Got a great, handy one-page "Voter Information Guide for Democrats" in the mail today which walks through all the local races and initiatives. The evaluations and recommendations are from "The Democratic Party, American Government Professors, Firefighters, Environmental Leaders, Nurses and Health Care Workers, Classroom Teachers, Law Enforcement Officers, and Senior Citizen Organizations." I only wish they had a web site so you could check who it really is from and what they stand for. Searching only brings up a few disgrunted recipients of the flyer.
Here's who they endorse:
Federal Offices
President of the United States
John F. Kerry
United States Senator
Barbara Boxer
U.S. Representative
Mike Honda
State Offices
State Senator
Peg Pinard
State Assembly
Ira Ruskin
Superior Court Judge
Griffin Bonini (Enrique Colin has endorsements from Zoe Lofgren and others though)
Santa Clara County
Measure "A" - No ("Jeopardizes the ability to hire qualified doctors and nurses at hospitals. Physicians, nurses, prosecutors are opposed.")
Measure "B" - No ("Unnecessary election costs over $1 million. Unfair to safety employees. Nurses, prosecutors, correctional officers oppose Measure "B")
Measure "C" - Yes ("Provides fair bargaining for public safety employees. Protects emergency services. Firefighters, nurses and police officers all say "Yes on Measure C".)
Proposition 62 - No (Personally I'm unsure of this one -- I really don't like the imagery they're invoking on their web site and can see how an open primary could have some benefits. The SJ Merc's endorsement was helpful as well and so I'll definitely be looking at this one more closely over the week.)
Proposition 71 - Yes ("Support research that can save lives and fight disease")
Proposition 64 - No ("Don't limit enforcement of public health, environmental and consumer fraud laws")
Proposition 72 - Yes ("Big business and out-of-state corporations are trying to stop health insurance coverage for working people. Vote yes for affordable health insurance." A Yes makes it so that "Certain employers would be required to provide health coverage for their employees and in some cases dependents through either (1) paying a fee to a new state program primarily to purchase private health insurance coverage or (2) arranging directly with health insurance providers for health care coverage. The state would also establish a new program to assist lower-income employees to pay their share of health care premiums.")
Proposition 66 - Yes ("Life sentences for repeat, violent offenders - the original intent of the Three Strikes Law")