ELECTIONS

Know Before You Vote
For the past several weeks, we've been covering the candidates and issues you'll be voting on two weeks from now. We've also been forming our own stances, which you see here today. We take our endorsements very seriously. We reached our positions after weeks of extensive research and analysis, including editorial board interviews and campaign coverage. What we did not base our stances on was political advertising; unlike those fronting slate cards, we are not tied to particular political groups. That's why we kept today's pullout, as well as our Oct.1 voter guide and our upcoming Nov. 5 post-election supplement, free from all political advertising, (though such ads are, like any other, welcome elsewhere in the publication).

We hope our endorsements help you form your own opinions. Our goal is always to bring to you all the information so you can decide for yourself how you stand. While you may not agree with some of our recommendations, we hope you'll take one to heart:

Vote Nov. 3

More Recommendations**

NATIONAL, STATE

U.S. HOUSE
David Wu (Oregon, Democrat)

U.S. SENATOR
Patsy Mink (Hawaii, Democrat)

GOVERNOR
Ben Cateyano (Hawaii, Democrat)

NATIONAL LEVEL INSIDE CA.

U.S. SENATE
Matt Fong (Republican)

U.S. CONGRESS, 5TH DIST.
Robert Matsui * (Democrat)

U.S. CONGRESS, 8TH DIST.
Nancy Pelosi * (Democrat)

U.S. CONGRESS, 12TH DIST.
Tom Lantos * (Democrat)

STATE LEVEL / CA.

GOVERNOR
Gray Davis (Democrat)

LT. GOVERNOR
Cruz Bustamante (Democrat)

SECRETARY OF STATE
Michela Alioto (Democrat)

STATE CONTROLLER
Ruben Barrales (Republican)

STATE TREASURER
Curt Pringle (Republican)

ATTORNEY GENERAL
Bill Lockyer (Democrat)

BOARD OF EQUALIZATION
John Chiang *
Tom Santos

STATE ASSEMBLY, 23RD DIST.
Mike Honda * (Democrat)

ASIAN AMERICAN ASSEMBLY CANDIDATES OUTSIDE OF BAY AREA

George Nakano, Torrance
(Democrat, 53rd Assembly Dist.)

Ben Wong, West Covina
(Democrat, 60th Assembly Dist.)

Mike Matsuda, Garden Grove
(Democrat, 68th Assembly Dist.)

SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION
Delaine Eastin *

SUPREME COURT CONFIRMATIONS
Chief Justice Ronald George *
Associate Justice Ming Chin *
Associate Justice Janice Brown *
Associate Justice Stanley Mosk *

S. F. RACES

S.F. BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
Tom Ammiano *
Gavin Newsom *
Amos Brown *
Rose Tsai

S.F. BOARD OF EDUCATION
Eddie Chin
Frank Chong *
Carlota Del Portillo

S.F. COMMUNITY COLLEGE BOARD
Bob Burton *
Andrea Shorter *
Lawrence Wong *

BART BOARD, 8TH DIST.
James Fang *(unopposed)

THE ISSUES STATE PROPOSITIONS

Proposition 1 (unopposed) YES
Property taxes

Proposition 1A YES
School bonds

Proposition 3 NO
Closed presidential primary

Proposition 4 NO
Leghold trap ban

Proposition 5 YES
Tribal gaming

Proposition 6 NO
Horse meat export ban

Proposition 7 YES
Air quality

Proposition 8 NO
Strings on class size reduction

Proposition 9 NO
Nuclear plant exemption

Proposition 10 NO
Tobacco surtax

S.F. BALLOT INITIATIVES

Proposition A--YES
Police officers' pension increase

Proposition B--NO
Mandate city customer service plan

Proposition C--YES
Credit paramedics' work at public health dept. as fire dept. time for pension calculations

Proposition D--NO
Create city Taxi Commission

Proposition E-- NO
Repeal prior Central Freeway plan

Proposition F-- NO
Affirm stadium operator tax

Proposition G --NO
Restrict owner move-in evictions

Proposition H--YES
Affirm hotel-tax surcharge

Proposition I--YES
Mandate Bay Bridge rail service

Proposition J--YES
Health coverage for uninsured

Propositions

Proposition 1A:-YES
Proposition 8:--NO
While Proposition 1A would give schools much-needed breathing room by providing $9.2 billion in construction bonds, Proposition 8 would inflict another layer of commissions and bureaucracy on schools that get money for class-size reductions. While we agree with the need to keep order-the reason behind Prop. 8-we're not sure Gov. Pete Wilson's idea for a chief schools inspector and assorted underlings would best accomplish that goal.

