California Ballot 2008 - No on prop 5, Yes on prop 11!
I just wanted to get in my 2 cents for the upcoming election in California. There are a couple of very important ballot issues -- in particular prop 5 and prop 11 -- that I would like everyone to consider very carefully before going to vote in November.
Prop 1A: High Speed Rail *YES*
Devotes $10 billion to start a high speed rail line linking Southern and Northern California. I say vote yes on this proposition with reservations. Don’t get me wrong - I would love to have a high-speed train to San Francisco - but I can see this project becoming very expensive in the future. $10 billion dollars is only a down payment. What are the benefits? How many people would use it? How much vehicle traffic would this take off the 5 freeway? How many airline customers would divert? Not enough, I’m afraid. Despite these questions, I will still vote yes because something has to be done to change our habits. By the time the train is completed the state of transportation will be in a different place than it is now. Gasoline and jet fuel costs are going to creep up indefinitely. There is currently no way to get away from the fossil fuel empire. And, by the time this project is finished, who knows how much gasoline and jet-fuel will cost. I look forward to taking this train straight to San Francisco and back.
Prop 4: Waiting Period and Parental Notification Before Abortion *NO*
Any teen that gets pregnant and doesn’t want to have the baby is fine by me. As much as I would hate it if my daughter were out getting pregnant without my knowledge, I think it is important for the state to keep options open for young girls whose lives will be crushed by a baby. We do not need more children to be raised by parents who didn’t want them in the first place.
Prop 5: Nonviolent Drug Offenses *NO*
Proposition 5 is the most important proposition on the ballot today. It is being advertised as a way to get drug treatment to addicts who need help. The bill covers much, much more. If this bill passes, I guarantee to you as a police officer that crime will go up on the streets. The bill allows criminals, even violent criminals, to use “the drugs made me do it” as a defense in court. Even violent offenders will be diverted to drug-treatment programs (that will be funded by local authorities, not the state). The same applies for drug dealers. A dealer with $50,000 worth of meth will be treated the same as a user with .02 grams. Parolees will not be sent back to prison for new charges. Parolees that abscond (don’t show up for parole) will only go back to jail for 30 days. Why would they not abscond if the punishment is only 30 days jail time? This prop is an extremely bad idea… So bad that it is opposed by both the California Police Chiefs Assn. AND the liberal L.A. Times. Please, please vote no on Prop. 5.
Prop 6: Safe Neighborhoods Act *YES*
The main points of prop 6 are increasing spending on certain criminal justice programs, convict 14 year-olds and older as adults in gang related felonies, remove convicted criminals from public housing, increase sentencing on gang-related crimes and eliminating bail for illegal aliens charged with violent or gang-related felonies.
The most controversial portion of this proposition is to try 14 years olds in gang related felonies as adults. At this time, a gang uses juveniles to do most of the “work” for the gang. This includes murder, witness intimidation, and armed robbery. The purpose of trying a juvenile in a separate court is that, as a child, they do not fully understand that committing a crime is “wrong”. For instance, a 7 year old does not understand that it is wrong to steal. However, this argument cannot be made for a 16 year old committing armed robbery. This would be specific or juveniles who are documented gang members committing violent felonies.
Eliminating bail for illegal aliens charged with violent and gang-related felonies is important because of a high incidence of them making bail and fleeing to our southern border as fugitives from justice.
Prop 7: Alternative Energy *YES*
Prop 7 would require utilities to get half of their power from renewable resources by 2025 (currently 10.9%). Current law only requires state owned utilities to get 20% by 2010… but this does not cover utilities owned by municipalities such as the LADWP.
Both utilities and environmental groups oppose this bill. Utilities oppose it because they do not want to move forward with renewable proejcts. Environmental groups oppose it because they do not like some specific wording in the bill which they feel will divert money away from small projects. I am for the bill because NOW is the time to act. NOW is the time to invest in renewable energy. NOW is the time to jump-start our renewable industry so that we can create jobs, make billions of dollars selling to other countries and achieve energy independence. If we wait for the absolute perfect bill to come along, it will never happen.
