District elections and political signs

Then there are the nasty propositions. TV has been saturated with ads for and against the two Indian gambling props — propositions 26 and 27 and more recently by ads regarding dialysis clinics. I always wait for the League of

Women Voters impartial guide and Daily Journal editorials before voting on measures. And then there is Proposition 30 which Gov. Newsom does not like.

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I have been very busy attending as many campaign events as possible. And because of district elections, there are many. But the sign award goes to Foster City where you need a guide on who’s who as signs on the public right of way are everywhere.

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I attended a so-called women’s event for Noelia Corzo, candidate for San Mateo County supervisor, District 2. It was held at the Fieldwork Beer Garden on the new section of Delaware Street in San Mateo. The beer garden’s outdoor tables and benches were filled with young families and singles at 4:30 p.m. Corzo’s event was just getting underway. The candidate seemed confident and in good spirits. And in a very nice way she suggested I be a little nicer to her candidacy. I will. For starters, I admire her pluck in waging a vigorous campaign against Belmont Councilmember Charles Stone who has a lock on major San Mateo County endorsements.

Here’s a quote from Corzo: “The overwhelming response to my campaign is that women and our allies want more than just pro-choice candidates — we want pro-choice women representing women. Nobody will champion our reproductive rights with more insight, experience and urgency than a woman who lives the impact of these decisions every day. I found the courage to run because I recognized the danger of women having zero representation in the highest elected office in our county.” (There is another woman candidate running for supervisor, in District 3: San Carlos Councilmember Laura Parmer-Lohan versus Menlo Park Councilmember Ray Mueller).

While most public officials know Stone, he is not a household name in San Mateo. He is chair of SamTrans and a major player on the Caltrain Board. He received a big boost from a letter to the editor in the Daily Journal by Joe Goethals, popular San Mateo councilmember.

Corzo is supported by San Mateo Mayor Rick Bonilla and Councilmember Amourence Lee. These two plus Goethals were considered the progressive voting block.

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There seem to be more Randi Paynter signs than those for her opponent, incumbent Ken Chin, for a seat on the San Mateo-Foster City School District Board of Trustees. Many San Mateo parents have been unhappy with the current board and are hoping for a change. She asked I make some corrections to previous column: “My tribe is the Montana Little Shell Tribe. My father was a carpenter, and both of my grandfathers worked for the smelter.”

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We are sympathetic to those who are fleeing wildfires and hurricanes. A very costly cleanup measure for the federal and state government. I don’t know why some taxpayers groups don’t sound the alarm on people building homes on the beachfront in hurricane territory or in the forests, further away from civilization. More and more firefighters are endangered as people move into forested areas and expect their homes to be protected. At the same time, there has been a building binge along the Delta with no regard to the havoc climate change can bring with warmer temperatures.

Sue Lempert is the former mayor of San Mateo. Her column runs every Monday. She can be reached at sue@smdailyjournal.com.