Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger retained his position as the head of the state of California Tuesday with an easy win over Democrat challenger Phil Angelides. Schwarzenegger's strategy of moving to the center and being a governor of all Californians moved him dramatically from being vehemently opposed after last year's special election to being the clear choice of the people with near 60% support.

California, usually thought of on the national scene as being a "blue state" for its repeated support for Democratic presidential candidates and its long-time support for Senators Feinstein and Boxer, bucked the national trend of replacing Republicans with Democrats, in what was likely a referendum on the GOP's support for the Iraq war, at least in the case of Schwarzenegger. Democrats on the national scene retook control of the House of Representatives for the first time in 12 years. Californian Nancy Pelosi (San Francisco) will likely be the new Speaker of the House.

Schwarzenegger stated in his victory speech that he will continue his efforts to reach out towards voters who did not vote for him. It seems Schwarzenegger may have found his political life in seeking mass appeal, a skill he developed in his previous career. Unless political handlers again take control of his administration, Schwarzenegger may succeed in this plan to unite Californians behind his agenda. It seems unlikely for the governor, who is now reaching his full stride, would backtrack and pursue a plan that would delight his Republican supporters but attack powerful constituencies such as the unions and environmental supporters. Schwarzenegger also made it part of his campaign strategy to distance himself from supporting the Bush Administration. In the end it was Phil Angelides attempt to link Schwarzenegger with Bush, while Schwarzenegger focused on ballot initiatives and used coalition-building rhetoric that tipped the scale towards the governator.

In other election news important to Valley voters:

• Most US House of Representatives Valley incumbents had won or were winning their seats back. The closest Valley race at 2:10am Wednesday was incumbent Republican John Doolittle with 50.3 % of the vote and Democratic challenger Charlie Brown with 44.7%, with 85.5% of precincts reporting. Doolittle was ahead by nearly 11, 000 votes.
• The one incumbent losing his seat was Republican Richard Pombo, falling to Democrat Jerry McNerney in the 11th District.
• With 93.9% of precincts reporting on Initiatives, 1A (Transportation Fund Protection), 1B (Highway Safety), 1C (Housing Shelter Fund), 1D (School Facility Bond), 1E (Flood Disaster Bond), 83 (Sex Offender Reform), and 84 (Water Quality) were each winning. Proposition 84 is the closest of those, winning 53.8 to 46.2%, by about 450,000 votes.
• Initiatives on the losing end were 85 (Abortion Parental Notification), 86 (Cigarette tax), 87 (Energy Tax), 88 (Education Tax), 89 (Campaign Corporate Tax), and 90 (Eminent Domain). The closest of these races--not really close. 86 was losing by 300,000 votes to have majority.
• Sacramento Measures Q and R (the arena measures) failed, as Sacramento County voters told strongly to the Kings ownership group and local politicians that a new arena should be funded by the millionaire team owners, and that getting public funding for an arena in Sacramento will be an uphill battle. Q and R supporters say this loss is more a reflection on the failure to reach an agreement on specifics about an arena before election day.
• The Sacramento Metropolitan Utility District lost its bid to become the energy provider for Yolo County. The current SMUD district voted against the expansion, and Yolo county voters also were turning down SMUD's offer to replace PG&E.
• San Joaquin County experienced a number of voting problems, including late openings of some polls and computer glitches. (Is there any other kind of glitch?)
• Local transportation taxes in Madera, Tulare, and Fresno County all appeared to be headed towards approval. Kern and Merced also have local transportation proposals, as Central Valley counties seemingly all realized at the same time that if they do not tax themselves and improve their local transportation infrastructure, their tax money will be funneled through the state into Los Angeles and Bay Area traffic projects. Kern's Measure I was failing, though.
• Several Valley communities were grappling with growth. City Council races for Tracy and Redding focused on growth. Pro-Growth candidate Garamendi was losing to incumbent city mayor Ives in Tracy. Davis appeared to be approving the town's first "big box" store by allowing Target to build.

In response to the recent release of "secret negotiations" between the Maloof and the City of Sacramento, it was revealed the Maloofs have asked for the Monarchs to not be part of the agreement as far as forcing the team to stay at the new arena for the full 30 year lease if the team chose to play elsewhere. The following is an email sent from Maloof Sports and Entertainment to Monarchs fans, and then a response from the ValleyVue Editor in Chief:

Dear Daniel,

I am communicating directly with you because it is important to me to clear up the recent confusion about the Monarchs and their future in Sacramento.
In the agreement that the Maloof family successfully negotiated with the city and county this summer it was important over the course of a 30-year new arena lease to provide for all possibilities for the Monarchs.

This provision in the legal documentation of the agreement (the MOU) was only in the unlikely event that, at some time during the course of the next 30 years, the Maloof family no longer owned the Monarchs; ie, the remote possibility that the WNBA were to revert back to centralized League ownership, as the WNBA was originally conceived, and teams were to be relocated by the League.

I believe that we have all personally experienced the Maloof family's powerful commitment to the Monarchs and to bringing WNBA Championships to great fans like you. As you know, I feel very fortunate to be a part of an organization with ownership like the Maloof family, whom WNBA president Donna Orender has called the best owners in the League. I assure you the Maloof family believes in the WNBA and wants passionately to see the Monarchs continue to thrive in Sacramento.

Thank you for all of your loyal support.

Sincerely,

Danette Leighton
Vice President of Monarchs Business Operations

_________________________________________
Ms. Leighton,

If the WNBA were to "revert back to centralized league ownership", allowing the league to relocate teams as they choose, it would be a powerful tool for this region to have a contractual clause mandating the Monarchs remain in Sacramento. If that unlikely scenario were to play out, the league would be forced to deal with the people of this region to allow the movement of our team.

The Maloofs and the WNBA appear to have forgotten that the basketball fans of our region have a vested interest in the team at an equal or greater level than the owners of the team. I will be a team of the Sacramento teams long after the Maloofs decide to sell their interest. That is why I support Q and R. I will be here, and part of this town, for the rest of my life. I was born here, and I love Sacramento. I have followed the Kings since they arrived in town, and have followed the Monarchs since the WNBA began. I know this is a business, but it remains a business where teams represent cities and regions. If the Monarchs leave, they will change, and never be the same franchise again. The Kings of today will never be the same franchise as they were in their Kansas City, Omaha, Cincinnati, or Rochester days.

As a Sacramento basketball fan, I have been dismayed at how the "committed" Maloof family and franchise ownership group has been so much more interested in the teams they own rather than being more committed to this city. Without Sacramento, their properties would not be what they are today.

I still intend to vote for Q and R, mostly because it is a Sacramento initiative rather than a Maloof proposal. I support the idea of a new arena not only to keep the Kings, but because I want to see the Monarchs stay here. I am disturbed that the Maloof Sports business, which has so much to thank Sacramento for, would be as callous as to seemingly decrease the likelihood of OUR teams staying here forever.

Still a proud supporter of the Sacramento Monarchs,

Dan Borlik