While Arnold Schwarzenegger and Arianna Huffington were
comparing tax returns on the nationally televised Sept. 24 debate,
ideas for political change were flowing from community halls and
conference rooms across California where lesser-known candidates in
the race shared their visions through speeches and
presentations.
Away from the public eye, these gubernatorial candidates worked
to get their new ““ or not so new ““ ideas out to
friends, colleagues, constituents and anyone willing to listen.
Even though capturing office was likely a lost cause, most of
the 135 candidates will take away some satisfaction from having
spoken their piece about the state of Californian politics.
Among these candidates is UCLA graduate and civil rights
attorney John Burton, who ran to propose socialist policies for
solving state problems.
Burton advocated a political movement for working families and
students that would be built separate from established parties to
assert human needs over corporate demands.
After wrapping up his campaign Sunday with a well-attended
public meeting in downtown Los Angeles, Burton feels satisfied that
he has accomplished his goal of bringing voter attention to his
ideas.
“People would approach me and say, “˜That’s
exactly what I’ve been thinking,’ after I made
speeches,” he said.
Burton’s platform included increased spending on health,
the environment and education, and tax increases for the wealthy
and large corporations.
A positive side of the recall election is the diversity of
political opinions expressed, with every reform proposed by a
candidate having a corresponding response.
While Burton supports greater distribution of wealth, television
developer and businessman Logan Darrow Clements campaigned for the
exact opposite:Â minimal government intervention in the affairs
of citizens.
“I don’t think it is fair for the government to
redistribute income ““Â it’s no different than
someone robbing you at gunpoint and giving your money to a homeless
man,” he said.
Lower profile candidates may have produced more specific answers
to the state’s economic problems than front-runners shadowed
day and night by the media.
Jon Zellhoefer, also a UCLA graduate and an energy consultant
from Santa Clara, put forward his solution to the lack of jobs in
California: the creation of an industrial zone along the Oregon,
Arizona and Nevada state borders to provide competitive
environments to attract businesses.
“This would counteract anything neighboring states
do,” Zellhoefer said. “Let’s say Arizona has no
income tax, then for these zones there would be tax breaks to avoid
competing states stealing away our best and brightest.”
UC Berkeley graduate Christopher Sproul’s background as an
environmental attorney provided significant drive behind his
policies, including his desire to overhaul the state legal system
to allow citizen suits.
“Right now, California has great legal framework to
protect the environment, but there is no enforcement,” he
said. “With citizen suits for state laws, there will be less
strain on state resources.”
Sproul also plans to use his campaign for governor as a
springboard for future attempts to gain public office
““Â a common goal among those who ran for experience.
“I wouldn’t have had this intensive training course
otherwise,” said businessman and UCLA graduate Michael
Jackson.
“I’ve been going around meeting constituents and
getting people energized and registered to vote,” he
added.