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Debra Bowen for California Secretary of State: Honest Abe Lincoln Without the Stovepipe Hat?
By Michael Katz
The California Secretary of State runs a little-noticed but important office. She doesn't coddle, or play the piano for, dictators. (That's Condoleeza Rice, the U.S. Secretary of State.) Rather, she oversees the integrity of state elections. This year, we have an outstanding candidate in Debra Bowen.
Bowen has arguably been Sacramento's sharpest, most incorruptible legislator. Think of this former small-business lawyer from Illinois (by way of Southern California) as Honest Abe Lincoln without the stovepipe hat. She'll renew your faith that politicians can be simultaneously progressive, public-spirited, whip-smart, and extremely effective.
While even some of her Democratic colleagues were custom-writing bills for developers and corporate lobbyists, Bowen has consistently sponsored laws to promote voting rights, to keep public information public, and to keep personal information private.
If you're a permanent absentee voter, you have that option thanks to a Bowen bill. Thank Bowen, too, for California's new requirement that electronic voting machines maintain a paper trail. (Gov. Schwarzenegger signed that law over the objection of the incumbent Secretary -- his own appointee.)
Another Bowen bill, recently signed by Schwarzenegger, will ensure that absentee ballots are included in future manual recounts. And it was Bowen who mandated that state information be posted on the Web for free.
Bowen has promoted consumer and privacy rights as vigorously as voters' rights. If your health-insurance mailings no longer broadcast your Social Security number to potential identity thieves -- thank Bowen again.
She also wrote the law that protects us from "junk faxes," and wrote the nation's most effective anti-spam law. (It was enacted, but Congress later nullified it with its toothless national bill.)
This year, when the Legislature rushed to enact an AT&T-sponsored bill that weakens local regulation over monopoly cable-TV franchises, Bowen was the only member of the Senate Utilities Committee who refused to sell out consumers.
As Secretary of State, Bowen would ensure that the state adopts truly secure voting technology, and would continue trying to reform the initiative process. (Another Bowen bill, vetoed by Schwarzenegger, would have required initiative signature-gatherers to tell you whether they were paid or volunteer.)
As chair of the Senate Elections Committee, Bowen has earned her colleagues' respect. She's well-positioned to work smoothly with the Legislature to solve any future voting problems.
Bowen is particularly impressive in person. She can clearly describe to you exactly how computer experts hacked a Diebold touch-screen voting machine in a public test: They inserted rogue code using a Diebold corn-moisture sensor.
As an Illinois native, Bowen can then clearly explain what a corn-moisture sensor is -- and how elections got stolen in her home state, legendary for its electoral fraud.
The tech-savvy Bowen was the first California legislator to set up a state e-mail address and Web page.
Particularly impressive is Bowen's response to softball questions from supporters. She doesn't bite -- instead, she points out complexities that questioners didn't mention.
In all, Bowen shows none of the needy vanity that you expect from politicians. She's much less interested in promoting herself than in defending the public's rights.
Having entered politics accidentally, as a community activist and Neighborhood Watch volunteer, Bowen is still basically looking out for the neighborhood.
And it's a nice touch that she looks so much like Meryl Streep, who could play her in a future docudrama.
Michael Katz is a writer in Berkeley. He used to live just up Ballona Creek from Debra Bowen's coastal L.A. district.
Comments
Jeez, get a room.
Posted by: dave blake at October 27, 2006 07:21 PM
Hi Debra,
I am curious.Why we cant put to a vote. Drilling for oil. On the November Ballot. 77% of american want to drill in the US. And we can look for alternative energy as well. It will take 15 years. To bring alternative energy to us. We may have the vehicles. But we don't have on abroad. Where would we be able to get the energy from. There is not enough places in the US. To fill up. Is the government. Going spend the to have these palces to fill up.It is not even on line yet. In the the mean timeWe will pay, pay. Higher,higher fules prices.Will you put oil drilling on the November ballot for us.I care about the planet. But time is of the essence right now. Do have to wait until. The of Iran shut the strait. Where 25 % of of he world oil comes from. And then what.Russia want to take oil reserve over. Are we going buying from Russia someday. That is the reason. They bombing Georgia. They want there oil. But we are interest in the planet. I don't think we live in a real world. Inflating your tires. Won't in the long run. Tires are made from rubber. Which comes from oil. So we will be paying for more tires. And more for fuel. How does that help us. Darrell Issa from oil drilling, And new technologies. And know there are 100 congressmen. That want to drill. That has be telling you. Pelosi when she comes back. She is going to get a ear full. It not what the politicians wants. It is want the american perople want
Posted by: sharon mcdonald at August 11, 2008 04:34 PM
Hi Debra,
I am curious.Why we cant put to a vote. Drilling for oil. On the November Ballot. 77% of american want to drill in the US. And we can look for alternative energy as well. It will take 15 years. To bring alternative energy to us. We may have the vehicles. But we don't have on abroad. Where would we be able to get the energy from. There is not enough places in the US. To fill up. Is the government. Going spend the to have these palces to fill up.It is not even on line yet. In the the mean timeWe will pay, pay. Higher,higher fules prices.Will you put oil drilling on the November ballot for us.I care about the planet. But time is of the essence right now. Do have to wait until. The of Iran shut the strait. Where 25 % of of he world oil comes from. And then what.Russia want to take oil reserve over. Are we going buying from Russia someday. That is the reason. They bombing Georgia. They want there oil. But we are interest in the planet. I don't think we live in a real world. Inflating your tires. Won't in the long run. Tires are made from rubber. Which comes from oil. So we will be paying for more tires. And more for fuel. How does that help us. Darrell Issa from oil drilling, And new technologies. And know there are 100 congressmen. That want to drill. That has be telling you. Pelosi when she comes back. She is going to get a ear full. It not what the politicians wants. It is want the american perople want
Posted by: sharon mcdonald at August 11, 2008 04:35 PM
Hi Debra,
I am curious.Why we cant put to a vote. Drilling for oil. On the November Ballot. 77% of american want to drill in the US. And we can look for alternative energy as well. It will take 15 years. To bring alternative energy to us. We may have the vehicles. But we don't have on abroad. Where would we be able to get the energy from. There is not enough places in the US. To fill up. Is the government. Going spend the to have these palces to fill up.It is not even on line yet. In the the mean timeWe will pay, pay. Higher,higher fules prices.Will you put oil drilling on the November ballot for us.I care about the planet. But time is of the essence right now. Do have to wait until. The of Iran shut the strait. Where 25 % of of he world oil comes from. And then what.Russia want to take oil reserve over. Are we going buying from Russia someday. That is the reason. They bombing Georgia. They want there oil. But we are interest in the planet. I don't think we live in a real world. Inflating your tires. Won't in the long run. Tires are made from rubber. Which comes from oil. So we will be paying for more tires. And more for fuel. How does that help us. Darrell Issa from oil drilling, And new technologies. And know there are 100 congressmen. That want to drill. That has be telling you. Pelosi when she comes back. She is going to get a ear full. It not what the politicians wants. It is want the american perople want
Posted by: sharon mcdonald at August 11, 2008 04:35 PM
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