Monday, October 26, 1998
Many positions up for grabs in November
BALLOT: State regulators of money, education, among others need
to be elected
By Emi Kojima
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
The Rev. Jesse Jackson and various student activists chanted "My
vote will make a difference" on Thursday in front of Kerckhoff.
Though many students showed up at the rally, whether they will
vote for all the positions on the ballot  or vote at all
 is an open question, with the percentage of youth voters
still remaining low.
While the gubernatorial race has attracted the most attention,
other elected state positions are neglected and less publicized.
California residents will decide the next Secretary of State,
Controller, Treasurer, Insurance Commissioner and Superintendent of
Public Instruction when they vote in the November General
Elections.
Secretary of State
Bill Jones, the Republican secretary of state, has taken the
spotlight recently in publicizing the upcoming elections and in his
own race for re-election. He runs against Michela Alioto, a
Democrat businesswoman.
The secretary of state enforces all the laws governing the
election process and keeps records of the ordeal. The position also
requires keeping records for the California State Archives and
serving as an ex-officio member of the California State World Trade
Commission.
During his term, Jones supported the open primary system in
California and monitored the on-line registration to improve voter
turnout. Jones wrote the Three Strikes Law in an effort to come
down harder on crime by increasing the punishment for repeat
criminals. Both candidates for governor  Gray Davis and Dan
Lungren  support the law.
Alioto endorses a more general Democrat platform, emphasizing
the disability she has lived with, supporting the woman’s right to
choose whether or not to have an abortion and wants to reduce voter
fraud.
For the Natural Law party, Jane Ann Bialosky is running, Gail
Lightfoot competes on the Libertarian slate, Israel Feuer for Peace
and Freedom, Valli Sharpe-Geisler for Reform and Carolyn Rae Short
for the American Independent party.
Despite efforts of the secretary of state to improve voter
turnout, some students still elect not to vote.
Kristina Wong, a third-year World Literature and Culture and
American Literature student, hasn’t voted lately.
"A lot has to do with campus politics being so crazy nuts. You
can’t vote anymore  people assume you’re a martyr for a cause
if you’re just voting for it," she said.
Jerry Lopez, a third-year civil engineering student, also
doesn’t vote because he "doesn’t really care."
"I should care because (elections) affect my children, my future
and the future of my people, but now I’m not that interested in
politics," he said.
"I’m a college student. I’m supposed to know about these things.
But right now I have to concentrate on my studies," he said.
State Controller
The state’s money is controlled by the controller, who does
California’s accounting and bookkeeping of public funds as its
chief fiscal officer.
Additionally, the controller regulates state payroll, serves on
boards such as the Board of Equalization and the Board of Control
and conducts audits and reviews of state money operations.
Ruben Barrales, a County Supervisor from the Republican party,
faces Democrat incumbent Kathleen Connell.
Al Burgess is running for the American Independent party, C.T.
Weber from Peace and Freedom, Iris Adam from Natural Law, Pamela
Pescosolido from the Libertarian party and Denise Jackson for the
Reform party.
State Treasurer
The Treasurer is the state’s banker. Not only does the treasurer
oversee the state’s investments, but also administers the sale of
state bonds as well as serving on commissions that deal with the
marketing of bonds.
Finally, the treasurer will pay out state funds that the
controller and other state agencies spend.
Republican Curt Pringle, a state legislator and businessman,
faces Phil Angelides, the incumbent on this year’s ballot.
Pringle hopes to cut state income taxes, reduce class size, and
work toward a drop in crime. He has served as the Speaker of the
California State Assembly.
Angelides focuses his campaign on a different part of the
treasurer’s platform. He promises to save money by cutting waste
and taking some of the state’s investments out of overseas venues
and putting them in domestic ones.
Edmon Kaiser from the American Independent party, Jan Tucker
from Peace and Freedom, Jon Peter from the Libertarian party and
Carlos Aguirre from the Natural Law party also are in the race.
Richard Tanga said that he may vote for third party
candidates.
"I don’t know who anyone is because I’m from Hawaii. I will
decide based on what my roommates vote for or (I will vote) for
independent parties," said the first-year undeclared student.
Insurance Commissioner
California has a Department of Insurance that oversees insurance
companies within the state. The insurance commissioner oversees and
directs the department, licenses and checks insurance companies,
and answers all those questions and complaints from the public
against the insurance industry.
Finally, the insurance commissioner enforces the laws of the
California Code and implements the laws. Some students won’t vote
for this position.
"If I don’t know what (the position) does, I probably won’t vote
for them," Tanga said, who did not not know about the role of
California Insurance Commissioner.
Voters, however, established the office in to protect consumers
from increasing insurance rates.
Insurance Commissioner Chuck Quackenbush, a Republican, faces
Diane Martinez, a Democrat in the November Race.
Quackenbush took office four years ago. During his term he has
worked to crack down on auto fraud and push down auto insurance
rates. He aims to keep rates down and promote competition in a free
market in California.
Challenger Martinez served as Chairperson of the Assembly
Utilities and Commerce Committee and has worked to reform
HMO’s.
Barbara Bourdette of the Natural Law party, Merton Short of the
American Independent party, Gary Ramos of the Peace and Freedom
party, and Dale F. Ogden of the Libertarian party also compete for
the position.
Superintendent of Public Instruction
This non-partisan office actually strikes close to campus. The
superintendent of public instruction serves as a non-voting member
of the governing boards of the state’s public colleges Â
including the UC Board of Regents  that affects everything
from student tuition bills to the system’s policy for the use of
affirmative action.
As chief spokesperson for public schools, the superintendent of
public instruction will direct the California Department of
Education and execute policies set out by the State Board of
Education, directing local school districts and working to improve
academic performance.
Delaine Eastin and Gloria Matta Tuchman are running for the
office.
Eastin, the current superintendent, has advocated a zero
tolerance policy for students involved in drugs or gangs as well as
statewide testing.
Tuchman, a parent and school teacher, was a Co-Chairman of the
campaign for Proposition 227, the initiative that prohibited
teaching students in languages other than English. It was passed in
the June 1998 primary election.SPECIAL FEATURE:
A collection of Daily Bruin’s coverage to the 1998 elections
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