Out of Cheese

This is the most frustrating part of the ballot as far as I’m concerned. I was hoping I’d hear something — anything at all — from the candidates for these offices so I’d have some idea of what the issues are or how I should choose. Unfortunately, for the most part I haven’t heard anything. I wish these offices weren’t non-partisan just so I could have some chance to hear at least one side. In lieu of any helpful information at all, then, here goes:

State Senator: Elaine Alquist, because she’s an incumbent Democrat and that’s an OK default choice for me. I know nothing about her.

State Representative: Sally Lieber. See State Senator.

West Valley-Mission Community College District, Area 2: Huh? I don’t even know what this is and I have to pick two people for it. Robert Owens is the incumbent, so I might as well vote for him. Christopher Stampolis is the only other candidate with a blurb in the voter information pamphlet and sounds fine, so I’ll vote for him, too.

West Valley-Mission Community College District, Area 3: You’ve got to be kidding. There’s another area? And I’m in both? And I need to think about these people again? There are three incumbents here, I can only vote for two, and only one bothered to write anything for the voter information guide. Great. Well, Chris Constantin, you’ve got my vote. I’ll pass on the other slot.

Judge of the Superior Court, Office No. 7: Why do states let people vote for judges? I don’t understand this at all. I thought Pennsylvania was one of only a few states with this oddity, but apparently California is part of the crowd, too. Griffin Bonini is endorsed by tons of people, including the local bar association; Enrique Colin is endorsed by Reps. Zoe Lofgren and Mike Honda. Bonini seems to have more money to spend, but Colin seems like a nicer guy. I think I’ll vote for Colin.

Santa Clara County Board of Education: I got a phone call today telling me to vote for Anna Song, so that means I’ve heard of one of the candidates. It wasn’t an objectionable phone call, so I suppose I’ll vote for her.

Santa Clara School District, Area 2: Beats me, since none of the candidates bothered to submit anything to the voter information guide. Since the schools appear to be doing fine for my nonexistent kids, I guess I’ll vote for the two incumbents, Ernest Dossa, Jr. and Don Bordenave.

Santa Clara City Council, Seat 3: Chuq voted for Nam Nguyen, but all I know about him is that he was whining yesterday about his signs being taken down. Despicable as that practice is, it happens to everyone. His blurb in the voter guide isn’t very impressive, either. I’ve received some literature about Will Kennedy and his voter guide blurb sounds good, so he’ll have my vote.

Santa Clara City Council, Seat 4: Both Kevin Moore and Gap Kim sound good. I’ll probably vote for Kim, but I’d be happier about that choice if I’d heard anything from him. I have literature from Moore, but it doesn’t say much except that his campaign committee is “Santa Claran’s for Moore”. The extra apostrophe doesn’t help him in my book. In lieu of other issues, I’m happy to vote based on grammar alone.

Santa Clara City Council, Seat 6: Do I really get to vote for all of these? I would’ve expected to only vote for one city council seat, but four of them are on my sample ballot. Oh, well. Patrick Kolstad is the incumbent, so I’ll vote for him.

Santa Clara City Council, Seat 7: I have a lot of literature from Chuck Blair, but it doesn’t really say anything other than that various people endorse him and he’s been a sports coach for a long time. Coaching is a great job, but a sole qualification for public office it ain’t. Jamie McLeod is a city planner, which sounds more useful. I’ll vote for her.

Santa Clara City Clerk: What’s a city clerk and why do are we voting on one? From the little I’ve picked up it sounds like the rough equivalent of a township manager job back home, except for that job the township commissioners could actually hire and fire people as appropriate instead of having to ask the voters for their uninformed decision. I don’t understand this at all. Anyway, Rod Diridon was kind enough to send me some literature (even though it says nothing whatsoever about what the office entails) and his voter guide blurb sounds fine, so I’ll vote for him. (And Chuq likes him, so that counts for something. Sadly, his literature doesn’t list Chuq’s endorsement.)

Santa Clara Chief of Police: You’ve got to be kidding me. Why is this an elected office? Anyway, there’s only one person on the ballot and he’s already chief of police so I’m voting for him.