It's 11 p.m. and it looks, believe it or not, as if Measure Q could be headed for victory.

With 97 percent of the precincts reporting in Marin County, Measure Q was winning with 62.4 percent of the vote. In Sonoma County, with half the precincts reporting, Measure Q was winning with 72.7 percent. Combined, the train measure was winning with about 68 percent. If these numbers hold, the train would get about 2 percent more in Sonoma County and a surprising 5 percent increase in Marin County from the results of a similar measure (Measure R) two years ago.

That is really remarkable given the downturn in the economy and the opposition this year by some well-known Sonoma County people such as Joan Vilms and former Supervisor Ernie Carpenter.

Carpenter was recently interviewed on KRCB by Dick Spotswood and said that he still believed the train was going to create a surge in growth in Sonoma County, altough he had a hard time explaining why.

When Spotswood asked him, "Well, what's your alternative?" Carpenter stumbled a bit. "I don't know," he said. "Do you really need an alternative?"

He then went onto talk about how cars will become more fuel efficient. I like Ernie, but this wasn't his most persuasive moment. I'm still not clear why he stepped out to oppose Measure Q.

- Paul Gullixson