by Irving Krauss
Special to The R-C
Alpine voters joined the rest of California in overwhelmingly defeating most of the governor's and legislature's measures to rescue the state's $21.3 billion budget deficit. Alpine's voter turnout of 43 percent reflected the small number throughout the state that went to the polls.
Six of the seven propositions that were rejected in the May 19 special election included slashing $1 billion from education, $268 million each year from children's services and $268 million from mental health programs for two years. Also, taxes would be raised on sales, income and motor vehicles and the state could borrow $5 million against future lottery payoffs.
The highest vote in Alpine was 42 percent for one of the proposals, while the rest that were defeated garnered less than 40 percent each. But the proposition that prevented legislators from receiving a pay increase when the state budget is in deficit was favored by 84 percent of Alpine voters.
Alpine's Canvassing Board, Gail Day, Jim Dunn, Jeanie Lear and Mary Rawson, began the ballot count when the polls closed at 8 p.m. County Clerk Barbara Howard and Assistant County Clerk Sarah Simis oversaw the operation. Howard monitored the Premier Election Systems counting machine that performed flawlessly.
The County Clerk's office provided cookies and coffee and an observer from the community was present.
Irving Krauss is an Alpine County resident.
