VOTERS TAKE ON POT, SICK PAY, MINIMUM WAGE AND HEALTHCARE

Voters on Tuesday weighed in on a vast array of local issues, with
three cities leaning toward relaxed marijuana enforcement and San
Francisco on the verge of becoming the first U.S. city to require all
employers -- regardless of size -- to provide paid sick leave.

In San Francisco and Berkeley, voters were voicing their disapproval
of the current administration in measures calling for the impeachment
of President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney on grounds
including warrantless spying and what were presented as other wartime
civil rights violations.

In returns from Santa Monica, Santa Barbara and Santa Cruz, voters
were siding with proposals requiring local police to make marijuana
arrests their lowest priority. Financed largely by Ohio insurance
magnate Peter Lewis, the measures were opposed by many police
officers, who described the issues as unnecessary and a possible
obstacle to investigating major crimes.

"I think voters here have sent a really clear message -- that the war
on drugs has failed and it's time for a new approach," said Lara
Cassell, an organizer of the effort in Santa Barbara.

In San Francisco and Santa Cruz, worker advocates pushed measures
that alarmed small business owners. The San Francisco sick leave
measure -- which would apply even to part-time and temporary help --
was placed on the ballot on the last possible day by four county
supervisors and is backed by the group Young Workers United. As the
evening wore on, the measure appeared to be headed for victory, to
the chagrin of some business groups.

"For this to end up on the ballot, let alone passing without any
public comment, without any discussion, is more than unfortunate.
It's outrageous," said San Francisco Chamber of Commerce President
Steve Falk. "This amounts to a 3.5% increase in costs for all
businesses that don't provide sick days now, without any discussion
of alternatives."

Voters in Santa Cruz, meanwhile, seemed doubtful about a citywide
boost in the minimum wage, to $9.25, with automatic yearly increases.
San Francisco, Santa Fe, N.M., and Washington, D.C., have similar
citywide minimums, and proponent Nora Hochman said Santa Cruz needs
one because it has "Burger King wage levels" with some of the
steepest housing and gas prices in the country.

"My nickname is Nora 'You're ruining Santa Cruz' Hochman," she said.
"The perception is business is going to fail wholesale. Well, that
hasn't happened in any other community, and it's not going to happen here."

Also in Santa Cruz, voters were picking sides in a nasty town versus
gown dispute, with the city seeking to curtail campus growth. On
Tuesday, they appeared to heavily favor a measure barring the city
from providing services to UC Santa Cruz until the university agrees
to offset environmental strains.

Development measures in San Luis Obispo and Santa Clara counties also
were bitterly debated before Tuesday's election. In San Luis Obispo
County, voters were on the way to approving a long-debated shopping
center that was designed to placate environmentalists with a
butterfly preserve, an organic farm and more.

In Santa Clara County, a measure that would restrict development on
ranchland and open hillsides was trailing late in the evening.
Proponents called it a key to smart-growth policies, while opponents
saw it as an attack on private property rights.

In several areas across the state, rural hospitals captured the
attention of voters.

Nowhere was the situation as stark as in Trinity County, where
officials had said that if two tax measures failed, they would be
forced to begin shutting down the public hospital Wednesday.

That would have left no emergency room in the remote county, hours
from the nearest hospital. On Tuesday night, the measures were
approved by a wide margin.

"It's a huge thing for the community," said County Administrator
Larry Layton, who said layoff notices had already been drafted. "They
got what they need to keep the hospital in continuous operation."

In Mendocino County, voters were asked to choose between the recently
deceased longtime incumbent, Norm Vroman, and his challenger,
attorney Meredith Lintott. If Vroman wins, the Board of Supervisors
will appoint a successor. Meanwhile, the acting district attorney has
gone to court seeking a special election.

No matter the outcome, the 1st District Court of Appeal has ordered
the results sealed, for now.