Proposition 3:--NO
This measure would exempt presidential election primaries from open primary law. Isn't the presidential primary a big reason why Californians adopted an open primary in the first place?

Propositions 4 and 6:--NO
Both proposals would not necesssarily protect the more endangered animals or the more evolved ones-just the ones that proponents deem "cute." Proposition 4, which bans the use of steel-jaw leghold traps and certain poisons to catch mammals, would allow non-native species like the red fox to proliferate, further endangering already imperiled species like the clapper rail. Moreover, proponents' argument that such traps are inhumane seems hollow in light of their exemption of mousetraps from the ban-but then, rats and mice, while intelligent, aren't as cuddly as Bambi.

Proposition 6, the proposal to prohibit the slaughter of horses for human consumption or for export, seems an even more arbitrary infringement on buyers' and sellers' rights. Proponents have cited no explanation for why they don't target the far larger pet-food market-a puzzling inconsistency. While we don't know any horse-meat fanciers (it's more a European than an Asian thing), we do think that if it's OK to eat other livestock (cows, pigs, chickens) it should be OK for you, as well as your dog, to eat horses.

Proposition 5:-YES
Across the country, tribal casinos have revitalized long-impoverished communities. To stay competitive, they need to be able to offer what most patrons are looking for: slot machines and banked card games. Like the Japanese American Citizens League, we believe Proposition 5 falls well within the goal of self-empowerment for tribes.

Proposition 9:-NO
While we don't relish helping utilities pay for nuclear power, we like even less the idea of dismantling California's laboriously crafted electricity deregulation plan. Any short-term tax savings would be quickly overcome by an avalanche of lawsuits, triggering higher costs for local governments and ultimately, for us.

Proposition 10:-NO
While funding early childhood development programs is good, relying on an additional 50 cent-per-pack tax to pay for them is bad. Rather than raising money, Proposition 10 might create a new interstate opportunity for smugglers-who have for years easily gotten cigarettes from the United States into Canada, where taxes are higher. Moreover, Prop. 10 would create an unhealthy co-dependency in which worthy programs are kept alive by a bad habit that kills millions of people each year. If smokers stop smoking, the funding will stop coming unless Californians turn to more stable funding sources. If the programs are as worthwhile as proponents say, the state needs to take that step now.

Our S.F. Views
Props. A & C:-YES
City police and firefighters put their lives on the line-and when they retire, a decent pension is the least they deserve. Both Proposition A, which would increase pension benefits for police officers hired after 1976, and Proposition C, which would credit paramedics' work in the Public Health Department as Fire Department time, are worthy of our money and our votes.

Proposition D: -NO
If you're downtown or at the airport, getting a cab is too easy-and if you're not, finding one is mighty difficult, even if you're privy to the insider phone numbers. However, we don't agree with Supervisor Gavin Newsom that the taxi commission that he hopes voters will create is the best vehicle to investigate solutions.

Proposition F:-NO
Proposition H:-YES
Proposition H asks us to reaffirm a 2 percent surcharge on hotel taxes paid mostly by out-of-towners. Proposition F, on the other hand, would continue the stadium surcharge, which comes from residents' pockets-and there's no set agenda for it after 2001.

Proposition E:-NO
Proposition E would repeal last year's Prop. H, which mandates rebuilding parts of the Central Freeway damaged in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. The 1997 Prop. H victory signified the emergence of the largely Chinese American, moderate San Francisco Neighbors Association-but that's not why we're against this year's Prop. E. First, we can't agree that Prop. E's plan for an elevated freeway and boulevard is better than rebuilding the freeway the way it was. And second, the voters have already spoken. As Supervisor Mabel Teng pointed out in an AsianWeek editorial board meeting: "What's next? The 'H' side will come back with a Prop. I, and the other side with a Prop. M ... and where does it end?"

Proposition G:-NO
This initiative aims not at large, multi-complex landlords, but at San Francisco's smaller property owners-many of whom are Asian American. If Prop. G passes, people who bought, say, a three-flat building would be able to reclaim only one unit (even if three families bought in).

