How I’m voting for the environment on Nov. 7, 2006, at the state-level. Here’s how I’m voting on the propositions.
My vote for CA Insurance Commissioner: No vote, for now
What does the CA Insurance Commissioner do?: The Insurance Commissioner polices the $120 billion insurance industry, working between consumer groups and business interests.
–
Though I didn’t even vote on this position in the primaries due to horrid options, I thought I’d check out Cruz Bustamante’s platform again.
After all, Cruz has the endorsement of the Sierra Club. And right before winning in the primary, Cruz said he’d fix one of the probs I had with him; Cruz promised to return about $158,000 in fishy donations from insurance companies.
Turns out — Cruz changed his mind. Yes, he returned some of the money, but he also used some to reduce an old campaign debt.
AND the guy’s decided to accept even more money from groups that an insurance commissioner would effect, including “companies that sell home warranty policies; attorneys and healthcare providers involved in workers’ compensation cases; bail bond companies — which are regulated by the state Department of Insurance — and lawyers who represent insurance companies before the state.”
Cruz’s willingness to accept money from the very people he’d be responsible for regulating just grosses me out. And his continued decision to use his personal weight-loss efforts in his political campaign just seems nutty to me.
So I checked out the Republican candidate, Steve Poizner, a Silicon Valley entrepreneur. This guy’s been criticizing Bustamante’s fundraising tactics, and has vowed not to take money from insurance companies.
Buf of course, Steve, being a multimillionaire who can self-finance his campaign, just doesn’t need the money like Cruz does.
Steve appears to be really good friends with Arnie, who last year nominated Steve to be a member of the California Public Utilities Commission — a position Steve had to turn down, due to complications with his financial holdings. Steve served as the chair beind one of Arnie’s special election propositions, 73 — a prop which I thought was a bad idea. So I wasn’t so taken with Steve.
On to Larry Cafiero, the Green candidate. Now stuff Larry sez is just music to my ears. Sez he: “”Many people ask how regulating the insurance industry is a ‘green’ issue, and my reply is that there are many consumer and health care issues tied to the industry that are being ignored by the major parties.”
But what experience does Larry have? He’s done some work within the local Green party, but really doesn’t have govt. experience beyond that. He identifies himself as a newspaper editor — but the newspaper in question appears to be just a small, possibly self-pub’d endeavor about green issues in Cali. So small, in fact, that Larry chose not to include a link to it on his official campaign website; I really had to dig around to find it. Why not just be honest and transparant? [Update, 11/4/06: Ah! It turns out Larry's a copy desk editor for the Santa Cruz Sentinel. That and more from Larry in the comments.]
I hate to just not vote on a position — But can anyone give me a compelling reason to cast a vote for one of these boys?
 Do you need health insurance? In this day and age, it’s extremely important to have a form of medical insurance. When we least expect it, medical emergencies arise. If you do not have medical health care, sign online today. By doing your research on medical care policies, you are ensuring yourself a long and healthy life! |
I feel your pain. I just mailed in my absentee ballot with no vote on this position. I could hold my nose and vote for Angelides, but Bustamante just stinks too much.
Also, I didn’t vote on any of the judges. It’s nearly impossible to find any information on these guys!
Comment by Rafi — November 3, 2006 @ 8:19 am
Hey Rafi — Did you mean vote for the democrat (not Angelides)? I’ll do my post on the judges soon — Sad you already mailed in the ballot! :P
Comment by Siel — November 3, 2006 @ 10:26 am
Another option for insurance commissioner is Tom Condit (Pease & Freedom), but while I agree with most of his views, his anti- private insurance company views make me think that it will be difficult for him to work with them at all to find ground for compromise. It sounds more like he wants to change the laws for insurance companies rather than enforcing them. I think he’d be more appropriate for a legislative position than an executive position, but even then, his experience is negligible.
Comment by aleta — November 3, 2006 @ 10:56 am
Yeah, I voted for Angelides. I decided it was a stronger statement than a vote for Camejo.
