Creeping into the future

Two stories in the Aug. 30 Chronicle call attention to troubling developments in San Francisco's planning for the future. One is the announcement that Earthlink is backing out of the proposed contract to develop a wireless network that would enable San Franciscans to get on the Internet no matter where they were in the city. The contract has been argued about and delayed by the Board of Supervisors and others who had ideas for "better" solutions. Earthlink's financial problems sounded the death knell. No matter what the cause, this is a loss for the city. Meanwhile, the Chronicle reports that Japan is providing fast broadband connections throughout the country, providing more data at lower cost than anywhere else. Urban doctors can provide assistance to rural patients through this system which allows medical test results to be sent quickly across the country. It is worth reading about how a combination of government regulation and private enterprise has built this system and made it work. The United States is falling behind not only Japan, but also Europe in technological development. San Francisco is often thought to be a leader among tech age cities, but we had better keep our eyes on what others are doing before we lose our edge and become a backwater.

Old enough to vote?

For the past thirty years, the voting age in the United States has been 18. During the Vietnam War, it seemed to many people that people who were old enough to fight were old enough to vote, so the age was lowered from 21 to 18. Unfortunately, many young people do not take advantage of their right to participate in choosing our leaders. Turnout is lower in the 18 to 24 year age group than in others. Is the solution making the voting age even lower? Some states already allow 16-year-olds to vote in local elections, although few of these teenager choose to do so. Could high school students be encouraged to vote more often if the importance of voting was stressed in school? Or are 16-year-olds inherently too immature to make practical decisions about government? There are many different opinions, both among the teenagers and older adults, but it's an issue worth discussing. The League's mandate is to encourage more people to vote. Should that be extended by giving the franchise to a new age group? Perhaps it is time to study the possibility.

Sponsoring a bridge

The Golden Gate Bridge is turning 70 this year and, like many seniors, it is a little short of money. Drivers who use the bridge object to paying higher tolls, so the next step seems to be asking for corporate sponsorship in return for publicity. Some members of the Board of Supervisors, such as Jake McGoldrick, object strongly to this solution, claiming that the bridge should be supported by tax money. Supporters of the sponsorship idea point out that the bridge is not going to be renamed and there will not be billboards dangling from the structure. There will, however, be corporate advertising on the bridge plaza and in whatever other places can be agreed upon. The sponsors will want the public to know who is keeping this landmark in good condition. Citizens who have strong feelings about this issue should make their voices heard. Nothing has been decided yet, but the process is moving along, so let your representatives know what you think should be done.

What's happening to elections?

Almost every week, it seems, we learn of another innovation in the presidential election campaigns. The newest twist, according to the S.F. Chronicle is that MySpace and YouTube are planning a series of five forums at which candidates will answer questions and interact with a live audience. Each candidate will have a separate, hour-long session during which he or she will answer questions sent in by email, instant messaging and text messages. The audience is expected to be younger than the traditional audience for candidate debates and the questions may be quite different from those posed by an older audience or journalists. It remains to be seen whether that's the way the events will work out. Because the League has traditionally hosted candidate debates, it's especially important for our members to be aware of these innovative shows and to see whether we can take the best features of the traditional and newer forums for future elections.

More concerns about e-voting

As if we didn't have enough difficulty keeping up with voting machines in San Francisco, news from across the country raises even more concerns about e-voting. A report from Ohio says that votes case may be identified by comparing the voter's signatures with the time-dated list of votes cast. It is not clear just how much of a threat this potential loss of privacy could be, but it will be important for concerned voters to see what is done to correct the system. As we all remember, Ohio was a crucial swing state in the last presidential election and may be one again. Any threat to the integrity of Ohio ballots could affect the entire country. The League plays an important role in studying the integrity of the voting process locally and across the country. These efforts deserve our encouragement and support.

Stalled in Sacramento

As anyone who reads the newspaper or pays attention to news reports knows, the California state budget is overdue again this year. The July 1 deadline does not seem to mean much to lawmakers in Sacramento, so California citizens must wait through the weeks of summer until a compromise can be reached. Despite many important bills waiting in the legislature, everything is at a standstill. We are not at a disaster stage yet, but surely it is time for responsible citizens to complain to their representatives about the annual ritual of budget postponement. Unless they hear from us, little is likely to change. Now that we have multiple ways of contacting our reps--telephone, email, even snail mail--its time we took the responsibility of letting them know how we feel.

What about the schools?

