LITTLE NOTES
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by Jim Holman.
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LITTLE NOTES
December 2005
JOEL ANDERSON, candidate for the 77th Assembly District, was one of East County's biggest campaigners for Proposition 73. A parishioner at St. Kieran's, Anderson credits his pastor, Bishop Cordileone, for mobilizing support in El Cajon and beyond. "There was a statement read at every Mass I attended for the last several weeks before the election urging voter support," Anderson said. "I was so pleased that the bishop was so supportive."
Jay LaSeur, whose daughter's best friend, Debbie Beyer, is running against Anderson in the Republican primary, will be vacating the 77th Assembly seat due to term limits. Beyer's supporters, notably ex-gay Christian activist James Hartline, have attempted to question Anderson's conservative credentials, going so far as to foster a Catholics vs. Evangelicals aspect to the race. (Beyer is an Evangelical Christian.) Anderson refuses to criticize his opponent, preferring to run on his own record.
After losing a bid for 75th Assembly District seat in 1998, Anderson dusted himself off and worked to elect Dennis Hollingsworth to the State Senate in 2002. "I also served as chairman for Kill the Car Tax and later I was the coalition chair to re-elect President Bush. I've been busy working for tax groups and pro-life organizations this whole time."
The criticism that annoys Anderson the most is that he is not conservative enough. But he says he shrugs it off as a ploy by those who don't understand the realities of governing. "I've been accused of supporting needle exchanges and being pro-homosexual. Neither charge is remotely close to the truth. There was a City Council race in San Diego between Phil Thalhaimer and Scott Peters and I supported Phil as did a lot of good people including Rick Otis, who is a hardcore Catholic and a solid citizen. Well, Phil decided to walk in the gay (Pride) parade. Now Scott Peters is on board with the whole gay agenda. When I said I supported Phil, we never discussed that issue and I didn't know he was going to walk in that parade. I supported him because the city is in financial upheaval and Phil is good with financial issues. Both candidates had the same views on social issues. That doesn't mean I support the gay agenda, but I'm not going to turn around and say I'm only going to support people who are 100 percent like me. In some instances, you have to support the best candidate and my critics have chosen to make this a big issue. Phil was also the guy who took on the fight to save the cross at Mt. Soledad, so on one hand, people may have a problem with him walking in the Gay Pride Parade, but those same people are giving him accolades for the cross. My positions have not changed and it does a huge disservice when people take one item and make broad extrapolations from that one item. That's like saying, 'Well, you buy Nabisco and you stay at the Marriott, so you must be a Mormon!' If you used the 100 percent criteria, then I couldn't support President Bush because he hasn't fully understood our border issues."
Anderson believes such guilt by association tactics are common from candidates who know how to attack, but have never had to build a coalition. "People are complex. There is a lot of gray, and it is not all as easy as it seems. Some people are so focused on one thing that they think that if they get elected, go to Sacramento, and fall on their sword that they have done their job. I've never gotten personal with anyone or done anything that would hurt my relationship with anyone, so that later on, my opponents could feel comfortable agreeing with me if it was the right thing. It's not about them, but about doing a good job."
As conservative Republicans, Anderson and Beyer both have to deal with the candidacy of "moderate" Republican Jack Dale, a Santee City Council member in a race that threatens to split the conservative vote. "Jack is a fairly liberal guy. He's liberal fiscally and he's liberal socially. The social conservatives want to focus on the race between Debbie and me, and everyone else is looking at the race between Jack and me. Her (Beyer's) likelihood of winning is slim to none, but her likelihood of causing enough division among conservatives to let a liberal win this is what's really at stake."
Since the 77th Assembly District is overwhelmingly conservative, Anderson thinks the right assembly member could make the difference in getting more conservatives elected to other state offices, "if the assembly member takes an interest in more local races," Anderson explains. "It's not just about going to Sacramento to be a good vote, it's about leadership in the community.
"One of my goals is to work with all of the local boards to make sure that the good people are there. I'm currently the president of the Padre Dam Municipal Water Board, and before I was on the board, they were proposing $78 million in additional debt. Since I joined the board, we've eliminated a lot of it. An office building was going to be built for $15 million and we ended up building it for $6.8 million. If that $78 million of debt had been taxed, it would have been about $50,000 on each house."
