In Part One of ValleyVue's coverage of the Gubernatorial Primary Election, the race for Democratic nominee will be discussed. ValleyVue will soon cover election news pertaining to some of the candidates and issues most crucial to the fabric of life in the Central Valley.

The California State Primary Election on June 6 will focus on one major race--the one for the Democratic gubernatorial candidacy. If registered for a party, California voters must only vote using that party's ballot. Unaffiliated voters will be given a nonpartisan ballot, or they may request a Republican, Democrat, or American Independent ballot to help nominate the candidates for their parties.

This year, Republicans and Democrats are likely the only parties able to successfully run for governor. Arnold Schwarzenegger, although facing three other Republicans, will certainly get the candidacy for his party as the incumbent. The Democrats have a tight race between Phil Angelides and Steve Westly. As this appears to be the most important race in the election, ValleyVue recommends requesting the Democrat ballot for all nonpartisan voters. Other than the governor race, the Democrat's ballot also features a race between Insurance commissioner John Garamendi and State Senators Liz Figueroa and Jackie Speier for Lieutenant Governor nominee. Oakland mayor (and former governor) Jerry Brown and gang prosecutor Rocky Delgadillo are seeking the nomination for Attorney General.

Westly and Angelides--the heavyweight bout of this election--is a hard choice. Interestingly enough, this is not a case of two look-alike candidates, although the differences will certainly grow more distinct on June 7th as the Democratic candidate then turns to face Arnold. In the mean time, the Democrats face the dangerous competition between two honored sons. While the media is portraying the negative ads by the two competitors as destructive to the parties chances at a win in November, it must be remembered that primary election battles are always portrayed that way in the media.

In this case, Westly and Angelides have successfully separated from each other. However, most striking is that what is remembered is each candidate's negative attacks of the other. Westly has attacked Angelides on his destruction of Valley wetlands in his career as a developer. Angelides has said Westly will not fully fund education, choosing to rely on lottery funds, but Westly cites his history as a former classroom teacher to prove his devotion to education. Westly attacks Angelides for advocating for tax raises, which Westly suggests could be gained through programs such as taxpayer amnesty to recoup taxes not collected.

The attacks continue to come from both sides. Interestingly, the candidates sometimes even attack each other for running negative campaigns. From Steve Westly's website: "Who will Democratic voters choose? Westly is upbeat and attractive; Angelides is pinch-faced and whiny. Westly is pragmatic and relaxed; Angelides is histrionic and obsessed with himself." (Jill Stuart, LA Daily News). Definitely not an above the board tactic by Westly to reprint one reporter's observation of character deficiencies for Angelides. After Westly blasted Angelides for taking campaign contributions from oil and energy companies, Angelides fired back, reminding the Westly had "invested millions of his own money in oil companies, oil drilling companies and chemical companies." Angelides fought by publicly supporting a new tax on oil drillers to develop alternative fuels, a possible ballot initiative that Westly made no stand for or against.

Westly's past is one of business. He worked for eBay, helping to build the company into a major force on the internet. Phil Angelides worked as a developer, mostly in Sacramento, where he was born. Westly attacks Angelides for accepting donations from Angelo Tsakopoulos, a huge Sacramento developer, but it seems fairly obvious why another developer from the same area might support the Angelides campaign. Westly may have missed the mark to suggest this is a sign Angelides would be unduly influenced by developers like Tsakopolous. Angelides has for years served the public, most recently as the State Treasurer. He gained notoriety as being one of the highest-ranking officials to stand against Schwarzenegger's proposals in last year's special election.

In development, one of the most high profile communities Angelides was involved in was Elk Grove's Laguna West neighborhood. Laguna West won many awards for the design of a "livable community". The neighborhood boasts tightly packed single family homes designed to allow for interactions between neighbors, as many recreational activities are pushed from the backyard to the front, as well as trying to allow residents the opportunity to walk to businesses if they wanted. Laguna West in some ways never lived up to the dreams of its makers, though. Designed in some ways to be an independent Sacramento county community with its own town center, development steadily crept eastward, and Elk Grove annexed the neighborhood to become a 100,000 + city. Business in the town center area never really caught on, and recently land meant to be commercial has instead become multi-family housing. Although housing prices are still strong, crime is becoming a bigger problem yearly in Laguna West, as it is throughout Elk Grove. However, the design principles are solid, and Laguna West is recognized as a pioneering development for the region. It is imitated often.

Angelides and Westly do have many things in common, and either one will make for a compelling race leading up to November. Angelides appears to be a real fighter, looking to take on issues directly. Many ideas he espouses point to the direct approach, even if it means pain for some. Californians expect a strong, multifaceted state government, and they want to get it as cheaply as possible. Angelides understands the pressing need, and will work to create new revenue streams to allow for the funding of programs California demands. Westly's ideas on fiscal responsibility have merit, and should be considered, especially regarding the recovery of taxes already legally due to the state. Angelides may be a bit more wide-ranging in his understanding of the state's needs. Unfortunately, if he is being attacked by another Democrat for tax stance, you can bet Angelides will have an uphill climb against Republican governor Schwarzenegger.

ValleyVue recommends Phil Angelides for Democratic Gubernatorial Nominee. Throw in a vote for Delgadillo for Attorney General.
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Sources: http://www.angelides.com/, http://www.westly2006.com, www.latimes.com, Official Voter Information Guide