by Marty Hittelman, Former CFT President

Well friends, there is another big election coming up and we need to get the vote out to vote NO on the recall. As you probably know, the recall election was a result of signature gathering by a group of racist, anti-vaccination, anti-mask, anti-social services national big money Republicans.

The cost to the state budget of the recall election is estimated to be $276 million – money that could be used to fund a variety of public services.

The recall election will be held on September 14. Mail ballots will be sent out on August 16. All registered voters will get a mail ballot. In-person voting will begin on September 4. Drop-off boxes will also be available.

The ballot will have two parts.  The first requires a yes or no answer. It asks: “Shall GAVIN NEWSOM be recalled (removed) from the office of Governor?”

A yes vote is against Newsom and is to kick him out of office. A no vote is for Newsom and to keep him as governor.

The second part allows you to pick one replacement candidate from a list. It says: “Candidates to succeed GAVIN NEWSOM as Governor if he is recalled:”

The list doesn’t include Newsom, so you can’t vote for him. If more than 50% of voters say no, Newsom continues as governor and his term would end on Jan. 2, 2023.

Even if you vote No, you still have an opportunity to vote for a candidate. That vote would only count if the Yes vote prevails. 46 candidates are running, mostly Republican right wingers. No widely recognized Democrat is running.

If more than 50% of voters say yes, Newsom will be removed from office and most likely be replaced by a Trump ally. The winner would be whichever candidate received the most votes. A majority vote is not required.

The Republican candidates exhibit a variety of undemocratic practices including immigrant scare tactics, racist stereotypes, sexist behavior, homophobic loathing, weakening gun laws, and climate change denial. In essence, everything that Trump favors and Gov. Newsom opposes.

The Republican far right is counting on California’s Democratic voter majority and progressive-leaning independent voters to stay home, lulled by a false sense that there is no way a small Republican minority will unseat Newsom. We cannot let that happen.

Newsom, as governor, has helped to increase worker pay, paid sick leave and paid family leave, doubling the earned-income tax credit for low-income families, and expanding the right to form unions, including signing legislation to give childcare workers the right to organize.

Democratic Governor Newsom has mandated sick leave for those who have contacted COVID, increased worker health and safety protections, required employers to report workplace outbreaks. Unlike the Republicans, Newsom followed scientific guidelines concerning the pandemic.

Bloomberg News, on June 19, 2021, reported that California “has no peers among developed economies for expanding GDP, creating jobs, raising household income, manufacturing growth, investment in innovation, producing clean energy, and unprecedented wealth through its stocks and bonds.”

In short, Newsom has been a progressive and effective governor.

We must make sure that through the recall effort, a far-right, pro-Trump Republican is NOT elected to govern California.

It is urgent that we all vote NO in the September 14 recall election, and that we make sure that our families and friends vote NO as well.