Mike Rotkin reviews the outcome of the national midterm elections and finds muted, but real, reasons for a happy holiday season. The midterms turned out well for Democrats — putting off what he describes as “the terrifying prospect of a House of Representatives controlled by a supermajority of election and climate change deniers, gun fanatics and anti-feminist, LGBTQ+ bashers.” But losing the House will have consequences, and the tight races in many states don’t bode well for the future, he writes.
Election Op-Eds
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Santa Cruz elections turned out well for pragmatic progressives
Mike Rotkin explains why he felt better coming out of Santa Cruz’s November 2022 elections than he did going into them. Most of the candidates he supported won, with the exception of Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson in the District 3 county supervisor race. But, he writes, he feels good about Justin Cummings as a leader and about his “evolving politics.”
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
The election is over: Let’s put differences behind us and work together
Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson narrowly lost the race for District 3 Santa Cruz County Supervisor and is still reeling from the negativity and personal attacks that characterized the November contest. But, she insists, it’s time to put the hurt behind and do the work she cares about most: making our community better. Here, she outlines some of what’s needed from our public servants as she prepares for another year on the Santa Cruz City Council.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Hey Santa Cruz, let’s take a break from writing political measures and jump into each others’ bathtubs
Recent ballot measures have pitted neighbor against Santa Cruz neighbor with totally unnecessary political vitriol and expense, former mayor and outgoing county supervisor Ryan Coonerty writes. It’s no fun to take a metaphorical bath with people you disagree with, but it’s an absolutely necessary, perspective-broadening step that leads to greater understanding on all sides.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Phil Rodriguez is unfit as a school board trustee in the Soquel Union Elementary School district
Phil Rodriguez was unfairly reelected to the Soquel Union Elementary School district board, argues Chris Amsden, a parent of four kids who attended district schools. Rodriguez neglected to tell Lookout and voters he had resigned his seat. That led his challenger, Justin Maffia, to believe he was running in an uncontested race. Amsden believes Rodriguez is not fit to serve and not a good model for children.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Election Reaction: Let’s take back our progressive identity — real progressives advocate for change
Community activist, longtime resident and Democratic fundraiser Debra Feldstein is tired of the way the word “progressive” gets batted about in Santa Cruz County. She says a coalition of activists and politicians has claimed the progressive identity for themselves and “act as though they are the guiding force for change and the keepers of community justice.” In fact, she writes, “they are not pushing for real change.”
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Election Reaction: Peggy Flynn says students ‘do right’ by democracy and Stevenson College
Democratic Party activist Peggy Flynn spent Election Day helping at the polls at UC Santa Cruz and was amazed by the turnout — and the enthusiasm of young voters. Unfortunately, she writes, some students arrived too late to vote. She thinks local election officials could have done a better job of informing students and the community about voting opportunities before Election Day.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Election Reaction: Ami Chen Mills says progressives need to get organized
Ami Chen Mills laments that progressive candidates did not fare better in elections on Nov. 8. The votes are still being tallied, but she finds it sad that Santa Cruzans “could not find it in their hearts” to elect Hector Marin, a young, progressive Latino. She also questions “the overwhelming firepower” of Santa Cruz Together and begs progressives to get better organized on the fundraising front.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
I support Measure O’s long game: Keeping downtown city-owned lots for affordable housing
Josh Brahinsky is a friend and UC Santa Cruz colleague of Lookout columnist and former Santa Cruz mayor Mike Rotkin. He supports Measure O, while Rotkin opposes it. In this Community Voices op-ed, Brahinsky explains his decision and focuses on our community’s dire need for affordable housing.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Our mostly white and wealthy community should stop patting its own back for its ‘diversity’ and ‘liberalism’
Ami Chen Mills and Lynda Marín disagree with Lookout’s endorsements and insist we need more emphasis on diversity. They say the Santa Cruz community needs to do more to elevate progressive voices and openly discuss “issues of class, wealth, poverty and the forces of gentrification that create a homogenous, increasingly wealthy and, therefore, mostly white society.”