2010 Primary Election Overview – Part 2: Open Seat Races
In California, we no longer have an Election Day, but an Election Month. And that month begins today, May 10, the first day that county election officials we be mailing June 8 Primary Election ballots to the more than 5.8 million registered voters who have signed up as permanent vote-by-mail voters. And these voters will be able to cast that ballot by return mail anytime between now and June 8.
Last week I posted an article on incumbent challenges, but most of the action in this Primary Election will be in the two congressional districts, 10 even-number state senate districts and 29 assembly districts – total of 41 – that are OPEN SEATS – an open seat being districts that the incumbent is not seeking re-election due to term limits, running for another office, or retiring. Because of gerrymandering, winning the Primary for the vast majority of these candidates is tantamount to winning the seat in November.
The Goal is to Dismantle Proposition 13 – All of It!
Assemblyman Tom Ammiano’s AB 2492, scheduled to be heard today in the Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee, would change the definition of change of property ownership under the law resulting in increased property taxes on commercial property. But, the ultimate goal for many of those supporting the bill is to change all of Proposition 13, including the homeowner property tax protections.
Ammiano made no secret of his desire to "nuke" all of Proposition 13 in a press conference held last week. The assemblyman admitted he was pursuing his bill to change the law on commercial property first because he needed to attack Proposition 13 "incrementally." The public employee unions, which support Ammiano’s bill, to my knowledge have not disassociated themselves from his remarks. Representatives of some of those unions appeared at the press conference.
Tom, Seize the Terrorist Gun Issue Now
And there it was: at a GOP Senate debate devoted to the notion that the candidate who sounds craziest wins, Tom Campbell injected a little common sense.
He was the only one of the three contenders who thought that people on the government’s no-fly list – i.e., people the government thinks might be terrorist risks – shouldn’t be permitted to buy guns.
Yes, read it again. Tom Campbell has the totally, ridiculously radical view that possible terrorists shouldn’t be allowed to purchase weapons!
Job Creation is Starting to Snowball in Los Angeles
I’m excited about three good reports about job creation in Los Angeles.
Last week, a major international business chose L.A. City and County
to be its North American headquarters.
Secondly, our signature
entertainment industry posted very positive numbers compared to last
year.
And finally, L.A. County and the University of Southern
California appear to be close to establishing a biotech park around the
USC Health Sciences campus in Boyle Heights. All three stories
represent major economic breakthroughs for our region.