California Government Reform

On February 24, I attended a forum in Redwood City for the Democratic candidates for the 21st Assembly District.  This position is currently held by Ira Ruskin, who is leaving due to term limits.  The forum was sponsored by several local Democratic clubs: the Redwood City Woodside Democratic Club, the Menlo-Atherton Democrats, the Peninsula Democratic Coalition, San Mateo County Democracy for America, Peninsula Young Democrats, and the Dean Democratic Club of Silicon Valley.

All three candidates participated:

• Yoriko Kishimoto, currently a member of the Palo Alto city council
• Rich Gordon, currently a member of the San Mateo board of supervisors
• Josh Becker, currently a partner in a venture capital firm

Here's a brief summary of their opening statements:

• Kishimoto discussed her community organizing experience and experience in Palo Alto government.
• Gordon emphasized the importance of California government reform.  As this is a subject close to my heart, he immediately made a successful impression on me.
• Josh Becker emphasized his business experience and his family.

The moderator's questions didn't elicit much difference of opinion.  Several questions were about development and transportation.  All the participants said they favored "transit oriented development". Gordon was more sympathetic to high density building than the other candidates.  In the audience Q&A, I asked them to elaborate on that, specifically whether they would favor high density apartments (specifically a twenty story building) near train stations.  The backed away from that idea faster than Olympic skaters going backwards. 

Another question concerned the "top two" primary. Kisimoto and Gordon are for it. Becker is against it.  I personally am sympathetic to the goal of reforming primary voting, but I think a better reform would be eliminating primaries entirely in favor of instant runoff voting.

I came to the forum not knowing much about any of the candidates and left leaning toward Gordon partially for his policy positions and partially because he seemed to answer questions more directly and was more polished than the other two candidates.

For more details, you can read the Daily News summary of the event here.  The primary is June 8.

-- Jerry Schwarz