With the mid term elections fast approaching, it’s time to seriously think about how we will all be voting. Right now, anyone who was going to register has, and filled absentee ballots are already being sent into local offices for counting.

This guide features Patient’s Care Collective’s endorsements for the November 2nd Mid-term Elections, 2010. Using the SF Guardian voter guide, who’s political stance I trust more than any other publication, and our own research, we’ve compiled a list of who we recommend you vote for!

State Races:

Governor - Edmund G Brown.

We have some issues with Jerry Brown. On the other hand, Brown is at least part of the reality-based community. He understands that further tax cuts for the rich won’t solve California’s problems. He knows that climate change is real. He’s not great on immigration issues, but at least he’s cognizant that 2 million undocumented immigrants live in California — and the state can’t just arrest and deport them all.

On medical marijuana issues in the past, he’s been supportive of legislature to help patients gain safe access to medical cannabis. Although he has said he opposes the passage of Prop 19, it’s seems to be based on a backwards understanding of how prohibition actually works. It would have helped his campaign immensely if he had come out in support of the legalization Prop. Opposing it hasn’t helped him avoid Meg Whitman’s accusations of him being soft on crime and in doing so he’s offended a whole cross-section of young, liberal voters. Regardless, he will be the more favorable candidate as Governor.

Whitman is more than a conservative Republican. She’s scary. The centerpiece of her economic platform calls for laying off 40,000 state employees — thereby greatly increasing the state’s unemployment rate and sinking California’s welfare system. Her tax plan would increase the state’s deficit by another $5 billion just so that a tiny number of the richest taxpayers (including her) can keep more of their money. Oh yeah, she’s part of the nativist movement that wants to close the borders too. Crazy lady! We say, no thanks!

Although it’s tempting to vote for a Green Party or Independent candidate on principals, remember you are essentially just decreasing the Democratic position and helping the Republicans win. This is a critically important election for California. Vote for Jerry Brown.

Attorney General - Kamala Harris (HUGELY important to California medical marijuana patients)

This is going to be close, but it’s another crystal clear choice. Kamala Harris has been praised by her colleagues as running a professional and innovative office but has been criticized by SFPD based on failure to prosecute in some cases. Harris has been officially endorsed by President Obama (who was just in the Bay Area for fundraising for her campaign); and she’s fairly progressive on most issues. Steve Cooley on the other hand, has sent more to prison or death as Los Angeles DA than any District Attorney before him, I’m not sure if that qualifies him as a “better prosecutor” as reported by the East Bay Express… Of the two, we’d rather Kamala any day. Although she says she opposes Prop 19, she has sworn to protect legal medical marijuana patients from interference.

Los Angeles D.A. Steve Cooley, is extremely bad news. He’s a big proponent of the death penalty and has a long history of busting perfectly legal, Southern California medical marijuana dispensaries. His record on women’s issues is spotty at best with discrimination issues arising in his own office. Recently it was reported that Cooley accepted $13,000 for his attorney general’s election campaign from an oil company while his office was prosecuting the firm for violating state environmental laws. Say NO to corrupt Cooley. See our own blog for more information on this important race, Not Cooley here.

Please, please vote for Kamala Harris!

State Assembly - District 13 - Tom Ammiano

Ammiano’s a part of San Francisco history, and without his leadership as a supervisor, they might not have a progressive majority on their Board of Supervisors. He was the author of the rainy day fund, which has kept the public schools from massive layoffs over the past couple of years and the Healthy San Francisco plan.

In Sacramento, he’s been a leader in the effort to legalize (and tax) marijuana and to demand accountability for the BART Police. He’s taken on the unpleasant but critical task of chairing the Public Safety Committee and killing the worst of the right-wing crime bills before they get to the floor. He has four more years in Sacramento, and we expect to see a lot more solid progressive legislation coming out of his office.

We enthusiastically endorse him for reelection.

State Measures:

Prop 19 - Yes Yes Yes!

The most surprising thing about Prop. 19 is how it has divided those who say they support the legalization of marijuana. Critics within the cannabis community say decriminalization should occur at the federal level or with uniform statewide standards rather that letting cities and counties set their own regulations, as the measure does. Sure, fully legalizing marijuana across the board and regulating its use like a safer alcohol would be better — but that’s just not going to happen anytime soon.

As we learned with the legalization of marijuana for medical uses through Prop. 215 in 1996, there are still regional differences in the acceptance of marijuana, almost fifteen years on. Prop 19 allows cities and counties be allowed to treat its recreational use differently based on local opinion and values. San Francisco may want full-blown Amsterdam-style hash bars while Fresno would prefer far more limited distribution options — and that’s fine.

Other opponents from within marijuana movement are simply worried about losing market share or triggering federal scrutiny of a system that seems to be working well for many. Those are valid, but selfish reasons to oppose the long-overdue next step in legalizing adult use of cannabis, a step we need to take even if there is some uncertainty about what comes next. By continuing with prohibition Californians and their demand for cannabis are empowering the Mexican drug cartels and their violence and political corruption; perpetuating a drug war mentality that is ruining lives, wasting resources, and corrupting police agencies that share in the take from drug-related property seizures; and depriving state and local governments of tax revenue from the California’s number one cash crop.

Bottom line: if there are small problems with this measure, they can be corrected with state legislation that Assembly member Tom Ammiano has already pledged to carry and that Prop. 19 explicitly allows.

This is the moment and the measure we need to seize to continue making progress in our approach to marijuana in California. Vote yes on Prop. 19.

