On a rail out of town

Daniel Frederick, a Peace and Freedom Party candidate for the 4th Assembly District. is suing the state claiming Proposition 14, approved by voters last year, is unfairly keeping him off the ballot.

Prop. 14 allows the top two vote getters in a primary election, regardless of party, into the general election. “By picking the top two candidates, you’re favoring just those candidates that have the most money and the most name recognition,” Frederick told SN&R.

But Prop. 14 also makes it tougher for third parties to get on the primary ballot. When Frederick ran for the same seat last year, he needed just 64 signatures to qualify as the Peace and Freedom candidate in that race, and to avoid paying a $1,000 filing fee.

But because of Prop. 14, he needed 1,500 signatures. He failed to get them in the five days he had and, lacking the $1,000, it looks like the Peace and Freedom Party will be locked out of the election, unless the Sacramento Superior Court overrules the signature rules.

Of course, voters in the conservative 4th District may not miss the socialist Peace and Freedom party. “I don’t think they will really care if Peace and Freedom goes away. But most people aren’t happy with the two political parties.”

And it turns out that Frederick got nearly 7 percent of the vote in this district last year. Those voters will likely find they have fewer options in future elections. (Cosmo Garvin)

RT ready to rumble in south Sac backyards

Is the Sacramento Regional Transit going off the rails on a crazy train? Or are the crazies already onboard the light rail, selling items from shopping bags on the way to Alkali Flat?

The public can weigh in at a community meeting, set for February 10, on a proposed RT light-rail extension to Cosumnes River College.

The extension would require RT to purchase parts of the backyards of nearly 50 south Sacramento homes. This would allow RT to create a buffer between the light rail and a neighboring freight-train corridor operated by Union Pacific. RT could also negotiate a deal with homeowners through eminent domain. And RT would have to relocate a PG&E natural-gas pipeline.

There is an environmental assessment of the project underway. If all goes according to plan, the 4.3-mile Blue Line extension would include new light-rail stops—Morrison Creek, Franklin, Center Parkway and Cosumnes River College.

The public forum kicks off at 6:30 p.m. in the multipurpose room of Susan B. Anthony Elementary School, 7864 Detroit Boulevard.

To learn more about the Blue Line extension, also known as South Line Phase 2, visit www.sacrt.com. (Hugh Biggar)