"When I joined the water board, if there was a rate increase, they would do the minimum that the law required, which was posting the increase on the front door of the building. No one is going to drive by the water board and look for increases. So one time I sent postcards at my own expense to every registered voter in the district telling them to show up at this meeting. They pulled a school board tactic and had 80 employees show up to fill the room so the public could not get in. And every time I would speak, they would start shouting. The reason for all of this is that I wanted transparency in government. This happened twice and the third time, the board decided to inform the public with cards inserted with the bills one month before the meeting. Now every ratepayer is notified through the district. I was able to change that policy, and it wasn't easy. Everybody hated me, and all the quotes were about how I was an evil person. But I went from being on the board minority to being in the board majority and now I'm the president after only three years. It would have been helpful if the local legislators had been working to fill these boards with responsible people."
PLANNED PARENTHOOD AND THE ACLU BENEFIT FROM PRO-LIFE BANK CHECKS. Pro-lifers have for years used checks with anti-abortion messages printed on them as a simple way to aid the cause. In one example, a cute, crawling baby smiles at the reader. Below him is printed, "It's a life, not a choice. Stop abortion!" The checks are made by LifeChecks, which also sells greeting cards and address labels. The problem is, LifeChecks is owned by Custom Direct LLC, which also owns Message!Products, a company which prints checks promoting such groups as Planned Parenthood, GLBT Pride, the National Organization of Women, and the American Civil Liberties Union. In addition to printing checks for such promoters of evil, Message!Products gives them lots of money. Their website states, "Each time an order is placed with Message!Products, a royalty is generated for the organization the customer chooses. The accumulated royalties represent $500,000 annually to environmentally and socially involved organizations."
MARIA GUADALUPE GARCIA, organizing director for Yes on 73, the campaign organization for the failed parental notification initiative, reflected on her campaign experiences and offered some analysis of the November 8 special election. Garcia was deeply involved in the early stages of grassroots organizing for the Life on the Ballot organization when it formed over two years ago to qualify this initiative. She spoke at meetings of prayer groups and political groups and contacted churches in San Diego and Imperial counties.
"Once the California Catholic Conference endorsed Proposition 73, it was much easier," Garcia observed. "Then Bishop Brom and (diocesan Office of Social Ministry director) Kent Peters were fully behind it. The diocese and some parishes made their own materials for it. I went to four or five Catholic churches in the South Bay, and it was preached from every pulpit. I heard that Bishop Cordileone preached it from the pulpit too." When the diocese held its Culture of Life Fair this fall, they contacted Garcia to request material to provide to each parish.
Garcia was impressed by some local parishes such as Corpus Christi, which produced its own bulletin inserts, and Precious Blood, which prominently displayed a large Yes on 73 yard sign at its entrance and "had flyers everywhere all the time and had an insert in every bulletin."
She described the San Diego diocese and parishes as "really very supportive" and was particularly grateful to Kent Peters for his help. "I believe that the reason we did so well here was because of the effort from the San Diego diocese," Garcia opined.
Despite the statewide loss for Proposition 73 of 52%-47%, it passed by 10 points in San Diego County and by 36 points in Imperial County. As far as support from non-Catholic churches in the San Diego area, Garcia said, "They were supportive if they knew [about Proposition 73], but they were harder to reach." However, she mentioned Foothills Christian Fellowship in El Cajon and Mission Valley Christian Fellowship as being very supportive.
"I don't want pro-lifers to be discouraged," Garcia stressed. "I think that people would have voted for us had they gotten the message of what Proposition 73 really was. The opposition did an excellent job of lying repeatedly. And that's what most people heard. The pro-aborts used outright lies, such as alleging that it would stop stem cell research and that this was going to eventually terminate 'a woman's right to choose.' But the text specifically said that it would not in any way affect any other law or right that's in effect, but they used this as a scare tactic."
Garcia pointed out a few other factors contributing to the ballot measure's defeat, particularly its opponents outspending its supporters by nine to one. "We still did better than every other proposition on the ballot," she commented. Garcia believes that Proposition 73 may have also been hurt by voter backlash against the recent spate of special elections in California. Some political analysts see this as a major factor in the defeat of every initiative on the November 8 ballot, including those perceived as being more left leaning.