If you are the parent of young children, you probably are aware that the results of the California Standards Test for schools have been released. The Chronicle covers the major results of these tests, listing school-by-school results for Bay area counties. San Francisco has some reason to be proud, schools in the city improved their results in all three content areas--English, Language Arts, and Science. However, reading down the list of scores for individual schools shows how widely the scores vary. In some school close to 90 percent of students are proficient, in others the numbers are below 20 percent. Everyone who lives in the city, whether they have schoolage children or not, should be concerned about these differences. The success of the city as a whole depends largely on its workforce, and unless all of our children are being well educated, we have reason to fear the future. The League has for many years worked with EdSource, a nonprofit source of information about education issues in California. It is important that members learn more about what is going on in the schools and make our voices heard in shaping education policy. Check out the website at http://www.edsource.org .

Changing elections

Many concerned citizens, as well bewildered high school students, wonder whether the complicated Electoral College system works well for organizing presidential elections. Because of this system, no matter how close the vote may be in a state, the entire bloc of state votes goes to the winner. The League, as well as other civic organizations, have called for reforms in the system, but very little has changed. In 2008, however, Californians may have a chance to vote on a ballot measure that would divide the votes by county rather than by state. Whichever candidate wins an individual county will get the electoral votes from that county. Because there are at least 20 counties in California that are majority Republican, this system would favor Republican candidates. One commentator says it would give a candidate the equivalent of winning Ohio. Will voters go for this? It is likely to be on the ballot in June 2008, so now is the time to start educating voters about how it would work.

Bay Area challenge

There is encouraging news in the Chronicle about how young people in the Bay Area are meeting environmental challenges. Building a solar house is a huge challenge for any group of engineers and students from Harvard, MIT, and other large universities are trying to design one that works. But small Santa Clara University has decided to compete with the big boys and are working on a solar house that will meet the criteria.

The contest requires each home to perform set tasks - like deliver a hot shower (15 gallons heated to 110 degrees) within 10 seconds, keep room temperature between 72 and 76 degrees, wash dishes in a dishwasher, operate a refrigerator and freezer, run a TV/video player up to six hours a day and keep a computer going at least eight hours a day. After that, the house will need enough watts to charge an electric vehicle.

The winning house will be on display in Washington D.C. as part of a "solar village". We'll all be proud if our West Coast team wins--and we'll all be winners if solar power can become a major source of energy!

Two home runs for the city

The home run Barry Bonds hit last night brought cheers and fireworks from fans. It's great to have a new record and it was a pleasure to hear Bonds talk about his gratitude toward fans and teammates. Few people, however, heard about another triumph for S.F. which would have been on the front page of the Chronicle if only the home run hadn't taken precedence. This triumph is the announcement of plans to build a new art museum for the city. Donald and Doris Fisher, founders of Gap, want to build a museum in the Presidio to house the important art collection they have built up over the years. Many of these pictures, according to the Chronicle, have never been seen by the public, and these include paintings by Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol and Gerhard Richter. San Francisco already has a vibrant art community with several first class museums. This new one will a welcome addition to the scene. We should send up a few more fireworks to celebrate the event!

Last minute decision

Voting machines and their flaws are not generally high on the list of topics for discussion among voters, but this year Secretary of State Debra Bowen has dropped a bombshell for many county election officials. After a study of voting machines used throughout the state, Bowen announced on Friday night that touch screen voting machines can no longer be used for general voting, although some people with disabilities will be allowed to use them. This means that many counties will be scrambling to find alternative ways of counting votes for the February primary election. Several counties may need to rely on hand-counting paper ballots, a process that could delay election results for weeks. In this age of instant news, waiting one day, much less a week will be irritating to many. Nonetheless, the accuracy of the vote is the most important consideration. Secretary Bowen's careful study of voting machines in the state may cause some anxious waiting, but we owe her a debt of gratitude for taking her job seriously and safeguarding the validity of our elections.

March for Health Care

Join the League of Women Voters of California, ONECARENOW and other community partners for the largest-ever health care rally at Los Angeles City Hall on August 11 at 1 p.m. to demand universal health care for all.
Make your voice heard and enjoy music, entertainment and more. Speakers include actress Lily Tomlin, Lt. Governor John Garamendi, United Farm Workers of America Activist Dolores Huerta and California State Senator Sheila Kuehl.Bring your friends and attend the rally in support of SB 840 (Kuehl). Click here for more info.

Background information on SB 840, the single payer concept, health care reform efforts in California, and the LWV position on Health Care is available on the LWVC web site.