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Contents © 2000
by Jim Holman.
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NEWS
APRIL 2000

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FOR A SUPER TUESDAY PRIMARY election that promised such excitement, the results were predictable. Democrat lawmakers in the Bay Area coasted to easy victories and bond measures won handily.

There were some surprises, however. Many expected passage of Proposition 26, which would have lowered the voter threshold needed to pass school bond measures. The Yes on 26 campaign poured more than $25 million into its advocacy efforts, yet the measure lost 49 percent to 51. Not surprisingly, the Bay Area was one of the few places in the state that voted for Prop. 26. Yet not one county south of Tulare and not one county north of Yolo voted for it, and all but 13 counties rejected Prop. 26. The measure even lost in liberal Los Angeles County. While Prop. 26 prevailed in heavily populated counties such as Contra Costa, Santa Clara, and San Mateo, the margin of victory in these counties was so small that it was easily offset by the lopsided defeat of the ballot measure in much smaller counties. For example, Prop. 26 won by 4,200 votes in Contra Costa County with its 902 precincts. In Nevada County, however, with its mere 120 precincts, the initiative was defeated by more than 5,700 votes. This pattern was repeated time and again.

The strongest support for Prop. 26 came from San Francisco and Alameda Counties, which gave the measure strong margins of 56,000 and 52,000 votes, respectively. Yet Orange County in the south offset both these counties by itself. Add to this the impressive showing the No on 26 forces made in San Diego, San Bernadino, Riverside, and Ventura Counties, and the measure never had a hope. In fact, even if largely Republican Orange County had not voted on the measure at all, it still would have lost.

Beloved by many Catholics for his courageous and uncompromising pro-life views, former United Nations Ambassador Alan Keyes took just over 151,000 votes. Nearly 18 percent of those came from Democrats and another 16 percent came from independents. The best news for Keyes' campaign since Iowa was his second place showing in Minnesota. He received 7 delegates to Bush's 21 and McCain's 6. Speaking in St. Louis the day after the California, Keyes said he would fight on for the nomination through the Republican Party's convention this summer in Philadelphia.

The only surprise about the victory of the pro-Defense of Marriage (Proposition 22) was the margin. For months, polls showed the initiative drawing roughly 55 percent support. Some polls just prior to March 7 showed enthusiasm slipping, though not significantly. When the ballots were counted, over 61 percent of the electorate had voted for the measure.

In the only congressional race of note in the Bay Area, Assemblymen Jim Cunneen and Mike Honda won the right to face each other in the fall to replace Tom Campbell in Congress. Despite his deep cash reserves, Democrat challenger Bill Peacock was only able to get 23.7 percent of the vote to Honda's 67. The question is who gets the moderate Peacock's votes? Although he is a moderate, pro-choice Republican, Cunneen's Silicon Valley connections might give him the edge.

In the East Bay, Democrat Rep. Ellen Tauscher pulled down a comfortable 54 percent of the vote in a moderate district that is evenly split between Republicans and Democrats. She faces the winner of the GOP primary, Claude B. Hutchison, Jr., who is also pro-choice and opposed Prop. 22.

Running in roughly the same area of the East Bay, Assemblyman Tom Torlakson (D-Antioch) polled 47.7 percent of the vote in his bid to unseat incumbent state Sen. Dick Rainey. This was one point better than Rainey's total, but three points behind all Republican votes since Rainey faced primary opposition. Republican sources are confident that Rainey will retain the seat come November.

No other Bay Area state senate race was even close. Even Republican state Senator Bruce McPherson (Santa Clara), who represents a very liberal district, polled a comfortable 56 percent and seems a good bet to win the general election. All other Bay Area state senate seats are represented by Democrats, and none polled below 50 percent. Most incumbents in these seats will likely return to Sacramento in 2001.

One local state senate race may provide some excitement, however. Vying for the open seat in the Fifth Senate District are pro-life Lodi surgeon Alan Nakanishi and pro-choice Catholic Assemblyman Mike Machado (D-Stockton). Though Machado took just over 50 percent of the vote, the two Republican candidates took a combined 45 percent. Most Republican analysts say that if Republican registration is 35 percent or better, that seat is a likely win for them in the general election. This makes it likely that both parties will pour a lot of money into the race. Republicans are desperate to pick up an extra seat in the Senate, where they have just 15 of 40 seats, and this contest gives them as good a chance as any in the state. Machado, however, has been popular with his constituents, especially farmers, and has high name identification.

