BASIC CHOICES TO BE MADE
Hilbert Morales, EL OBSERVADOR
A basic choice to be made by all citizens is to ensure being registered to vote by May 24, 2010. The election on Tuesday, June 8th is coming up very soon, so be certain to take the time to review the official voter information pamphlet mailed by the Registrar of Voters. It is best to review the official information presented on the Registrar of Voter's web site: www.sccvote.org.
Recently, the California Secretary of State's Office mailed out the 'California Statewide Direct Primary Election, Tuesday, June 8, 2010 Pamphlet' which is the official voter information guide. Make a choice to read it because it does contain official information rather than the political rhetoric presented by candidates' direct mail pieces.
Everybody faces many basic choices that need to be made. So many choices that it is easy to become unable to do anything. Especially when one doesn't do some prior preparation. An essential choice is to spend the time and effort to become acquainted with all election issues. It is very easy to decide nothing can be done about the global economy and weather, the national debt, the need for Wall Street financial reform, and a regulation system for all insurance firms. These are all very complicated big issues whose costs eventually trickle down to the consumer who pays. And there are more issues such as home mortgage foreclosures, lack of credit for small businesses, the need to upgrade our infrastructures (roads, bridges, etc.), our drinking water supply systems, the transition to alternative energy, and comprehensive immigration reform, etc.
So let's begin at the local level. Just know that basic choices pertaining to all these issues are being made by your elected representatives 
In the City of San Jose, for the first time ever, the Hispanic community has four Hispanic candidates vying to represent District 5. They are J. Manuel Herrera, Magdalena Carrasco, Xavier Campos, and Aaron Resendez. In District 7, candidate Rudy Rodriguez is trying to unseat Madison Nguyen, the incumbent. In District 9, Donald Rocha is a candidate. Sam Liccardo (District 3) and Pete Constant (District 1) deserve re-election.
In the County of Santa Clara, Board of Supervisors, District 1, Dr. Peter Arellano (Gilroy) and Teresa Alvarado are the Hispanic candidates. Arellano has served as a member of the Gilroy City Council and is an expert in health care issues that is a body of knowledge needed by the Board of Supervisors. Teresa Alvarado is the daughter of former Supervisor Blanca Alvarado; former Executive Director of the Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley and married to Jesse Morales.
Another county level election choice to be made is whether to elect a Hispanic, Richard Calderon as Sheriff. The current District Attorney, Dolores Carr, a Latina, is being challenged by Deputy District Attorney Jeff Rosen.
At the State of California level, for Assembly District 23, Nora Campos is a candidate, who, if elected, will replace the current incumbent, The Honorable Joe Coto. She is the sister of Xavier Campos, a candidate for the seat of District 5, City of San Jose. An unexpected candidate for Assembly District 23 is Patricia Martinez Roach, a teacher and ESUHSD board member.
A former local superintendent, Franklin McKinley School District, Larry Aceves, is a candidate for State Superintendent of Public Instruction. He deserves your support.
Abel Maldonado (R) is a candidate for Lt. Governor and whose interim appointment by Governor Schwarzenegger was held up for weeks by the State Assembly. Of great interest to Hispanics is the contest for Attorney General that has Alberto Torrico and Rocky Delgadillo as candidates.
It would be best for the Hispanic citizen to actively participate by registering to vote (deadline: May 24th). That ensures that your cultural values will be at the table when public policy is being debated and established. It also establishes you as a constituent whose opinions will be heard by politicians who want to stay in office. Those are the basic choices to be made.