Point Reyes Light - November 24, 2004
Senator-elect Carole Migden open for business
By Jim Kravets
"West Marin is going to have a strong advocate and protector in me," State Senator-elect Carole Migden told The Light during a visit to Point Reyes Station Monday. Migden said that despite her staunch yet unsuccessful opposition to Proposition 1A, which protects local districts from ongoing raids by state government, she merely advocates fiscal accountability.
Migden, who wrote the voter guide argument against the measure, said Prop. 1A didn’t go far enough to ensure local politicians wouldn’t misuse public funds. "If they would have added some sentences to [the proposition], I would have loved it," she said.
Migden’s position was ultimately not a favorable one. California voters on Nov. 2 supported Migden’s position with the fewest votes of any of the 16 state propositions. Proposition 1A passed with a margin of 84 percent to 16 percent, the same margin as Indian Gambling Initiative, Prop. 68, which its own backers abandoned as hopeless several weeks before the election.
In the third district which includes West Marin, voters endorsed Migden with unequivocal conviction. The Chairwoman of the State Board of Equalization received 69 percent of the vote, compared to a paltry 25 percent for Republican Andrew Felder. Migden’s brazen October performance at a San Rafael candidates forum, however, may have contributed to her receiving a reduced 59 percent of the vote in Marin County.
Midgen depicted as rude and arrogant
Media reports of that evening’s debate depicted Migden by degrees as rude and arrogant. The performance ultimately cost her more than one endorsement. The Light cautiously endorsed Migden based on her strength of leadership, her judgment, and her ability to move decisively on issues with the voter’s best interests in mind without necessarily having to take a political barometer reading with every step.
Migden was unapologetic and forthright about the swathe cut by her campaign. Instead of spending time and money on a charm offensive, Migden said she preferred to put her campaign money toward Sen. John Kerry’s presidential campaign.
Now Migden, a resident of San Francisco, is visiting her district and mending bridges. This week Migden plans to give 500 vouchers for turkeys – donated by Safeway – to the Marin City Foodbank. She’ll also present 500 Safeway turkey vouchers to striking hotel workers in San Francisco. "In ways big and small," Migden said, "we’re going to have a presence here."
Notable in the Senator-elect’s parlance is the absence of first person singular. "We’re going to be open for business, and what we do is constituent services," Migden said. "We want to keep restoring the faith in government. We offer services without cynicism."
In January, Migden replaces Sen. John Burton, forced out by term-limits, in the third senatorial district seat. Her district includes San Francisco, Marin County and parts of southern Sonoma County, extending as far as Rohnert Park.
Migden contests the claim that Marin, lumped in the same district as San Francisco, receives less representation. It’s the opposite, she said. "Benefits come to this seat because of the strength and influence of San Francisco," she said. "San Francisco is on everyone’s map. Times are always given for San Francisco, New York, Paris, Tokyo, and London."
California suffers from ‘North-South’ divide
The power of San Francisco, Migden says, is critical in fighting for funds in an increasingly divided state. "Political struggles," she said, "are not partisan in California but North-South ... The population density is weighted to the South as people in the North move out of state. A lot is at stake, and we’re out gunned up here. We’ll forever be at the behest of Southerners."
Migden, an outspoken defender of alternative lifestyles, said she has a reverence for the unique ethics and sensibilities in West Marin. "I appreciate the many generations of inhabitants that have created a life and an industry and a way of governance that doesn’t necessarily parallel with the perspective of San Francisco. People out here are can-do, but they live a different day-to-day life tempo.
"I love the life and atmosphere in West Marin," Migden said. "I’m a long-time weekender out here. We stay at Manka’s a lot, and I love Cowgirl Creamery."
Perhaps in response to charges of being inaccessible, Migden said that availability is high on her list. "We’re fully available to the public. We’re going to have a greater profile and greater visibility. I’ll be here more than [John Burton] was whether people find it agreeable or not."
Three-fourths of Migden’s week will be spent in Sacramento, "But I’m available each Friday in either San Francisco or Marin," she added. "Our [Marin Civic Center] office has three full-time staffers. We’ll have a robust operation."
Migden said she wants to hear from the West Marin community. "We know that West Marin is against development. So what are the things we can help you with that will spur your economy?
"What’s needed here in Point Reyes?" she asked. "Are highways paved well enough? Is housing sufficient? Do you need more open spaces? I’m here to ask, what can we do to deliver to your communities and reflect the local values in the State Legislature?"
Sen. Carole Migden’s Marin District office is at 3501 Civic Center, Room 425, San Rafael, CA 94903, 479-6612.