Results from the Super Tuesday election show Bay Area Democrat assembly candidates in a position to coast to victories in November. Assembly members Lou Papan, Elaine Alquist, Dion Aroner, and Carole Migden, plus pro-choice candidates John Dutra, Kevin Shelley, and Ellen Corbett all won handily. The only returning Republican in the Bay Area, Assemblywoman Lynne Leach, took 65 percent of the vote and seems a shoe-in to return to the assembly for a third and final term to represent the Fifteenth Assembly District.

One race worth watching, however, is the one to replace Assemblyman Jim Cunneen. The three Republicans in the race took just under 50 percent, whereas the two Democrats took an even 48 percent. Republicans have just 32 seats in the assembly and are determined not to lose any more. Political observers can expect an all-out battle to keep the Twenty-fourth Assembly District in the GOP's column.

Another race political observers are paying close attention to is the one in the Sixteenth Assembly District. That seat is currently held by Assemblywoman Audie Bock. She made history last year by becoming the first member of the Green Party to win a state office in America. Just prior to the filing date, Bock changed her registration from Green to Independent so she would not have to run a primary campaign and spend precious funds. While she got to sit out the March 7 election, she will face Democrat Wilma Chan in November. Chan, a local elected official, took over 55,000 votes in an overwhelmingly Democrat district. How much of that support will go to Bock during the general election is anybody's guess, but the race promises to be interesting.

Pro-life Jeff Denham won the Republican primary in the Twenty-eighth Assembly District, and will compete with Simon Salinas to replace term-limited Assemblyman Peter Frusetta (R-Tres Pinos). Although Frusetta won three elections in this district, most of the registered voters here are Democrats. Denham is a conservative, which may hurt him in this rural farm district.

In the race to replace termed-out Assemblyman Ted Lempert (D-San Carlos), Democrat Joe Simitian took 55.6 percent to Republican Deborah Wilder's 36.5 percent. Both will face each other again in November.


DR. EDWARD C. FREILING, (1922-2000) Champion for life, San Francisco native Edward Freiling passed away on January 22nd. Known in pro-life circles both in California and in Virginia, he was a founder of the Fredricksburg chapter of the Virginia Society for Human Life. He founded Scientists for Life and published a booklet called, "The Position of Modern Science on the Beginning of Human Life." Thousands of copies were distributed and also used in congressional hearings on abortion issues.


IS TRADITIONAL CATHOLIC TEACHING OUT OF FAVOR among educators at the University of San Francisco? Last month, a student told a reporter for the Faith that on the first day of his psychology class in January, the chair of the psychology department, Professor Colin Silverthorne, told the class, "There is no such thing as right or wrong." When asked again whether he meant what he said, his response was, "Not at this school." Numerous efforts to contact USF President Father John Schlegel to ask if this was the case were not successful. In recent years, the secular bent of USF has manifested itself in school-wide settings as well. While some groups cannot officially register with the school, like the Knights of Columbus or the Legion of Mary (because these groups exclude certain members -- women or non-Catholics), USF did not have a problem giving full recognition to USF's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender club on campus.

From the success of groups like this to the canceling of daily confession and the lack of any crucifixes in the classrooms, the serving of meat on Fridays, and the teaching of relativism, USF is narrowing the distinction between itself and secular institutions like Stanford and UC Berkeley. To the student, the most unnerving aspect of the exchange between the professor and himself was the reaction of another student standing near them as they continued the discussion after class. After being asked, "So you don't believe in objective truth?" the teacher again replied in the negative and the fellow student said, "That's the whole point of philosophy, man."


TINY PARISH LAUNCHES PERPETUAL ADORATION DRIVE St. Finn Barr Church in San Francisco has announced that it intends to develop perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. At a meeting on February 7 hosted by Father Lawrence Goode, guest speaker Father Joseph De Luca of the Missionary of the Blessed Sacramento, a consensus was achieved to canvas Catholics throughout the Bay Area to commit to spending one hour per week at St. Finn Barr's Church located at 415 Edna St. and Hearst Ave. Already in place at St. Finn Barr's, described by Father De Luca as the "widow's mite parish," all-day silent adoration after Mass 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday. Volunteers are needed to make perpetual adoration at St. Finn Barr's a "first" in San Francisco. For more information, call St. Finn Barr's at (415) 333-3627.