Garcia was the primary media spokes person for the Yes on 73 campaign in the San Diego area, and she shared memorable anecdotes. She was particularly frustrated by one station's broadcast version of an interview in which Garcia countered claims made by opponents that Proposition 73 would stop stem cell research. "He used the smallest snippet of any of my interviews. He only showed me saying, "They [Proposition 73 opponents] will say anything."
However, Garcia reported that there were other interviews that were very positive. "KGTV (Channel 10) did a real balanced one, and the same guy that just used the snippet about stem cell research also did a good interview earlier."
Her most negative experience with the news media was her interview with KPBS. "You could tell what side the reporter was on, and he wanted to put me on the defensive about the initiative being pro-life. I said, 'I'm not going to apologize for being pro-life; I know it's a baby.' He just kind of smiled."
The response from almost all Hispanic individuals and organizations, Garcia recalls, was positive "because the majority of Hispanics are pro-life." Although she is a native Spanish speaker, most of her interviews were with English-language news outlets. "My Hispanic media time was very limited and I'm not sure whether they endorsed Proposition 73 or not ... but they had a positive approach when they interviewed me. The Anglos were more negative and they wanted to go after the sponsor. But we did get the Union-Tribune's endorsement. I think they were the only major metropolitan newspaper that endorsed 73. The U-T editorial board asked tough questions; they were not easy to appease, but they saw that it just made sense."
Garcia participated in a one-hour debate at Southwestern College with Amy Denhart of Planned Parenthood. The debate was organized by the college's political science department and was well attended. "I thought it went well," Garcia reported. "Amy Denhart pulled out News Notes and said, "This is a pro-life measure. It says right here in this pro-life newspaper that this is the first pro-life proposition put forth, and if it passes, there will be 10,000 less abortions and 10,000 less pregnancies."
"I said, 'She's right, there will be 10,000 less abortions and 10,000 less pregnancies. Is that a bad thing? No, that's a good thing.' That threw her off because she thought I was going to get defensive about pro-life."
Fox News reported on the debate, and they also interviewed Garcia afterward. "I did three Fox interviews and that was the best one."
On a side note to her Proposition 73, Garcia requests prayers for Planned Parenthood spokesman Vince Hall. "As we were going to do one of the debates," she explains, "he mentioned that he came from an Irish Catholic family of seven children."
SPEAKING OF PROPOSITION 73, the buzz from organizers of the Parental Right to Know initiative is that the phoenix may rise from the ashes. Backers of the ballot measure, after weathering the disappointment when it failed on November 8, found encouragement in the initiative's strong showing in the face of an onslaught of no votes on every measure on the ballot. Proposition 73 lost by a slimmer margin, between four and five points, than any of the measures on the ballot despite the fact that its opponents outspent its proponents four to one. ""To some extent," Proposition 73 spokesman Alvin Rhomberg told the north Bay Area newspaper the The Press-Democrat, "that kind of derailed our plan. A lot of it is just timing. And the opponents in general, the liberals and Democrats, were enormously energized. The strategy was simple -- vote no on everything."
Rhomberg added, "We are thinking of having another initiative."
WHEN BISHOP CORDILEONE SAID A MASS FOR PRO- LIFERS and then led a procession from Precious Blood parish in Chula Vista to a nearby abortion clinic, one of the immediate fruits of the July event was Maria Niznik's decision to get involved in prayer vigils at abortion mills. "I've always wanted to be involved in some way in the pro-life movement, but I didn't know how or where to go," she said. "One time I looked in the Southern Cross and there was an advertisement about a rosary at an abortion clinic. I was planning to go with them, but I never got around to it. A few months ago I went to the clinic in Chula Vista with Bishop Cordileone. This event really encouraged me to actually continue coming to the clinics. The following week I went to the Hillcrest clinic [Family Planning Associates on Sixth Avenue] and that's how I started going on a regular basis."
Niznik now participates in prayer vigils and sidewalk counseling at Family Planning Associates, on Sixth Avenue, across from Balboa Park, on Saturdays, along with other Catholics and Evangelicals, including Dr. Heather Mechanic, a sidewalk counselor.
