Those who run, teach

Paul Clinton

Congressional candidate and UC Irvine professor John Graham is

playing to his strengths in the race to unseat influential incumbent

Rep. Chris Cox.

Graham, who secured 30% of the vote in his unsuccessful challenge

of Cox in 2000, has scheduled a Sept. 10 fund-raiser to emphasize his

strengths as an educator.

Graham is vying to unseat Cox, who has held his seat since 1988,

in the newly drawn 48th District, which represents Newport Beach,

Laguna Beach, Irvine and other areas in South County.

The event will showcase Graham’s attempt to “elevate public

schools to the top of the list of national investment priorities,” he

said.

The fund-raiser will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. at the University

Club at the UC Irvine campus. A donation of $100 per head is required

for entry.

As a nation, Graham says, “we seem to have forgotten” Thomas

Jefferson’s immortal quote that “great schools make a country great.”

Diana Schmelzer, the principal at University High School in

Irvine, will break the ice at the event and talk about the challenges

local schools face.

Graham has taught international business at UCI’s Graduate School

of Management since 1989. Before that, he taught at USC.

Those interested in the fund-raiser may call (949) 856-1969.

A DO-OR-DIE DAY FOR ROSS

State Sen. Ross Johnson’s primary election bill faces a do-or-die

vote today in the Assembly appropriations committee.

Earlier in the year, the bill was placed on the backburner, known

as the “suspense file,” because it is estimated to cost the state $30

million to start what is known as a bifurcated primary.

Today, the committee is scheduled to decide whether to move the

bill onto the Assembly floor for a vote or leave it to rot on the

legislative vine.

With little more than a week in the legislative session -- bills

must be passed by the Legislature by Aug. 31 -- Johnson is grinding

out a final push to pass the bill.

Known as Senate Bill 1975, the legislation would move the state’s

primary election from March to June. It wouldn’t alter the November

general election.

During presidential campaign years, if the bill were to pass, the

primary would be held in February or March for that race, but not the

state races. Voters would be given a separate election to sort

through the statewide ballot initiatives and all other candidates.

County clerks and registrars of voters have banded together to

oppose the bill, claiming it will create a headache of new costs to

hold two primaries rather than one.

California has shifted its primary several times since 1996.

Before that year, it was held in June. In 1996, it was moved to

March. Two years later, legislators put it back in June.

When Johnson introduced the bill, on Feb. 22, he proposed holding

the state’s primary in September as a way to hike voter turnout for

state seats. During the March primary, only 34% of voters visited the

polls.

“Despite the dismal turnout in March, elections officials continue

to oppose this bill,” Johnson said. “It reminds me of an old Abbott

and Costello comedy routine about ‘you can’t get there from here.’

Instead of being part of the solution, elections officials continue

to argue that it cannot be done.”