COVER
HOSTERMAN RE-ELEC Incumbents win new term in fiesty election
M
ayor Jennifer Hosterman and City Council incumbents Cheryl Cook-Kallio and Jerry Thorne were re-elected Tuesday, ending a year-long effort to unseat them by a coalition opposed to their vote favoring the Oak Grove housing proposal in the hills above Kottinger Ranch and other issues mainly focused on how Hosterman deals with the public at City Council meetings. With votes counted in all 46 precincts, Hosterman won 10,276 votes — or 53% of the votes cast in the mayoral election. Her challenger and City Councilwoman Cindy McGovern received 9,044 votes, or 46.7% of the votes cast. McGovern has two years remaining in her final term our mayor. The three re-elected will be sworn in for new terms of office at the City Council meeting Dec. 7 after the final vote count is certified by the Alameda County Registrar. Some absentee ballots have yet to be counted which could change the final tally although not the results. Thorne led the ticket from the start, finishing with 10,683 votes, or 33.4% of the total number of votes cast in the City Council race. Cook-Kallio narrowly defeated Realtor Karla Brown, winning 8,971 votes, or 28% of those cast, against Brown’s 8,511 votes, or 26.6%. It was Brown’s first attempt to seek a council seat. Fred Watson trailed with 3,770 votes, or 12%, in his
BY JEB BING first bid for a council seat. Watson, a manager at Open Heart Kitchen, had strong support from Tea Party organization followers. Loud applause greeted Thorne and his wife Sandi at an election party Tuesday night at the Hop Yard Alehouse & Grill both for the councilman’s re-election and in celebration of their 36th wedding anniversary. But supporters who went to Hosterman’s scheduled election night party at Mountain Mike’s Pizza restaurant in the Oak Hill Shopping Center on Sunol Boulevard were disappointed to find the restaurant closed shortly after the polls closed and the mayor gone. Hosterman, an active member of the U.S. Mayors Conference, caught a “red eye” flight to Washington, D.C., for a scheduled Wednesday morning meeting with its national water council, which she co-chairs. Pleasanton polling places were crowded when they opened at 7 a.m. Tuesday as a higher number of Election Day voters actually went to the polls instead of voting by mail, which has been a growing trend across the country and especially in California. Of the 765,885 registered voters in Alameda County, the registrar’s office reported that 180,461, or 23.5%, cast their ballots on Tuesday, with another 153,620, or 20%, voting by mail. A total of 343,081 votes were cast on Tuesday, representing 43.6% of those registered in the county.
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STATE PROPOSITIONS PROPOSITION TITLE
YES VO
NO
19
Formally known as the Regulate, Control and Tax Cannabis Act of 2010, to allow people 21 or older to “possess, cultivate or transport” marijuana.
3,41
YES
20
To remove the state Legislature from the process of drawing up Congressional districts and place the responsibility with the Citizens Redistricting Commission.
4,26
NO
21
To place $18 annual surcharge on all vehicles registered after Jan. 1 for State Parks and Wildlife Conservation Trust Fund.
3,04
YES
22
To stop state from borrowing or redirecting funds from cities, counties and special districts in order to shore up holes in California’s general fund.
4,29
NO
23
To suspend “global warming solution” law until statewide unemployment rate drops to 5.5% or less for four consecutive quarters.
2,80
NO
24
To repeal recently passed legislation that would allow businesses to lower their liability tax.
2,91
YES
25
To reduce the two-thirds threshold required in both the Assembly and state Senate to pass a budget, to a simple majority vote.
3,88
YES
26
To require that certain state and local fees be approved by a two-thirds vote of the responsible governing body.
3,69
NO
27
To dissolve the Citizens Redistricting Commission and place the responsibility of drawing districts for both state and national office back into the hands of the Legislature.
2,78
Page 14ÊUÊNovember 5, 2010ÊUÊPleasanton Weekly