Reform party seeks term limits, lower taxes By Nathan L. Walls Hornet Staff Writer Published October 28, 1998 Ross Perot's two presidential runs, in 1992 and 1996, provided the catalyst for the Reform party, which is shaped around reducing taxes, balancing the country's trade deficit and reforming campaign finance statutes. The party is fielding candidates for senator, governor, secretary of state, state controller, lieutenant governor and some local congressional races. Perot's ideas, particularly balancing the trade deficit between the United States and foreign nations, including those on the Pacific Rim, are listed as central values of the party in the 1998 voter information pamphlet distributed by the secretary of state's office. In his run for office, Perot spoke out against approval of the North American Free Trade Agreement and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. Also within the party's platform, of potential interest to California voters is a plank within the platform calling to "implement the peoples' will when they pass propositions." The party would also like to see congressional term limits, favors localized solutions for local problems, and seeks the creation of a paperless tax system. The party's Web site is located at http://www.reformparty.org.

Less government better according to Libertarians By Nathan L. Walls Hornet Staff Writer Published October 28, 1998 The Libertarian party asks voters if they are satisfied with the government they are getting. Answering no opens the liturgy of a party devoted to reduction of government, ending the war on drugs, opposing censorship and abolition of California's income tax. The party would also like to privatize education and protect private citizens' right to keep and bear arms, according to the secretary of state's voter information pamphlet. The party supported Proposition 209 (ending Affirmative Action) and Proposition 215 (medical marijuana) as a litmus test for Californians seeking to reduce the influence of government in everyday life. The party is running candidates for senator and all state executive offices except superintendent of public instruction, which is non-partisan. Several libertarians will also appear on several local ballots statewide, including the 10th state assembly district, where Tom Kohlhepp of Lodi squares off against Debra Gravert and Anthony Pescetti. Douglas Tuma is facing incumbent Robert Matsui to represent metropolitan Sacramento in the House of Representatives. The Libertarian party's Web site is located at http:// www.ca.lp.org/ and can be contacted by phone at 1-800-ELECT-US.