Besides, I got my one protest vote in by voting against Feinstein. She’s an OK (not great) enviro, and pretty lousy when it comes to things like, say, Condoleeza Rice. I should have done a write-in for Barbara Lee, but instead I voted Green.
As for the judges, I spent an hour online and found out very little. The LA Times had a few unpersuasive endorsements (along with a persuasive endorsement for ending the election of judges).
Comment by Rafi — November 3, 2006 @ 1:11 pm
The Republican guy does smell like the best deal. The fact that he turned down the postion due to financial conflicts speaks for him.
So all you don’t like is one prop he backed, and the fact he’s friends with Arnie. Given the alternative, I’d vote for him. (If I voted)
Comment by Robert 'Groby' Blum — November 3, 2006 @ 4:41 pm
I can give you many compelling reasons to vote for me, although I have to wonder aloud why you weren’t more “open and transparent” in honoring the responsibility you have in presenting accurate information in your blog.
Fact: I have more than three decades of political experience, from being involved in the Florida Young Democrats in the early ’70s (I grew up in Florida) to being involved with the Green Party now. In fact, in the state’s eyes I hold the highest position in the Green Party of California, the equivalent of the state party chair in my current position as Liaison to the Secretary of State’s office for the Green Party of California. Would you say that Art Torres, the Democratic Party’s chairman, or Duf Sundheim, the GOP chair, were “inexperienced”? I didn’t think so. My past political activities have included working on two boycotts for the UFW (grapes and lettuce), various anti-nuclear and anti-war organizations and, most recently, consumer activism around medical issues and anti-DU activities. It’s not a coincidence that the Children of the Gulf War Project’s Web site at http://www.savewarchildren.org and my campaign Web site at http://www.votecafiero.com look alike — since I designed and maintain both.
Fact: I am a copy desk editor at the Santa Cruz Sentinel, a 20,000-circulation daily newspaper on the Central Coast, and I’ve been doing this since 2002. This is not a self-published newspaper, but part of a large newspaper chain. Also, I have been involved in media for nearly 30 years, both in print and broadcast venues. Incidentally, the e-zine you’ve linked to is a hobby of mine, and not my current job. Most of the media that has covered my campaign know this already — and with a little responsible research, you would have known this, too.
Fact: My experience working for newspapers gives me insights that most people don’t have, and this qualifies me to be the Insurance Commissioner. For the last few years I have been covering Sacramento and dealing with legislative issues at the Santa Cruz Sentinel as a wire editor. So while it’s true that I haven’t been lieutenant governor or I haven’t been a corporate chief (like Cruz or Steve), I have had my finger on the pulse of state government and I know its workings. Besides, all too often we send people with “experience” rather than those with fresh ideas to Sacramento, and what do you get? Politics as usual, of course.
Fact: My Web site is not hidden from anyone. In fact, if you were to Google my name — Larry Cafiero — the first item that comes up is my campaign Web site.
You ask for compelling reasons to vote for me? Fair question:
First, like all Green candidates, I don’t take corporate campaign contributions, which make me beholden only to the people of California. Incidentally, Cruz Bustamante said he’d return insurance industry money, but to date he has not done so according to campaign contribution reports filed to date.
Second, I have been a tireless advocate for consumers around health care and workers’ compensation — issues that I will continue to work on long after Election Day (and probably up until the next Insurance Commissioner’s race in 2010). As far as I’m concerned, this work doesn’t stop until it’s done.
Third, I have stood with Health Care for All and the Green Party for unequivocal and quick passage of Universal Health Care, which was overwhelmingly passed this year by the legislature (SB 840) but vetoed by the governor. Again, this is a battle I plan to take up again when it comes up when the legislature goes back to work in 2007.
Fourth, I am the only candidate that advocates a “pay-at-the-pump” auto liability insurance program which allows ALL drivers to pay their liability insurance as they drive through a surcharge on gasoline. This saves consumers roughly half the cost of their auto liability insurance because it is a pay-as-you-go system that takes the charges added for uninsured motorists away.
