Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Attorney General
Candidates: Jerry Brown (Democratic), Jack Harrison (Peace and Freedom), Chuck Poochigian (Republican), Kenneth Weissman (Libertarian), Michael Wyman
Obviously, there is one big "name" candidate in this selection--Jerry Brown. Brown, the former governor of California and the mayor of Oakland, has the edge over the other candidates due to the instant recognition his name garners. Unfortunately for him, name recognition is not always a positive thing for a campaign. Jerry Brown is known to be a bit eccentric, and definitely outside the mainstream. He wouldn't even qualify to be within his own party's mainstream.
Attorney General, as a position, is often knick-named the "Top Cop" in California. This is were the challenge lies for Brown. As pointed out by Poochigian supporters in a lawsuit, Jerry Brown does not qualify for the position of Attorney General due to the law's requirement that the person elected or appointed to the Attorney General's position should have been able to practice before the Supreme Court for the previous five years. Brown's license to practice law has only been active for three and a half of the last five years. If Brown has integrity at all, which is actually a valid question, he should withdrawal from the race immediately. Sure, he would be required to do so because of a legal technicality, but that is the law. If we want anyone to have a strict interpretation of the law, it should be those who seek offices controlling state law enforcement.
Brown is continuing with the campaign, making the argument, with some legal backing, that inactive and active members of the state bar should both be considered eligible "to be admitted to practice before the Supreme Court." Seems to be a bit of a stretch.
Law and disorder is a very important concern for the Valley, which has seen higher than average rates of violent crime, especially in the cities of Fresno and Stockton. Gang activity is rampant. Drugs have recently been seized from a high number of homes in Natomas, Elk Grove, and Stockton, although the majority of these seizures came from a Bay Area gang's expansion into the Valley. Nonetheless, crime remains one of the top social concerns of residents here.
Whether or not Brown truly is eligible for the position, the clear choice for Attorney General is Chuck Poochigian, the state senator from Fresno. He already knows many of the concerns for Valley residents, as he currently represents the area from Fresno to south of Galt. There are some clear differences between Poochigian and Brown, such as Poochigian's support for the death penalty and Brown's support for gun control. Issue by issue, however, you get the sense that Brown is more interested in adding another feather to his political career, while Poochigian may actually be tougher on crime. When you get down to it, the candidate that will be "tougher" will usually win anyway.
In this race, ValleyVue endorses Chuck Poochigian, but wishes that Brown had been inarguably eligible. It might be quite revealing for the state to have a true debate over these two very different views of how to create a safer California.
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Sources: www.pooch4ag.com, www.jerrybrown.org
Obviously, there is one big "name" candidate in this selection--Jerry Brown. Brown, the former governor of California and the mayor of Oakland, has the edge over the other candidates due to the instant recognition his name garners. Unfortunately for him, name recognition is not always a positive thing for a campaign. Jerry Brown is known to be a bit eccentric, and definitely outside the mainstream. He wouldn't even qualify to be within his own party's mainstream.
Attorney General, as a position, is often knick-named the "Top Cop" in California. This is were the challenge lies for Brown. As pointed out by Poochigian supporters in a lawsuit, Jerry Brown does not qualify for the position of Attorney General due to the law's requirement that the person elected or appointed to the Attorney General's position should have been able to practice before the Supreme Court for the previous five years. Brown's license to practice law has only been active for three and a half of the last five years. If Brown has integrity at all, which is actually a valid question, he should withdrawal from the race immediately. Sure, he would be required to do so because of a legal technicality, but that is the law. If we want anyone to have a strict interpretation of the law, it should be those who seek offices controlling state law enforcement.
Brown is continuing with the campaign, making the argument, with some legal backing, that inactive and active members of the state bar should both be considered eligible "to be admitted to practice before the Supreme Court." Seems to be a bit of a stretch.
Law and disorder is a very important concern for the Valley, which has seen higher than average rates of violent crime, especially in the cities of Fresno and Stockton. Gang activity is rampant. Drugs have recently been seized from a high number of homes in Natomas, Elk Grove, and Stockton, although the majority of these seizures came from a Bay Area gang's expansion into the Valley. Nonetheless, crime remains one of the top social concerns of residents here.
Whether or not Brown truly is eligible for the position, the clear choice for Attorney General is Chuck Poochigian, the state senator from Fresno. He already knows many of the concerns for Valley residents, as he currently represents the area from Fresno to south of Galt. There are some clear differences between Poochigian and Brown, such as Poochigian's support for the death penalty and Brown's support for gun control. Issue by issue, however, you get the sense that Brown is more interested in adding another feather to his political career, while Poochigian may actually be tougher on crime. When you get down to it, the candidate that will be "tougher" will usually win anyway.
In this race, ValleyVue endorses Chuck Poochigian, but wishes that Brown had been inarguably eligible. It might be quite revealing for the state to have a true debate over these two very different views of how to create a safer California.
_____________________________________
Sources: www.pooch4ag.com, www.jerrybrown.org