Prop 8: Ban on Gay Marriage *NO*
Let gay people get married and be miserable like the rest of us. Let them get divorces, also. It’s going to happen eventually, just give it up already.
Prop 9: Victim’s Rights Protection Act *NO*
Honestly, I don’t know… but it appears to re-hash laws already in existence while creating some unnecessary new taxpayer costs.
Prop 10: Alternative Fuels *NO*
This is sponsored by T. Boone Pickens, a Texas oil tycoon who has now made a lot of money investing in natural gas. This would have the state foot the bill to divert money to “alternative fuels”, I.e. Natural gas vehicles. This is merely profiteering. (I must admit that I _do_ like Pickens’ plan to build $6 billion of wind farms in Texas).
Prop 11: Redistricting *YES*
California is one of the most gerrymandered states in our nation. Gerrymandering is the process of drawing district lines to create safe havens for elected officials. The results are that, once elected, it is virtually impossible to lose an election. In California, 99% of elected officials are re-elected. There is no accountability. This is harmful to the state because our legislature does not have to perform. It also tends to push officials to the extremes - Democrats are further left, Republicans are further right - because they do not have to win over the hearts of both sides. Politicians oppose it because their jobs are at stake and they will make any excuse not to let this bill pass (and it has already been shot down twice, unbelievably). This is the other most important proposition on the California ballot. Please vote yes.
Measure R: 1/2 cent Tax Increase for Transportation (L.A. Only) *YES*
The state of public transportation in the southland is sad. Really, it is non-existent. Please vote to pay for more subway lines, more dedicated bus lines and more public transportation. Traffic in L.A. Is worse than it has ever been. Gas prices are rising. We are beholden to our cars because there is no other way to get around. We desperately need to increase our public transportation to get cars off the road. I have lived in Berkeley and Tokyo, two cities that have excellent public transportation. I was able to go for 7 years happily without a car. That is impossible in L.A. We need to spend this money now before the situation worsens and the price of energy has crippled us. This will also help the environment and reduce our dependence on foreign oil. Yes on Measure R.
Prop 1A: High Speed Rail *YES*
Devotes $10 billion to start a high speed rail line linking Southern and Northern California. I say vote yes on this proposition with reservations. Don’t get me wrong - I would love to have a high-speed train to San Francisco - but I can see this project becoming very expensive in the future. $10 billion dollars is only a down payment. What are the benefits? How many people would use it? How much vehicle traffic would this take off the 5 freeway? How many airline customers would divert? Not enough, I’m afraid. Despite these questions, I will still vote yes because something has to be done to change our habits. By the time the train is completed the state of transportation will be in a different place than it is now. Gasoline and jet fuel costs are going to creep up indefinitely. There is currently no way to get away from the fossil fuel empire. And, by the time this project is finished, who knows how much gasoline and jet-fuel will cost. I look forward to taking this train straight to San Francisco and back.
Prop 4: Waiting Period and Parental Notification Before Abortion *NO*
Any teen that gets pregnant and doesn’t want to have the baby is fine by me. As much as I would hate it if my daughter were out getting pregnant without my knowledge, I think it is important for the state to keep options open for young girls whose lives will be crushed by a baby. We do not need more children to be raised by parents who didn’t want them in the first place.
Prop 5: Nonviolent Drug Offenses *NO*
Proposition 5 is the most important proposition on the ballot today. It is being advertised as a way to get drug treatment to addicts who need help. The bill covers much, much more. If this bill passes, I guarantee to you as a police officer that crime will go up on the streets. The bill allows criminals, even violent criminals, to use “the drugs made me do it” as a defense in court. Even violent offenders will be diverted to drug-treatment programs (that will be funded by local authorities, not the state). The same applies for drug dealers. A dealer with $50,000 worth of meth will be treated the same as a user with .02 grams. Parolees will not be sent back to prison for new charges. Parolees that abscond (don’t show up for parole) will only go back to jail for 30 days. Why would they not abscond if the punishment is only 30 days jail time? This prop is an extremely bad idea… So bad that it is opposed by both the California Police Chiefs Assn. AND the liberal L.A. Times. Please, please vote no on Prop. 5.