Fifth, I am the only candidate in the race that advocates for coverage of alternative therapies and forcing insurance companies to recognize and cover them. This ranges from acupuncture to massage therapy to coverage of prescribed medical marijuana. None of the other candidates have even brought up this issue, let alone advocating for these changes.
Last, but not least, I pledge to be a consumer advocate in the Department of Insurance, not just a rubber-stamp for the insurance industry. The insurance industry has an army of lobbyists and attorneys doing their bidding, and the people of California only have the Department of Insurance siding with them.
Thank you for the opportunity to present these compelling reason to vote for “this boy” among the others in the race.
Larry Cafiero
Green for Insurance Commissioner 2006
http://www.votecafiero.com
Comment by Larry Cafiero — November 4, 2006 @ 12:09 pm
Hey Larry — Thanks for your passionate response. To clarify, I didn’t say that your campaign website was hidden; I said that the details of where you were serving as editor was neither mentioned or linked to from your campaign website. I still contend that the details of your occupation were difficult to find online, and in fact, most media outlets have not even bothered to find out what newspaper you work for, despite your contention that they “know this already.” In retrospect, it would’ve been better for me to’ve just emailed you to ask. That said, I still don’t understand why you don’t mention this on your website.
Your involvement with the Green Party and UFW’s wonderful, but I still contend that, as even one of the groups that endorsed you put it, “he doesn’t have much pracitcal or political experience.” Of course, we could argue forever as to what one’s definition of “enough” experience might be,and of course, I’m aware that my viewpoint is a subjective one.
But certainly, some of my readers might feel differently than I, after reading your description of your work. Thanks again for sharing your thoughts.
Comment by Siel — November 4, 2006 @ 5:30 pm
Siel –
Thank you again for allowing me to share my response, and I apologize if I was a little “gruff” with my reply.
Again, the issue of “experience” is clearly subjective, and I stand by the statement that I made in my response where, especially in the political realm, so-called “experience” gets you politics-as-usual instead of innovative thinking.
Also, it’s not often that newspaper editors run for office, and the newspaper for which I work asked me not to make my place of employment an issue. Despite the fact that the profession has changed for the worse, still on the whole I am proud to be a journalist and would never try to hide that. I’ve always volunteered information about where I work when asked, and in many instances where my candidacy is portrayed on various Web sites (especially those of television stations), my employment with the Sentinel is mentioned. In fact, Michael Krasny of KQED radio in San Francisco couldn’t stop referring to me as “Larry Cafiero, news desk editor for the Santa Cruz Sentinel” (and he must have said it five times during the course of the hour-long show with four other Insurance Commissioner candidates).
I would like to hope that I have swayed your opinion in some way, but that will have to be between you and your ballot on Tuesday.
Sincerely,
Larry Cafiero
Green for Insurance Commissioner 2006
http://www.votecafiero.com
Comment by Larry Cafiero — November 4, 2006 @ 6:04 pm
Thanks for the chance to hear about Mr. Cafiero’s qualifications –although I *am* a Green, I did not have enough information about him as a candidate to justify a “party” vote, and hadn’t yet cruised his website (one nice but sometimes awkward thing about Greens, we tend to vote for ideas, and NOT along strict party lines).
As for the experience issue, I tend to agree that lack of office holding experience could be a serious issue, with one exception: A long time working journalist knows as much or more about the politics and the business of an office than most politicians. Add to that the fact that Larry is effectively Chair of one of the most diverse groups of folks around, and a significant activist, and I have to say I now know enough about him as a candidate to be impressed and hopeful. And vote for ‘em.
And that is a darn site better than choosing which lesser-evil political retread should use the commissioner’s post as a launch pad for still higher office later.
Thanks Siel (and Larry) for the info!
Roger
Comment by Roger, Gone Green — November 5, 2006 @ 8:32 am