Editorial – Voting by Mail: Enhances Democracy? Not if Votes Aren’t Counted
Printer-friendly versionBy Assemblyman Joel Anderson Any registered voter may vote by vote-by-mail ballot. Rather than go to the polls to cast a ballot on election-day, you may apply for a vote-by-mail ballot, which you will need to complete and return to your elections official. -The California Secretary of State According to results from recent elections in San Diego County, we can expect as many as half a million citizens to vote-by-mail this November. What we don’t know is how many of the ballots are actually counted by the registrar of voters. Or more specifically, how many are invalidated because they arrive too late to be included in the election results. Not surprisingly, Registrars of Voters don’t publish those facts. Voting by mail is a growing trend among California voters and has benefited the public’s participation in the political process. This week many voters will start receiving their sample ballots, with vote-by-mail applications. In addition, those voters who are “permanent” absentee voters will be receiving their vote-by-mail ballots. Some may return their ballots right away. Some voters will turn them in at the polls. And some voters will wait until just before Election Day to mail them in. Many voters erroneously believe that if their ballot is post-marked by Election Day that it will be counted. This is not true. It must be in the hands of election officials prior to the close of voting on election night. Unfortunately this mistaken impression by voters is occasionally abetted by election officials, who occasionally send the absentee ballots out too late for voters to get their ballots mailed back by Election Day. Not surprisingly, voting by mail is a carefully regulated process, and safeguards are enforced to preserve the integrity of the vote. According to the State Legislative Counsel, “Existing law requires that the identification envelope for a vote by mail ballot contain specified information, including warnings to the voter that they must personally sign the envelope and that voting twice constitutes a crime.” Protected voting procedures are vital to the democratic process and the right of citizens to decide their government. Consequently, every effort must be made to allow lawfully registered voters to exercise their full citizenship duties, and possess a clear understanding of how the process works. But how do we ensure voters are properly informed to get their ballots in by Election Day? I recently authored legislation to ensure that every voter who votes by mail will be given a fair warning that ballots must be received by a polling official by the time polls close. State law currently requires other standard warnings, but this bill would guarantee a clear statement be printed on election vote-by-mail ballots stating that: The vote by mail ballot must actually be received by elections officials before the polls close on Election Day in order for the ballot to be counted and that an envelope postmarked by the day of the election is not sufficient. Requiring a warning be printed on the vote-by-mail ballot envelope or on the instructions to the vote-by-mail voter that are included with the ballot is a small step our government can take to preserve and uphold the continuity and clarity the voters expect and deserve. Ultimately, the importance of the right to vote requires the law to speak clearly and thoroughly so that, in turn, each citizen can do everything in his or her power to make sure that his or her vote counts. Republican Joel Anderson represents East County and portions of San Diego. The views expressed here are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of East County Magazine or its publisher. If you wish to submit an editorial for consideration, e-mail editor@eastcountymagazine.org. Printer-friendly version
FALL IN LOVE WITH EAST COUNTY
Printer-friendly versionBy Miriam Raftery, Editor Hey, beach dwellers – tired of those misty mornings? As the fog rolls in and the first chill of fall is in the air, head east and discover the beauty of our back country. Here are a few of my favorite pics, snapped last autumn in East County. You don’t have to visit New England to see spectacular fall foliage. Brilliantly-hued leaves on liquidamber trees in Pine Valley bear a striking resemblance to maples. Gold leaves on quaking aspen trees at Lake Cuyamaca tremble in the wind, evoking comparisons to similar vistas in the Colorado Rockies. Another good place to view fall foliage is Santee, including Mission Trails Regional Park as well a Riverwalk, where pedestrian paths and bike trails meander along the San Diego River off Cuyamaca Street. Autumn also brings a host of other delights, including Indian corn and ornamental gourds such as these found at roadside stands in Julian. Happy travels! Printer-friendly version
Weekly Events – October 6-14 THIS WEEKEND: ARRIBA! LA TOMATINA TOMATO FEST
