The O.C. Register has published a “Voter’s Guide” to the upcoming run-off election in the 72nd Assembly District. I cannot find the article on their website, although it is available to subcribers to their e-Register.
In reading the article, I was amazed that the candidate with the best answers wasn’t Chris Norby. Instead, it was Jane Rands, who is a member of the Green Party.
Norby says he supports Prop. 8. No bueno. Rands is opposed. So is Democratic candidate John MacMurray.
On the question of our overcrowded prisons, Rands hit a home run by saying that we need to amend Three Strikes and decriminalize marijuana. Norby’s response had to do with healthcare in prisons and electronic monitoring. Weak! If they weren’t in jail in the first place, neither the healthcare costs or monitoring would be an issue. MacMurray’s response was too lame to print. Suffice to say that he has no clue about this issue.
The candidates were then asked about using the National Guard on our border with Mexico. Rands said, no way! Norby? He said it was a federal responsibility, but he did not come out against the idea the way Rands did. And he wisely pointed out the fact that U.S. policies towards Mexico are a big part of the problem. And MacMurray? He was all for it if the feds would pay for it. Sigh. What is up with that response? Not what one would hope for from a Democrat, to say the least.
All three candidates opposed the irresponsible water bond that has been one of Gov. Schwarzenegger’s pet projects.
On the issue of the top two open primary, Rands again had the best answer. She is against it as it would shut third party candidates out of general elections. Instead she recommended the Instant Run Off, which is a much better idea. In this scheme the voters would the favorite candidates in the primary. In that scencario independent candidates would have a decent shot.
On the issue of education cuts, Norby reommended that we instead use redevelopment money. Good idea. Rands said that we should use the money we are wasting on our prisons on education instead. Better idea! MacMurray gave a mealy-mouthed lame Democratic response that offered no solution.
I don’t agree with Rands on healthcare reform, but overall her answers are more closely aligned with Libertarian thinking than those offered by Norby. And MacMurray is just lame all around.
I am happy that Norby beat the carpetbagger Linda Ackerman, but I cannot support him at this point. He made it clear at his victory party after the special election that he is a Republican, period. And he embraced that night the Ackerman hacks that showed up to his party – even though Jerbal and Jon Fleischman ripped him for weeks going into the election. Norby has also made it clear that he will continue his alliance with Republican consultant John Lewis, who is beyond despicable.
For all those reasons, I am endorsing Rands, not Norby. Click here to vist her website.
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