SOME CATHOLICS TURNED OUT TO PROTEST the appearance of Father Michael Crosby at Holy Rosary Church in Woodland on February 12th and 13th. Father Crosby is a celebrated Call to Action and We Are Church lecturer and the author of, The Dysfunctional Church. Shunning the traditional Roman collar, Father Crosby showed up at Holy Rosary in a blue blazer and tan slacks, over which he wore his vestments for the Mass. Protesters were inspired to turn out against Father Crosby because of his recent statements about the Church, in particular, that practicing homosexuals should be allowed to receive the Eucharist, and that the Church is "crazy" in teaching that mortal sin will keep one from heaven.


HOUSE INTRODUCES PARENTAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT Assemblyman George House (R-Modesto) introduced a parental rights amendment to the state constitution last month. ACA 21 seeks to codify the findings of two U.S. Supreme Court decisions, one of which stated that parents have the right to "direct the upbringing and education of their children" (Pierce v Society of Sisters). House decided to seek the amendment because of recent California Supreme Court rulings, in particular, Pediatrics v. Lungren, in which it was decided that schools could aid young girls in obtaining an abortion without their parents' knowledge. House also objects to what he sees as over-reaching on the part of state agencies beyond their prescribed roles and interfering with parental rights. ACA 21 explicitly rules out abuse and neglect as falling under parental rights. Assemblyman House said, "Rights and freedoms are guaranteed only for law-abiding citizens. California has statutory definitions of abuse and neglect, and these would not be altered by the parental rights amendment."


PRIESTS FOR LIFE WARN CATHOLIC POLITICIANS According to CWNews.com, a national pro-life association for Catholic priests warned politicians that being pro-abortion in their policy stances is not an option for Catholics. Priests for Life said the U.S. bishops had been clear on the issue in a November 1998 statement. "As Americans, as Catholics and as pastors of our people, we write therefore today to call our fellow citizens back to our country's founding principles, and most especially to renew our national respect for the rights of those who are unborn, weak, disabled, and terminally ill," the bishops wrote. The group said those who hold or seek elected office, proclaiming to be Catholic while holding "pro-choice" views are risking confusion and scandal for lay Catholics who live the Church's teachings. "No law says you have to be Catholic. But if you publicly declare that you are, don't be surprised if someone criticizes inconsistencies between your public positions and the teachings of the Church," the group warned. Priests for Life also said its members will refuse to be intimidated by those who tell them that they should not "meddle in politics" when they denounce the evil of abortion or otherwise proclaim the Gospel. "Politics is not an arena which can absolve itself of responsibility to moral laws; nor can the Church absolve herself of the responsibility to teach those laws," they said.


TAC RETURNS TO SAN FRANCISCO. Nearly thirty years ago, on April 25th, 1970, more than 400 dinner guests gathered at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco to support the formation of a new Catholic college: Thomas Aquinas College. The Archbishop of San Francisco, Joseph T. McGucken was there, as was Mayor Joseph Alioto, who introduced the event. Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen and L. Brent Bozell, then editor of Triumph magazine, were among the featured speakers. To thank God and to celebrate their success, Thomas Aquinas College is returning to the Fairmont Hotel on Sunday, May 7 for a memorial dinner. The keynote speaker for the event will be Senator Jeremiah A. Denton, Jr., a P.O.W. during the Vietnam war. In November, 1980 Denton became the first Republican U.S. Senator and the first Roman Catholic ever elected from Alabama.

Thomas Aquinas College was founded in 1971 as a full-hearted return to Catholic liberal education. The College is formed by the teaching and tradition of the Catholic Church, under the guidance of St. Thomas Aquinas. The college invites anyone interested in the college to attend the event. Individual tickets are $250. A silver table is $2500 and a gold table is $4000. To obtain more information, contact Jacqueline Slay, Special Event Coordinator, at Thomas Aquinas College, (805) 525-4419, ext. 370. Sunday, May 7, 2000 at the Fairmont Hotel, San Francisco. Cocktail attire. Cocktails at 6:30 p.m. Dinner at 7:30 p.m., followed by dancing with music by the Rich Martini Orchestra.

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