The Loma Prietan
November 2002
Election Day, Nov. 5th: It's Time to Vote!
by Rafael Reyes
Here it is again--the election season. The big day is Tuesday, November 5th, and once again our loyal corp of dedicated volunteers have done a tremendous job researching, interviewing and scrutinizing candidates for city councils, the California state legislature, and the U.S. House of Representatives to decide on our endorsements. Our nearly 30 volunteers interviewed over 50 candidates and put in many hours of additional work behind the scenes.
But it only means something when each of you goes to the polls to pull the lever. The importance of this simple act cannot be overstated, especially in this age of
political cynicism. The very act of participating in this process makes it so apparent that who we elect really does make a significant difference. Please take the time to weigh the issues as best you can and take that step.
We also have a Chapter election as well. We have five people running for five offices for the chapter ExCom. This is not a model democratic situation but I want to encourage you to vote anyway. Offer your comments on what you think we could be doing better and/or what we are doing well. Read the candidates' statements and consider what they suggest about the direction the Chapter should take with the new team. As with the political offices, your chapter and group elections are very important. These are the folks who will make decisions about how we direct resources and set our conservation policies and determine what candidates we endorse. We are already being courted by candidates for state offices in 2004 and this team will be making those decisions. We look forward to getting your votes and feedback.
Lastly, I want to personally thank all those volunteers this year who make our political program work for you: Caralin Adair, Gary Bailey, Ed Blackmond, Craig Breon, Shawn Britton, Meg Caldwell, Jessica Couleur, John Cordes, Diane Gleason, Burch Harper, Paula Hartman, Carrie Hudiburgh, Dan Kalb, Mondy Lariz, Karen Maki, Jeff McCartney, Kelly Moran, Patrick Moore, Margaret Okuzumi, Ann Schneider, Jackie Schneider, Luda Shuster, Stephanie Shaaf, Jon Silver, Victoria Tregoning, Leslie Weise, and Richard Zimmerman.
And to our stalwart allies at the Santa Clara
County League of Conservation Voters. a special thank you to Denice
Dade, Terry Trumbull, Pat Showalter, Shiloh Ballard and the entire
SCCLCV board.