Giving Back to the state

Lisa Costigan

October 30, 2002

Dr. Carl Lutrin

Pols American and California Government

Term Paper

Living in California my entire life I have never especially been involved with the government. Giving back to the state is something I have always wanted to do. Through this positive experience I was able to walk precincts for Dave Romero. I was delighted to know that I was some contribution to his very important campaign. Romero was very serious about his campaign but in a way that all of us could still work for him in an enjoyable environment.

Walking around the city of San Luis Obispo placing literature on the homes of the residents I believe was an important aspect of this campaign. I now understand that running for mayor is a lot more work than I would have ever expected. Now having a better understanding and a more appreciative outlook on what a mayor does, I feel the need to do more so others see the importance of this job. People don’t realize that who is elected will effect their lives in the near future. This experience put me back on the street with a fresh pair of eyes.

Working with the mayor is something completely different than reading it in a textbook. I believe you can read textbooks, and understand the information but to fully be informed you need to experience it for yourself. The competitiveness is something that can’t be explained it can only be felt. These people are going to the extent of walking home to home for the people to grasp a better understanding of what they are representing.

Many topics must be carefully examined before voting day. After researching the major issues of the campaign the most important topic seems to be how to maintain our small town character with expanding the availability of housing. Prices for housing are becoming so high that, fewer and fewer amount of people can afford them. So the candidates are looking for ways to improve the housing for working families, seniors, and students. It seems to be that there are many old abandoned buildings in the city of San Luis Obispo that can be restored into new more advanced apartment complexes, which both parties encourage. Their future dreams would be to lower the prices of living, which would then lead to residents currently living there and prospective seekers to be more satisfied. Romero’s background shows that he might be able to achieve this goal, because of his development, of a beautification and maintenance of Mission Plaza, and the development of the Performing Arts Center.(Brochure) While Jan supports the Affordable House Trusting Fund, where public and private partnerships will build housing on donated land, and she will also work on increasing the height limitations.(Internet) Another issue here in San Luis Obispo is to have affordable and plentiful abundance of water. Romero supports the idea of joining participation in State water due to the fact that he believes this is the cheapest and most effective way to receive water, while Jan opposed this idea. There are also other issues involving water such as water quality, environmental effects of water taken from the Bay- Delta area, and also how we will supply water as growth increases. Another important topic is the improvements for all forms of transportation, which include such things as bicycle trails, and public transit upgrades, and also upgrade in areas for parking. Dave reports that he is the one responsible for the streets being, “paved, repave, and properly maintained.”(Internet 2002) The fact that he has paved our streets he has acquired the nickname, “Dave the Pave.” Also on these San Luis Obispo streets Romero plans on planting trees on over 10,000 city streets.(Brochure) While Marx will try to improve the environment by, “extending the greenbelt with 3,264 acres of new open space, creating a Ranger program and hiring a City Wildlife Biologist” (Brochure). Where these contenders stand on these issues will be a major factor of who will win this campaign.

This is a preview of the whole essay

The media plays a very large role in any campaign, particularly the Media State, which includes newspapers, television, radio and the Internet. This is because, in a year according to one calculation, the average full-time worker puts in 1,874 hours on the job, 2,737 hours in bed, and 3,256 hours exposed to the media. (Welch 111) Both candidates having commercials on the radio is a very key aspect to the campaign. These radio commercials inform the public, without the people having to do any sort of research besides taking the time to listen. With this service a person can obtain the basic candidates viewpoints, and what they can do to help you and the community with in only the matter of minutes or possibly seconds. This way of using the media also keeps the candidates in the back of the voter’s mind when it comes time to make a decision on the ballet. Also having television commercials would have been extremely helpful because the average person, “ spends one and half years just watching television commercials.” (Welch 111) Due to the extremely high costs this is unfortunately not with in reason. Both candidates also have a web site address, where any one with access to a computer can learn more about each person. These sites allow people the news when they want it at any time, rather than at a specified schedule. This Internet also allows you to find the specific information you want to read about, rather than the brief newscasts of radio and television. Finally we have newspapers, which also contains much information about the race. The Tribune here in Cal Poly San Luis Obispo contains specific articles dedicated only to the election of the mayor. On Monday October 28 there was an article in the Tribune called, San Luis Obispo Mayors Race. The Media State played an enormous role in this race, by delivering the crucial candidate news.

Money is a key component to determine any race due to the fact it allows you the flexibility to produce supplies to advertise. I learned this through a personal interview I had with Romero. All together he ran he campaign with thirty thousand dollars that he collected all from the public. You are also allowed to use your own money to fund your own campaign. He stated that over five hundred people donated so a less than 60 dollars per person. He stated that he likes, “quality work,” so he feels that all his campaign equipment needs to be just more than average. For example Romero spent three thousand and five hundred dollars on brochures alone. These brochures are used in many occasions like for the precincts that are walked here in San Luis Obispo. These brochures include color pictures and Romeros: background, expertise, accomplishments, and what he supports. Romero also produced five hundred-yard signs at a cost of six dollars each. Which is an amazing total cost of three thousand dollars. These yard signs are made of high quality plastic. Romero states he doesn’t want them to rip or wear in the rain making him look as if he did not care about this campaign. Jan Marx spent sixteen thousand and one hundred dollars on her campaign. Having brochures made out of recycled paper, which are inexpensive compared to Romero’s “quality” brochures. Money will play an important role, because the more money you have, the more the public will know.

All in all, this amazing experience really showed me that I could make a difference. Romero did many things to run, what I believe, a successful campaign. He went to the public and expressed his ideas telling us what he can do to make our lives better. By doing this he wanted us to be informed. The media plays a major role in any campaign, because it takes the major issues and has the power to communicate them to the people. It turns out that Romero had the essential qualifications, due to that fact that he is now the current mayor of San Luis Obispo. Is this due to the media? We will never know, but the disappointed Jan Marx states that, “The Tribune turned voters against me in an editorial that endorsed Romero.” ( Lyons)