Prop 6: Safe Neighborhoods Act *YES*
The main points of prop 6 are increasing spending on certain criminal justice programs, convict 14 year-olds and older as adults in gang related felonies, remove convicted criminals from public housing, increase sentencing on gang-related crimes and eliminating bail for illegal aliens charged with violent or gang-related felonies.
The most controversial portion of this proposition is to try 14 years olds in gang related felonies as adults. At this time, a gang uses juveniles to do most of the “work” for the gang. This includes murder, witness intimidation, and armed robbery. The purpose of trying a juvenile in a separate court is that, as a child, they do not fully understand that committing a crime is “wrong”. For instance, a 7 year old does not understand that it is wrong to steal. However, this argument cannot be made for a 16 year old committing armed robbery. This would be specific or juveniles who are documented gang members committing violent felonies.
Eliminating bail for illegal aliens charged with violent and gang-related felonies is important because of a high incidence of them making bail and fleeing to our southern border as fugitives from justice.
Prop 7: Alternative Energy *YES*
Prop 7 would require utilities to get half of their power from renewable resources by 2025 (currently 10.9%). Current law only requires state owned utilities to get 20% by 2010… but this does not cover utilities owned by municipalities such as the LADWP.
Both utilities and environmental groups oppose this bill. Utilities oppose it because they do not want to move forward with renewable proejcts. Environmental groups oppose it because they do not like some specific wording in the bill which they feel will divert money away from small projects. I am for the bill because NOW is the time to act. NOW is the time to invest in renewable energy. NOW is the time to jump-start our renewable industry so that we can create jobs, make billions of dollars selling to other countries and achieve energy independence. If we wait for the absolute perfect bill to come along, it will never happen.
Prop 8: Ban on Gay Marriage *NO*
Let gay people get married and be miserable like the rest of us. Let them get divorces, also. It’s going to happen eventually, just give it up already.
Prop 9: Victim’s Rights Protection Act *NO*
Honestly, I don’t know… but it appears to re-hash laws already in existence while creating some unnecessary new taxpayer costs.
Prop 10: Alternative Fuels *NO*
This is sponsored by T. Boone Pickens, a Texas oil tycoon who has now made a lot of money investing in natural gas. This would have the state foot the bill to divert money to “alternative fuels”, I.e. Natural gas vehicles. This is merely profiteering. (I must admit that I _do_ like Pickens’ plan to build $6 billion of wind farms in Texas).
Prop 11: Redistricting *YES*
California is one of the most gerrymandered states in our nation. Gerrymandering is the process of drawing district lines to create safe havens for elected officials. The results are that, once elected, it is virtually impossible to lose an election. In California, 99% of elected officials are re-elected. There is no accountability. This is harmful to the state because our legislature does not have to perform. It also tends to push officials to the extremes - Democrats are further left, Republicans are further right - because they do not have to win over the hearts of both sides. Politicians oppose it because their jobs are at stake and they will make any excuse not to let this bill pass (and it has already been shot down twice, unbelievably). This is the other most important proposition on the California ballot. Please vote yes.
Measure R: 1/2 cent Tax Increase for Transportation (L.A. Only) *YES*
The state of public transportation in the southland is sad. Really, it is non-existent. Please vote to pay for more subway lines, more dedicated bus lines and more public transportation. Traffic in L.A. Is worse than it has ever been. Gas prices are rising. We are beholden to our cars because there is no other way to get around. We desperately need to increase our public transportation to get cars off the road. I have lived in Berkeley and Tokyo, two cities that have excellent public transportation. I was able to go for 7 years happily without a car. That is impossible in L.A. We need to spend this money now before the situation worsens and the price of energy has crippled us. This will also help the environment and reduce our dependence on foreign oil. Yes on Measure R.