Yes, we do have a housing crisis in San Francisco, but the answer is not to put the burden on the backs of those who have long dreamed of owning a home in this country, and have worked untold hours and sacrificed countless vacations and meals out to achieve that goal. Even if Prop. G passes, the debate won't end-it'll most likely end up in court, eating up precious dollars and time.

Proposition I:-YES
This nonbinding proposal, if passed, could move Bay Bridge retrofitters toward including rail service in their plans. Adding more ways to cross the bridge means taking the pressure off other transportation modes-which means we'll all get across it faster.

Proposition J:-YES
This nonbinding measure, which calls for using the city's clout to secure health care for uninsured residents, sends a clear signal that San Franciscans support helping those who desperately need medical care and those who might lose it, like Laguna Honda's residents.

Candidates within Ca.

Matt Fong
Republican, California
If he unseats incumbent Barbara Boxer, Fong, the state treasurer, will become the first Chinese American Republican elected to the U.S. Senate. While we don't doubt Boxer's commitment to minorities and children, we aren't satisfied with how things have gone over the past six years. Fong shows a willingness to try whatever might work-including charter schools and vouchers. In lieu of affirmative action, he suggests "affirmative opportunities" such as tax credits and small-business loans.

U.S. HOUSE
Robert Matsui *
Democrat, California
The veteran legislator has served Sacramento well for 20 years, serving as a voice on issues ranging from children's health coverage to software development to free trade.

GOVERNOR
Gray Davis
Democrat, California
As lieutenant governor and former Gov. Jerry Brown's chief of staff, Gray Davis has consistently stood up for the rights of Asian Americans. He promises to put reparations for Filipino World War II veterans high on his list.

LT. GOVERNOR
Cruz Bustamante
Democrat, California

CALIFORNIA SUPREME COURT
Ming Chin *
Ronald George *
Janice Rogers *
Stanley Mosk *
Chin, 56, and George, 58, face serious opposition from abortion foes because the two voted to overturn California's parental consent law. But voters should keep in mind their full record.

BOARD OF EQUALIZATION
John Chiang, * Democrat
Tom Santos, Democrat
Chiang, a tax lawyer appointed to the board last year, has been instrumental in implementing tax education seminars in Chinese and Spanish for small-business owners.

STATE SENATE
District 8 - San Mateo
Jackie Speier, Democrat

STATE ASSEMBLY
Districts 12 and 13-S.F.
Kevin Shelley, * Democrat
Carole Migden, * Democrat
Both former S.F. supervisors have risen to prominence: Shelley as floor leader and Migden as Appropriations Committee chief.

District 23 - San Jose
Mike Honda, * Democrat
The former Santa Clara County supervisor has tirelessly worked on behalf of Asian Americans since being elected. This year, he helped divert calls for an export ban on turtles and frogs. He also drafted a $1 million bill to ensure that the Japanese American internment remains an acknowledged part of American history.

District 58-Torrance
George Nakano

District 60-West Covina
Ben Wong

Distirct 68-Garden Grove
Mike Matsuda
Of the Southern California candidates, Wong, Nakano and Matsuda appear to be on the surest footing. Wong, former West Covina mayor pro tem and councilman, has pushed to create jobs through city programs. Matsuda, a teacher by trade, is a much needed voice for lower-income Asian Americans, stressing the fact that many of them have limited access to the state's public universities. Like Matsuda, Torrance Councilman Nakano also sees education as a top priority.

SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION
Delaine Eastin *

SECRETARY OF STATE
Michela Alioto, Democrat
Alioto, a former congressional candidate, is up for trying some promising solutions to increase voter participation, like online voting, multi-day elections and same-day polling place registration. Though she hasn't ever been elected to statewide office, Alioto says the leadership skills she acquired in 1992 as part of Vice President Al Gore's domestic policy team will easily carry over.

CONTROLLER
Ruben Barrales, Republican

TREASURER
Curt Pringle, Republican
As a San Mateo County supervisor in 1992 and 1996, Barrales focused on fiscal issues and set a 4 percent debt cap for the county. Pringle, 38, the former Assembly speaker, pushed successful income tax-cuts plan, which saved Californians nearly $1 billion.

U.S.-level candidates outside ca.
U.S. Senate

Daniel Inouye *
Democrat, Hawaii
Seeking his seventh term next month, Inouye, 74, has been on Capitol Hill since 1959-as long as Hawaii has been a state. He served in the 1970s on the Senate Watergate Committee and in 1995 introduced legislation on behalf of Filipino World War II veterans.