More info on Prop 19, the law and how it will affect medical cannabis patients, see our blog, Vote on Prop 19

Prop 20 - Congressional District Reapportionment - No

Prop 21 - Vehicle License Fee for Parks - Yes

Prop 22 - Local Redevelopment Funds - No

Prop 23 - Suspending Air Pollution Control Laws - No No No!

Assembly Bill 32, California’s Global Warming Solutions Act, imposes enforceable limits on greenhouse gas emissions by 2012 — and now, Big Oil is drilling deep into its pockets in an effort to blow up those limits. Prop. 23 would reverse a hard-fought victory by suspending AB32 until unemployment drops to 5.5 percent for four consecutive quarters — not likely to happen anytime soon and in truly sleazy fashion, proponents have dubbed Prop. 23 the “California jobs initiative.” AB32 encourages investment in green technology, which is probably California’s best future economic hope. Vote no on Prop 23.

Prop 24 - Business Taxes - Yes

Prop 25 - Simple Majority Budget Passage - Yes Yes Yes!

Prop. 25 would be a step toward ending the budget madness that defines California politics every year. It would allow the state Legislature to pass a budget and budget-related legislation can be passed with a simple majority vote. It’s not a full solution but at least it will help end the gridlock caused by a small number of Republicans. Vote yes.

Prop 26 - Two-Thirds Vote For Fees - No No No!

Prop. 26 would require a two-thirds supermajority vote in the Legislature and at the ballot box in local communities to pass fees, levies, charges and tax revenue allocations that under existing rules can be enacted by a simple majority vote

Prop. 27 - Eliminating Redistricting Commission - Yes

East Bay Endorsements:

Berkeley City Council:

- District 1 - Linda Maio

- District 4 - Jesse Arreguin

- District 7 - Kriss Worthington

- District 8 - Stewart Jones

Berkeley Rent Board:

ASA DODWORTH, LISA STEPHENS, JESSE TOWNLEY, PAM WEBSTER, DAVE BLAKE, KATHERINE HARR.

Berkeley Measures:

Measure S - Cannabis Tax - No No No!

Measure S drastically raises the tax on your medicine by 5% and we believe taxing your medicine is not the best way for Berkeley to collect extra revenue. California does not usually tax medicine but medical marijuana has been taxed since 2008. An additional tax is counter-productive to what model Berkeley City Council say they want for dispensaries i.e. affordable. The staff here at PCC has already taken a significant pay cut to prepare for this tax hike. There will be no argument against Measure S on the ballot form, Berkeley City Council declined to accept the opposing argument. Please also read about this Measure in our own blog, Protect safe an affordable medicine in Berkeley, Vote No on Measure S and Measure T.

Measure T - Cannabis Permits - No No No!

It’s not the additional permits that we have a problem with. It’s the abolition of the Measure JJ appointed Medical Marijuana Commission and the passage of sole authority on future MMJ decisions to Berkeley City Council- without voter approval and with no limits.

Oakland Measure V - Cannabis Tax - No

We feel the same way about Oakland raising it’s medical marijuana tax as we do about Berkeley raises theirs - it’s not the best way for the city to collect revenue. We are not suggesting cannabis for recreational use should avoid being taxed but we believe medical marijuana should not be included in this tax increase. If Oakland goes ahead with its plans to allow large-scale cultivation and passes a tax hike on recreational cannabis sales the city could take in several million a year and affordable medicine could be protected. Reject Measure V and encourage a different plan!

BART Board District 4 - Robert Raburn

Oakland Mayor - 1. Rebecca Kaplan, 2. Jean Quan

The danger in this race is Don Perata, the former state Senate president, longtime power broker, and friend of developers who has, at the very least, a checkered ethical record that led at one point to a five-year federal corruption investigation (the investigation ended with no charges filed). Perata wants to use the mayor’s office to continue his role as a regional kingpin, and he has the support of Pacific Gas and Electric Co. and the big developers. No thanks.

Kaplan has told the SF Guardian she thinks that if Proposition 19 passes and local government has the right to regulate legal marijuana. By combining tax on sales of cannabis and possibly on-site consumption with new restaurants, bike lanes, and street-level amenities, the city could revitalize neighborhoods and bring in significant new revenue.

Jean Quan has been active in Oakland politics for decades. She served 12 years on the school board, eight on the City Council, and has the experience, skills, and vision to run the city. She’s had a long, impressive record on environmental issues. But she’s a little less aggressive than Kaplan about raising new revenue, and while she fully supports Prop. 19 and the Oakland plan for allowing commercial marijuana operations, she is, in her own words, “relatively conservative” on how far Oakland should go to allow sales and use in the city, cautious isn’t bad.

National Races:

US Senate - Barbara Boxer.

Boxer’s one of the leading voices for the progressives in the U.S. Senate. She was opposed to the war in Iraq early on; she’s been good on immigration (even when other Democrats have been ducking); and she’s a leading voice for accountability in financial companies. She’s finally come around on same-sex marriage and has a perfect record on reproductive rights and labor issues.

Fiorina’s anti-choice. She strongly supported Prop. 8 and opposes marriage equality. She’s so rabidly seeking the support of the gun nuts that she actually said that people on the federal “no-fly” list should be able to buy handguns. She supports the Arizona anti-immigration law. She’s for tax cuts for the rich and can’t even figure out if she’s supporting or opposing Prop. 23.

This one’s a no brainer, Vote for Boxer.

Congress 6th District - Lynn Woolsey

Congress 7th District - George Miller

Congress 8th District - Nancy Pelosi

Congress 9th District - Barbara Lee

Congress 13th District - Pete Stark

And lastly, don’t forget to vote on November 2nd. Every single vote matters!!! Happy voting!