Printer-friendly versionPlus Candidate Forums, Oktoberfest Parade, Hello Dolly and more By Miriam Raftery Borrowing a tradition from Spain (with a few Southern California twists), Tierra Miguel Farm in Pauma Valley is hosting La Tomatina – a tomato fest complete with authentic Spanish cuisine (bring your own paella), wine and beer tasting, live music and a tomato fling! Call ahead to join in the fun this Saturday (see our calendar for details). This event is limited to age 18 and over; bring your own goggles! You can also help prepare the soil for next year’s crop – and sign up for Tierra Miguel’s community agricultural program to receive their fresh-grown produce. Candidate forums this week may prove more contentious than the tomato fight. (Please leave leftover veggies from la Tomatina at home!) On Monday the 6th, Grossmont Union High School District candidates face off. Tuesday, those vying for Grossmont Community College Board will participate in a forum and on Thursday, El Cajon Council candidates square off. Two nonpartisan forums on ballot initiatives are also offered on Monday the 6th and Tuseday the 14th. Please know who and what you’re voting for! The German American Club of El Cajon hosts Oktoberfest activities Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, including a parade on Saturday and Chicken Hat day Sunday featuring the Mother Goose Parade Queen and her court; Mayor Lewis will model a chicken hat. Bates Nut Farm in Valley Center has a month-long craft fair, corn maze, tractor hay ride and other family activities awaiting—along with a pumpkin patch that recently yielded a pumpkin weighing over 200 pounds. La Mesa hosts its intergenerational games on Friday; people of all ages are welcome. Sports fans can also watch Aztec Football Saturday night, when SDSU takes on the Air Force team. Lovers of musical theater won’t want to miss Hello Dolly, which has shows at the East County Performing Arts Center Thursday through Sunday. In addition, Grossmont Hospital hosts a free breast cancer awareness seminar on Tuesday the 8th. Rounding off the next week, La Mesa hosts its annual La Mesa Beautiful awards on Wednesday, October 16th. Find details on all of these events and more at our calendar. Printer-friendly version
Editorial – My Position on the Financial Crisis
Printer-friendly versionBy Bob Hamilton It’s not surprising that the American people are against the $700 billion financial rescue plan, which was rejected by Congress on Monday. We’ve seen this movie before, where the government steps in with taxpayer funds to rescue those who overdosed on greed, and we’re not interested in seeing it again. After our government lied and mismanaged its way into a quagmire in Iraq that has increased the burden for taxpayers by trillions, why should we trust them now? They say we must fork over another $700 billion to stabilize the financial system, the same financial system that allowed banks and mortgage companies to knowingly issue bad mortgages and convert them to risky investments that were sold to investors as safe. At the same time, too many of our political leaders in Washington seem more concerned about the next election than solving the financial crisis, which leaves us disinclined to trust them either. After spending my career in banking and financial services, I understand the importance of maintaining the flow of funds through the financial system. Because it is impossible to know how much bad debt each financial institution is holding, the need to cover potential losses and mutual lack of confidence is freezing up the credit market. With the flow of funds halted, many businesses won’t be able to buy inventory; homebuyers who spot a good deal won’t be able to buy a house; students won’t be able to get a loan to go to college; farmers won’t be able to buy seed for next season’s crops. First came the implosion of the housing market, which has been painful enough, followed by the implosion of banks. Yesterday we saw a huge drop in the stock market, which translates into financial losses for millions of Americans, many already retired and expecting to live off of their 401K’s. Feeling less wealthy, consumers will stop spending. Next, you’ll see businesses cutting back their operations because they can’t get enough credit to operate normally or because the consumer is no longer buying their products. Unemployment will grow uncomfortably high and many businesses will fail as the economy spirals downward. More families will be unable to meet their mortgage payments and face foreclosure. We end up with exactly what we don’t want – a lot of people who are capable of working, who want to work, but can’t find a job. Tax revenue and the value of the dollar will shrink; the deficit and interest rates will increase. This is not a pretty picture. While the climate of trust and confidence in our leaders in Washington is at a low point, we must nevertheless remain committed to working out a plan to get our financial system moving again. I think it’s good that Paulson’s original plan was rejected. Telling the American people, “Just give me $700 billion and trust me” doesn’t work anymore. The American people deserve a transparent government going forward. We want to know what’s being done with our money. We want people held accountable for their mistakes. And we want a system with enough controls to prevent future abuses. Even though it’s an unpopular position right now, I support the efforts in Congress to pass legislation to restore confidence in our financial system. Surely our representatives can work together for the good of our country and negotiate a plan that spares the taxpayers as much as possible and places more of the burden on those with a larger role in creating the problem. Bob Hamilton is the Democratic Candidate for the 49th Congressional seat, running against Republican Darryl Issa.www.roberthamiltonforcongress.com The opinions expressed in this editorial reflect the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of East County Magazine or its publisher. If you wish to submit an editorial for consideration, please contact editor@eastcountymagazine.org. Printer-friendly version