U.S. HOUSE
Patsy Mink *
Democrat, Hawaii
Seeking her sixth term, U.S. Rep. Mink has diligently fought for Asian Americans, including pushing for Bill Lann Lee as U.S. attorney general of the Justice Department's civil rights division.

David Wu
Democrat, Oregon
If elected, first-time contender Wu, 43, would be the first U.S. representative born in China. An attorney by trade, Wu says he turned to politics largely to improve education. His campaign has earned support from Gary Locke, Washington state's first Chinese American governor.

Robert Underwood *
Democrat, Guam

Eni Faleomauvega *
Democrat, Amer. Samoa
Underwood and Faleomauvega cannot vote as territory delegates, but they have made sure the concerns of Guam and American Samoa-especially Guamanians' fight to reclaim their land-are heard.

GOVERNOR
Benjamin Cayetano *
Democrat, Hawaii
While he's been blamed for the poor economy, the turmoil stems from the Asian economic downturn and defense cutbacks-both factors beyond his control. And with the state now appearing to be coming out of hard times, Cayetano, 58 and the first Filipino American governor, should be given the chance to see his efforts through.

LT. GOVERNOR
Mazie Hirono *
Democrat, Hawaii
When Hirono, 50, assumed her post in 1994, she became the first Asian immigrant woman elected to statewide office. She, like Cayetano, has focused on turning the economy around.

San Francisco

Rose Tsai
The San Francisco Neighbors Association director, a housewife and radio show host, continues to fight for causes that impact the daily lives of Asian Americans in the city. She would be a strong addition to the board.

Gavin Newsom*
Tom Ammiano*
Amos Brown*
All three incumbents have brought strengths to the board. Ammiano strikes a chord across a diverse swath of residents, and Newsom has striven to distinguish himself as a business-minded, independent lawmaker. Brown, meanwhile, brings civil rights experience.

S.F. SCHOOL BOARD

Eddie Chin
The 20-year educator wants to see more tutoring and mentoring after school and more parents becoming involved. He would push for a "rights and responsibilities workshop" on parent-teacher communication. "Schools aren't always nice to parents - in particular, parents with language barriers," he says.

Frank Chong *
Appointed this summer by Mayor Willie Brown, Chong has backed Newcomer High School and has supported other pro-Asian American efforts, including the effort to rename an elementary school for late Supervisor Gordon Lau. As dean of student affairs at City College of San Francisco, Chong helped more high schoolers take classes there.

Carlota Del Portillo *

S.F. COMMUNITY COLLEGE BOARD

Lawrence Wong*
During his tenure on the board of trustees, Lawrence Wong has pushed to expand English as a Second Language and to develop welfare-to-work programs and racial sensitivity workshops. Among his list of most recent accomplishments is the plan for a new City College Chinatown/North Beach campus, set to open in five years.

Bob Burton,* Andrea Shorter*
Both incumbents have served the board well, with Shorter having also helped develop programs to bring people up, including a family resource center. She also backed the new City College Chinatown/North Beach campus.

* incumbents
** incomplete list

Politics Down South

Torrance Councilman George Nakano is vying with GOP rival Bill Eggers for Debra Bowen's seat in the 53rd District, which covers much of L.A. County's southern coast. Nakano focuses on education, emphasizing his view that higher teacher salaries are key to getting and keeping top people.

With 14 years on the City Council, Nakano is a political veteran. He's also a military one: A decade after being detained with his family in an Japanese American internment camp, Nakano served six years with the California Air National Guard. He was discharged in 1960.

Since then, the longtime councilman has come to be seen as a moderate-his victory over six other Democrats in this June's open primary came in part because of GOP crossover votes. But his opponent may share a similar advantage: Though Eggers has worked with the conservative Heritage Foundation, he sees himself as more Libertarian, supporting abortion rights and strong environmental protections.

In nearby District 68, where 39 percent of voters are Democrat and 43 percent are Republican, educator Mike Matsuda is in a tough campaign fight against Garden Grove Councilman Ken Maddox-the handpicked successor to GOP Assemblyman Curt Pringle, who's running for state treasurer.

Like Nakano, Matsuda has made education a top priority. As he points out, "Our K-12 has steeply declined over the years and our U.C.-CSU system is becoming inaccessible to many lower-income Asian Americans." The solution, as he sees it, starts with stopping further tuition increases at the state's public universities.