"The first time I went," she recalls, "I was crying the whole time. It was such an emotional experience to me: all those women that I saw going to the clinic, and I can't imagine how cruel it is to kill the innocent baby, and it touched me so much. I never knew that there are so many abortions going on. I had no idea that, on some days, there can be 20 abortions just in the morning. Each time I come here, it's so disturbing; my heart is broken; I feel crushed. But I know that I have to be here."
Niznik, 24, has a six-month old daughter named Kateri. "I'm so happy; she changed me so much. I can understand how it's hard when you are pregnant and you don't know what to do. But, as Dr. Heather says, 'Murder is not a solution to anything.' In no matter what circumstances of your life, there is always hope; you need to find that. There are lots of resources to help women."
Niznik obtained permission from her parish, Saint Brigid's, to have Mechanic give a talk at the church on "How to Become a Pro-Life Prayer Warrior." Niznik has had some involvement in the parish's young adult group and said she told the parish pro-life coordinator that she had a feeling that "many young people who could be involved are not, because they don't know where to go, who to ask, how to find out about it. I wish we'd had some more young people at this presentation [given on October 27]; there were not enough people. That's why I want more of these presentations, at St. Brigid's again or other churches." She has successfully recruited some young adults to participate in the vigils at Family Planning Associates, but says, "I still want more."
When asked what role her Catholicism plays in her pro-life activism, she says, "Of course my Catholic faith helped me know that abortion is wrong. The commandment, 'Thou shall not murder,' is very clear. Murder is murder, even if it's a fetus."
She also says an experience from her Catholic high school days in Poland was pivotal in shaping her views. "A sister showed us a movie about how abortion is performed. We were very young, but nobody said that we were too young to see it. It was so disturbing to all of us. I know that none of the 38 girls in my class would ever have an abortion, even if it were legal, because they saw it; they saw reality."
Although she feels great pain every time a woman walks past her into the abortion clinic, Niznik says the pain is counterbalanced by the joy of seeing a woman change her mind. And....
THE NUMBER OF BABIES BEING SAVED FROM ABORTION at the Sixth Avenue clinic is rising. Local pro-life activist and weekly prayer warrior at the clinic, Sue Lopez, reported on November 9, "For the last three Saturday's we've had at least one life saved at Family Planning Associates and on one of those Saturday's three women left. This is after two years of rarely seeing anyone leave. But now we have at least 8 to 10 people there praying each week. Last Saturday an older man named Ray joined us after seeing the News Notes article."
On November 21, Lopez reported, "Last Saturday, Nov 12, we had a total of 15 people praying the rosary along with 3 evangelical sidewalk counselors at Family Planning Associates on 6th Avenue. Eight youths along with their leader from the Mission youth group attended. Fortunately, it was a slow day at the clinic, maybe only 15 women going in while we were there. One of the students noticed a couple of cars that slowed down as if they would enter the parking lot to the abortion clinic, but upon seeing the large graphic signs of the effect of abortion on an unborn child, they sped off. A volunteer with the El Cajon Pregnancy Center recently told some people in our group that at least two young women came to them this year that had attempted to have abortions at Family Planning Associates, [but when they] encountered the large graphic pictures they 'started freaking out' saying that 'I've never seen anything like that before.' Both have given birth and are now mothering their babies."
Lopez continued, "This Saturday, Nov 19th we had 5 students from the youth group, giving us a total of 10 prayer warriors and sidewalk counselors. It was a much busier day with probably 20 to 30 women going in. Thanks be to God, at least one young girl changed her mind. We spoke to her as she went into the clinic and she saw the display of several graphic signs. She still entered the clinic but came out with her friend and went to their car about 20 minutes later. Heather Mechanic asked the girl if she was leaving because she found out she wasn't pregnant, or if she changed her mind about an abortion. The girl didn't respond. Then Heather said 'If you changed your mind, I have a gift for you and help for you.' Both young women came over and talked to Heather. Heather asked Marieka, age 16, how old her baby was. She replied nine weeks. Heather then pulled off her precious feet pin (of a 10 week old baby) and told her that was the size of her baby's feet, that they already had footprints, and asked if she could pin it on her which she did.... Heather asked Marieka why she changed her mind and she said it was because we were there. Heather will keep in touch with her and be available to help her. Please keep this young girl and her baby in your prayers."