Press Democrat recommendations

Here is a list of PD recommendations to date for the

Nov. 4 election. It will be updated in the coming days.

STATE

Proposition 1A: High-speed rail -- YES

Imagine getting from San Francisco to Los Angeles by train in 2½ hours for about $50. High-speed rail is efficient, environmentally friendly and less expensive than air travel. It also will help get the state's economy going by creating jobs and new business opportunities.

Proposition 5: Drug treatment -- NO

This would eliminate successful drug courts, replacing them with an untested treatment system and a new commission. Other provisions have little to do with drug treatment and should be debated on their own merits.

Proposition 6: Prison sentences -- NO

This is another example of ballot-box budgeting and includes no funding or corresponding spending cuts for its many mandates.

Proposition 7: Renewable energy -- NO

This is overloaded with good intentions, poor wording and loopholes. It would drive up utility bills while actually disrupting the development of renewable energy sources. It also could put the state at risk of another energy crisis.

Proposition 9: Criminal justice -- NO

This would strip away one option for reducing prison expenses, such as the rapidly increasing cost of caring for terminally ill and geriatric inmates.

Proposition 10: Energy bonds -- NO

The state has no money for this kind of investment, and just ordering the state to have the funds doesn't make it so. This measure primarily benefits its sponsor, oilman T. Boone Pickens.

Proposition 11: Reapportionment -- YES

The prospect of Election Day competition might make legislators a little more accountable to voters and a little less so to interest groups.

Proposition 12: Cal-Vet bonds -- YES

Since 1922, the program has borrowed $8.4 billion through bond sales to help more than 400,000 California veterans buy farms, houses and mobile homes. And in those 87 years, Cal-Vet hasn't cost taxpayers a dime.

SONOMA COUNTY

County supervisor, 1st District -- Valerie Brown

Brown, who previously served in the state Assembly and on the Sonoma City Council, knows the district well. She's experienced, fair-minded and best able to tackle hard issues facing the county.

County supervisor, 3rd District -- Sharon Wright

Wright has an extensive background in elected service and a proven track record in making difficult decisions, particularly on budgetary matters.

County supervisor, 5th District -- Efren Carrillo

A Santa Rosa native, Carrillo is a financial counselor for Redwood Credit Union and president of the Southwest Community Health Center. He is smart, articulate and well understands the challenges facing voters.

Measure J: Bellevue school bond -- YES

This is one of the largest elementary school districts in the county, and enrollment is projected to grow. Bonds would upgrade older schools and add needed classrooms in newer schools.

Measure K: Petaluma rate rollback -- NO

No one likes paying more, but Petaluma's rates are in the middle of the pack for Sonoma County, and that money will pay for a new treatment plant to serve residents for years to come.

Measure L: Rohnert Park rate rollback -- NO

Another head-in-the sand measure. Rolling back sewer fees would leave the city without the money needed to pay its share of the cost of running the regional treatment system.

Measure M: Sebastopol utility tax -- YES

As a result of revenue lost to the state, officials say, Sebastopol put off street repairs and other maintenance projects. A utility tax will allow the city to catch up on deferred maintenance without cutting services such as police and fire.

Measure N: Windsor hotel tax -- Yes

Visitors use local roads and sometimes need police, an ambulance ride or another public service. Transient-occupancy taxes help pay for those services.

Measure O: Gold Ridge fire tax -- Yes

Few services are more vital to rural residents than those provided by the firefighters at such agencies as the Gold Ridge Fire Protection District, which hasn't had a tax increase since 1987.

Measure P: Sonoma hospital bond -- YES

The emergency room at Sonoma Valley Hospital handles about 10,000 patient visits annually. And after two failed efforts to secure funding for a new hospital, officials have produced a plan to fix the existing facility to save that crucial emergency service.

Measure Q: SMART train -- YES

It's time to finally put those dormant railroad tracks to good use. Creating a 70-mile train line and bike path makes sense for environmental, planning and economic development reasons. What doesn't make sense is depending on cars and congested highways to take care of the region's future transportation needs.

SANTA ROSA

Santa Rosa City Council, four-year seats -- Ernesto Olivares, Lee Pierce, John Sawyer, Gary Wysocky

Incumbents Sawyer and Pierce have shown themselves to be hard-working public servants who deserve re-election. Olivares stands out due to his 29 years of experience as a Santa Rosa police officer. Wysocky is a finance professional and a strong advocate for bicycling.

Santa Rosa City Council, two-year seat: Jane Bender

Bender offers an unmatched understanding of the city's budget troubles and the need to promote economic development.

PETALUMA

Petaluma City Council -- Samantha Freitas, David Glass, Michael Healy

Glass and Healy are experienced leaders who are able to get things accomplished, while Freitas, a financial professional, has shown she well understands the fiscal challenges facing the city.

ROHNERT PARK

Rohnert Park City Council -- Jake Mackenzie,

Tim Smith, Vicki Vidak-Martinez

Mackenzie, Smith and Vidak-Martinez have moved past the factional battles of old to form a new council majority that works cooperatively on issues facing Rohnert Park.

ELECTION EDITORIALS

To read the longer versions of these election recommendations, go to pressdemocrat.com and click on "Opinion." This list also will be posted online and updated with other recommendations before the election. You also will find letters, cartoons, columns, local commentaries and the "Inside Opinion" blog on our Web site.