Elections Have Consequences!
Elections have consequences! Those of us who vote in Mono County have some important election decisions to make and have a lot to think about. And I am not even going to address local (Mammoth) elections here.
Mono County is in a new Congressional District, CD 03, which was created as a result of redistricting. I know that some of you were instrumental in getting the Redistricting Commission to see the importance of creating an Eastern Sierra District, which is what CD 03 now is. It spans Inyo County in the south, north through Mono and Alpine, and all of Placer, Nevada, Plumas and Sierra Counties, as well as parts of Sacramento (Folsom and Orangevale), Eastern Yuba, and Eastern El Dorado Counties. While this is a huge expanse -- it is over 600 miles – we have many, things in common including a reliance on tourism, small businesses, love of the outdoors and protecting the environment. We all face threats from wildfires and drought, and with that, concerns about how to ensure our homes.
We also face a stark choice in our candidates. Dr. Kermit Jones is the candidate running on the Democratic ticket. He has been endorsed by the State Democratic party (and our Mono County Democratic Committee), as well as Planned Parenthood, NARAL Pro-choice America, SEIU California, Vote Vets, and California Labor Federation, to name but a few. He is a practicing physician and also a Navy veteran who served two tours in Iraq as a flight surgeon. And another point that is important to note, he came to our area in May, where he spent time in both Mammoth and Bishop, and is returning again in October. In short, not only does he have the qualifications to represent us, he actually wants to know us and what is important to us. Check out his website https:// www.kermitjonesforcongress. com/.
His opponent is Republican Assemblyman Kevin Kiley. Kiley has represented the 6th AD since 2016, an area composed primarily of areas around Sacramento, where he is based. The first two endorsements listed on his website are former President Donald Trump and former Governor Pete Wilson. His website claims that “Our constitutional and limited government and our personal freedoms are under attack from self-described progressives pushing massive tax hikes and radical policies. I am fighting to turn back the tide and restore our freedoms.” However, note that that does not mean a woman’s right to ensure her freedom and autonomy over her body. He made one visit to Bishop prior to the primary, and only after the press detailed Dr. Kermit’s visit earlier to the area. According to the Republican Party in Inyo County, they were not aware of any plan he might have to return to this area before the general election. This is his website: https://electkevinkiley.com/.
Then we have the race for our new State Senate District 4. This one is strange because coming out of the jungle primary it pits Democrat Tim Robertson against alleged Democrat Marie Alvarado-gil. And I use the word “alleged” here because her positions are more consistent with Republican than Democratic positions. Robertson, who has visited our area twice, once before the primary and then again early in September, has been endorsed by the California State Party as well as the Mono County Dems. He has also been endorsed by Planned Parenthood, the Sierra Club, the California Teachers Association, California Professional Firefighters and others. His background is in labor organizing, and he has a commitment to protecting workers rights. And when he came to our area, he learned a lot about some of the issues we are facing, including the lack of affordable housing, as well as issues about the environment, drought, wildfire, etc. Check out his website https:// robertsonforsenate.com/.
His opponent is Marie Alvarado-gil, who is based in Amador County. Although her website originally said that she would visit all 13 counties in this huge district, that has since been removed. She did participate in Mammoth Voices on September 22, which was revealing. For example, in response to a question about climate change, she noted that she did not agree with using climate change “as an excuse…” [for issues pertaining to the environment]. Her response to a question about how she would facilitate communication across this vast district, given the fact that she has not been here as a candidate, was to say that she is open to an invitation to visit. In addition, an earlier version of her website, in which she mentioned her opposition to federal funding for abortion (i.e., Planned Parenthood) has been removed. In other words, it is difficult to find out what some of her positions are since they seem to change. Her website talked about the need to “represent our values,” but in a district as large as this one, which runs north-south from Inyo to Placer counties, and crosses the Sierras as far west as Stanislaus County, it is difficult to know whose values those are, as the concerns we might have differ greatly from other counties in the district. Her website is https://www.votealvaradogil. com/meet_marie.
The choice for State Senate candidates is very real. Don’t be fooled into thinking that because they are both labeled “Democrat” it doesn’t matter which one you vote for, or that you do not have to vote at all. Rather, before you vote compare their positions and ask which one best represents OUR values.
Elections do have consequences and every vote counts, especially now, when the balance of the Congress is at stake and so are many of the values we care about here at home in California. To me, the choices are clear!