Crime Initiative Divides South Bay Democratic Candidates

Liccardo, the former mayor of San José, called the measure a “flawed proposal” but said it would restore participation in drug courts, which offer the chance of reduced sentences if participants complete treatment. Liccardo said that with the new harsh sentences, judges could offer defendants a clear choice between treatment and time behind bars.

“Currently that option is never offered, as a result our drug courts are completely empty,” Liccardo said. “This is the only mechanism we really need to break the link between substance abuse and crime.”

Low responded by stating his opposition: “I refuse to return to the age of mass incarceration,” he said.

Low, who touted his work as a state legislator, said votes on bills this year were aimed at combating retail theft in a different way: by making it easier for police to arrest suspects and collect charges, rather than increasing penalties.

“The primary role of government is to keep our communities safe, but we must do it surgically,” Low said.

Within days, an independent group backing Liccardo and largely funded by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg jumped over the edge.

The group Neighbors for Results sent a mailer to the district comparing the candidates’ stances on Proposition 36 and accusing Low of opposing the “common-sense plan to address retail thefts and save consumers billions of dollars.”

Similar mail landed in mailboxes from Cupertino to Sunnyvale. Two Democrats are running for the 26th Assembly District seat It is currently in Low’s possession.

Patrick Ahrens, Foothill-DeAnza Community College District trustee and Low’s district superintendent, is running against fellow Democrat Tara Sreekrishnan, a member of the Santa Clara County Board of Education and a legislative adviser to State Sen. Dave Cortese.

“Who Can You Trust to Keep Us Safe?” asked the mailer from a pro-Ahrens super PAC funded by real estate and homeowner lobbies: “Tara opposes Proposition 36 to hold criminals accountable and toughen penalties for retail theft and drug crimes.”

What the Post didn’t mention: Ahrens doesn’t support Proposition 36 either.

He said he remained neutral on the initiative and would not vote yes or no. At a recent forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters, Ahrens and Sreekrishnan expressed similar concerns about legalizing crime and punishment on the ballot.

“I think we should focus on enforcing (existing) laws rather than another ballot measure,” Sreekrishnan said, while Ahrens added (without announcing that he would leave the question blank on the ballot): “it is consistently in the hands of the legislature.”

The mailers who attacked Low and Sreekrishnan were both funded by outside groups operating independently of the Liccardo and Ahrens campaigns. Because it’s harder for voters to distinguish between two candidates from the same party, these groups are looking for a compelling opposition even if their interests are not directly tied to public safety, said political strategist Marva Diaz.

“What actually happens in some Dem vs. Dem races is it becomes a matter of defining who is the progressive member and who is the moderate member,” said Diaz, who serves as publisher of the California Target Book. non-partisan election analysis service.

In the third South Bay race, the fight over Proposition 36 continues in the open field. Palo Alto city council member Lydia Kou, a Democrat, made no secret of her support for the measure. Campaigns to unseat Democratic Assemblyman Marc Berman in the 23rd District.

Kou writes on his website that Proposition 36 is “a good example” of where “government officials often turn away from their own communities and focus on big donors, special interests, and ideological pressure groups.”

“Proposition 36 also divides our House 23rd District: I myself support Proposition 36 and recommend a “Yes” vote, and if elected, I will support related measures where reasonable; My opponent, Marc Berman, was a leading opponent of Proposition 36,” Kou wrote.

Unlike many Democrats, Berman did not shy away from opposing the measure.

“One thing to highlight about (Proposition) 36 is how much it will cost the state, what it will cost our counties if it passes, and how it will cut money from diversionary programs,” Berman told KQED. “Instead it will put people in jail for stealing very low cost items. “This third theft, even if it’s a pastry or your children’s diapers, can suddenly turn into a serious crime.”