The nearby 60th District is where West Covina City Councilman Ben Wong faces a formidable challenge against Walnut City Council member Robert Pacheco. The district is marginally Democratic-43 percent Democrat to 40 percent Republican. Though he's the Democrat, Wong faces a harsh challenge: his opponent has put some $200,000 of his own money into the race. Both have crossover appeal, but Pacheco, a Latino, may have more because of the many working and middle-class Latinos that have moved into the district in recent years.

Still, Wong says he's not too worried-ironically citing the presence on the ballot of GOP U.S. Senate candidate Matt Fong, who lives in a nearby district. "We expect a little higher turnout among Asian voters ... and I think it will benefit both me and Matt Fong," Wong said. "Now I sense among Asian and Pacific Islanders that there is such a dearth of candidates and opportunities for Asian Americans to run for office, that oftentimes the community will support them with less regard for party loyalty and less regard for party issues, because there is a sense that there is an empowerment void that needs to be filled." Latinos, he speculated, might be more inclined to follow party lines.

While on the council (including a stint as mayor pro tem from 1993 to 1994), Wong has focused on stimulating the local economy and creating jobs through citywide economic development programs. Like Matsuda and Nakano, he, too, favors more emphasis on education.

He also wants to make it easier for limited-English speakers to vote, pointing out: "We have the ability for those with disabilities to be put on permanent absentee status, but we don't have the same capability for those with language barriers. If we're going to encourage greater participation in electoral process, we must have this."

The two Republican candidates in Southern California, Paul Jhin of Malibu and

Andrew Kim of Los Angeles, are dark horses. Jhin, a director of a senior citizens' job training center in Los Angeles County, is up against popular Democrat Sheila Kuehl, but he says his patriotism, forged largely as a young interpreter on the Korean War battle lines almost 50 years ago, compels him run-to try to give something back to his "adopted country." (He became a citizen in 1964.) Though he's served on an impressive number of federal commissions and has five college degrees, he's unlikely to best Kuehl, a lesbian widely regarded in the Assembly for building coalitions.

Kim faces a similarly difficult fight against Democratic incumbent Gil Cedillo in a district that is 65 percent Democrat and only 17 percent Republican. Moreover, Cedillo, a Latino, is well ensconced in the Assembly and has close ties with Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa.

The only APA Assembly shoo-in this November is in Northern California-where incumbent Democrat Mike Honda of San Jose faces another Asian American, Patrick DuLong, for the 23rd Assembly seat. As the incumbent in a district that is 57 percent Democrat and only 23 percent Republican, Honda expects an easy win-and in fact has been spending much of the campaign season helping less-sanguine Democrats.

Outside of the Assembly races, Democratic appointee John Chiang of Beverly Hills appears poised to retain his seat on the Board of Equalization, which oversees the state's taxation. Chiang was appointed to fill a vacancy left by Brad Sherman, who won his bid for U.S. Congress in 1996.

It's Up to You

Moreover, our responsibility as citizens doesn't end on Election Day. With the 2000 Census drawing near, district profiles will likely change because of redistricting. New voting blocs will emerge. New solidly Asian and Pacific Islander districts are likely to emerge. Whoever wins must not be allowed to sit placidly on their laurels but must work quickly to put in place innovative plans that address the needs of an increasingly diverse state and nation.

In their campaigns, both U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer and GOP challenger Matt Fong have taken pains to demonstrate their commitment to Asian Americans, as seen in their recent visits to San Francisco Chinatown. This fall, the GOP opened a Chinatown headquarters to boost Fong and gubernatorial candidate Dan Lungren, and Filipino American Democrats threw a San Francisco fundraiser that brought in $35,000 for Lungren's rival, Gray Davis.

Empowerment can only come if we can and do exercise our right to vote, and those eligible have no excuse not to do so. If you can't show up at the polls, fill out an absentee ballot application and return it by 5 p.m. Oct. 27 to Department of Elections, 633 Folsom St., Room 109, San Francisco, 94107. Call 415-554-4375 for more information or 415-554-4399 to request an absentee ballot.

Our democracy works only when citizens vote. Make sure you count on Nov. 3.

Our Election Coverage Team

President:
James Fang

Editor:
Margaret Suh

Issues/Candidates Research and Complilation:
Julie Soo, Stacy Lavilla, Stephanie Green

Copy Editing:
Stephanie Green

Design and Color:
Rigel Juratovac, Bernadette Tesoro

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