hangs his hat.

Jerry Brown will be fair and realistic. His years of public service prove that he cares about finding lasting solutions to our state's problems. Vote for a liberal for attorney general, vote for Jerry Brown.

The KPCC report:
http://www.scpr.org/news/index.shtml

Jerry Brown's website:
http://www.jerrybrown.org/

Insurance Commissioner: NO ENDORSEMENT
I'm not gonna lie. I didn't do my homework on this one. But I know two things, first, Cruz Bustamante is going to win. Second, he won't be as good an insurance commissioner as Garamendi has been. Bustamante has taken $158,000 from insurance companies, and he's running his campaign on a platform of pledging to lose 50 pounds by election day. He was a lame candidate carrying the Democratic baton in the recall race for governor, and he's still a lame candidate.

Steve Lopez' column in the LA Times says enough:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-lopez10may10,1,7896491.column