The Davis Voice

Editor's Endorsement

It's my soap box & I'll shout from it if I want to.

CA Senate - Lois Wolk

CA Assembly - Christopher Cabaldon

Yolo County Supervisor - John Ferrera

Davis City Council
Stephen Souza, Sydney Vergis, Don Saylor

I have spent many years of my life advocating for increased civic engagement by younger voters.  From middle school thru college, I was an active force in student government.  When I turned 18, I began registering my fellow students.  In my 20’s, I helped start and lead a non-profit whose mission was to bring young voters become regular voters by engaging them on public policy matters in a non-judgmental and rational monthly forum.  Then, I worked for two years as a national staff member of the non-partisan, young voter registration group "Rock the Vote".

For the past four years, I have gladly given many of my nights to our City and School District by serving on the Open Space & Habitat Commission, the Grande Site 7/11 Committee, and the Climate Action Team.  To this day, I still encourage people to register and vote.  I started this blog because I think that our community needs to do a better job of engaging the citizenry about the facts, difficult decisions, and realistic consequences and benefits of our public policy choices.

So, my frame of reference for choosing candidates is focused on their ability to promote: positive civic engagement, open space protection, innovative measures to preserve our natural resources, a more diverse tax base, and affordable housing for young families, civil servants and seniors.

After the jump, find all of the reasons that I encourage you to vote for some candidates and also (gasp!) reasons to NOT vote for candidates.

This Week in YOUR Governemnt

The filing deadline for local elected office has come and gone, but there are no lame ducks in our beloved People's Republic this year.  Also, about 1/3 to 1/2 of all appointed Commission seats will be turning over in September, so take this opportunity to go and see what commissioners actually do (other than giving up prime time television.)

Of particular interest is a gathering at Freeborn Hall on Tuesday focusing on improving pedestrian, bike and transit infrastructure on campus.  Stop by Freeborn Hall, grab a huge marker, and make your suggestions for improvement on a gigantic campus map .

More details after the jump.

Yolo 4th Supervisor Race Gets Crowded

Ferrera, Provenza, and Kennedy.  Who is Cathy Kennedy?

For months (some would say longer), Jim Provenza and John Ferrera have been laying the groundwork for this election.  With the recent news that a heretofore unknown person has pulled papers from the County Clerk's Office to enter the 4th District's Supervisor race, the chattering class is atwitter with expectation.

Thanks to all of our readers' tips, the Davis Voice obtained an exclusive interview with potential candidate Cathy Kennedy early this evening.

Yolo County is governed by an elected Board of Supervisors (BOS).  Each member represents a geographical area in the county.  This year, 3 of the 5 seats on the BOS are up for grabs.  The 4th District, to be vacated by Assembly candidate Mariko Yamada, is populated by many Davisites.

After the jump, we'll dish on the two latest formal entries to the Yolo BOS's 4th District race.  Read our initial coverage on John Ferrera here.

And the Race Begins

Ferrera & Vergis File for Office

Fresh voices and new perspectives are the lifeblood of democracy.  Stagnation leads to (cue dramatic timpani) tyranny.

This weekend, the Davis Voice received two press releases from candidates for local office that are running their first campaigns for elected office.  Both of these candidates have impressive credentials, interesting ideas and broad support from the community. 

As the new kid in the local blogosphere, we of course welcome all new faces to the local government scene.  John Ferrera, candidate for Yolo County’s 4th Supervisor, though new to the hot seat of candidacy, is not new to policy.  In fact, he prides himself of being a policy wonk.  Sydney Vergis, candidate for Davis City Council, has an impressive resume for a young woman in her mid-twenties.

After the jump, read more about these two bids for elected office.  In the weeks and months to come, we’ll be posing difficult questions to ALL of the candidates.

This Week in YOUR Government

Participate or Stop Whining

You had plenty of time to enjoy the sun and warm temperatures over the weekend, now get thee indoors to do your civic duty.

If you're interested in housing in our fair City (and who isn't during a recession?), the City Council Meeting on Tuesday will feature discussion on the slippery and contentious idea of a yearly "1% Growth Rate".

Election Irregularities in Precinct 23

Trying to NOT Bore You to Tears

Stories about election irregularities rarely catch my attention because, well, they are often boring and you have to choose your battles.  Also, I have confidence that the forces of good outweigh the forces of evil when it comes to the physical act of counting votes.  I am concerned about the security of electronic voting machines and persistent irregularities in Ohio and Florida, but I believe that local citizens should take those matters into their own hands in each county.

After the jump, read the full story about Election Day irregularities in Yolo County Precinct 23 (Olive Drive) and County Clerk Freddie Oakley’s response.

Davis-Woodland Bikeway Update

Hey Bikers, Got Any Spare Change?

It seems that the county still needs $1.6 million dollars to finish the bike path between our two friendly communities.  Wouldn't it be nice to get this settled by March, so that we can all feel safe hauling back matresses from Costco in our bike trailers after The Grand Opening of The Largest Costco Ever?

I mentioned this item on Monday, January 28th, but had no idea that this project was 41% unfunded.  Was this project approved without financial considerations? No.  So, where’s the money?  Find out after the jump.