Voting
Why work when I can use my precious minutes of tenuous lower back stability to babble?
I just got my absentee ballot in the mail. On some races, I am persuadable, so anyone who wishes can try to persuade me. On other things, no.
I'm sparing the majority of non-Cali people from reading this with a cut (and leaving out lots for space purposes anyway), but leading w/two propositions viewable to all, as I think they are both important and a place where the people's vote clearly and decisively actually MATTERS, which is a rare thing to be able to say these days.
Prop 19 -- YES YES YES YES YES!!!!!! One of my three main motivating reasons to vote. Decriminalizes small amounts of marjuana for personal use; allows localities to allow sale for non-medicinal purposes. Down w/senseless prohibition, and a small strike back against the encroaching police state!
Prop 23 -- NO NO NO NO NO!!!! Would suspend recent carbon emission regulation until the mythical date that statewide unemployment drops to 5.5% or less for a full year. Hahahahahaha! Do I even need to say what's wrong this? I like breathing, and dislike ruining the world, and even for those who care naught for either, eventually we're gonna have to replace oil as our primary energy source, and I'd rather we were at the forefront of this development instead of lagging.
Props where I'm leaning strongly and care a lot:
Prop 21 -- $18 surcharge on all vehicles , better funding for state parks. I would rather find a better way to fund the parks, like more taxes on the wealthy, and poor people really can't afford any increase on their taxes and I hate any sort of non-progressive tax increase. Since that isn't an option, and the parks are woefully, even criminally, underfunded, I'm almost certainly voting yes.
Prop 25: Gets rid of 2/3 majority vote for budget, w/out getting rid of 2/3 majority vote for tax increases. I would rather get rid of the 2/3 legislative vote for tax increases too, but in the meantime, I'll take this. Yes. (I mean, what, we're over 100 dyas past due w/the budget now? I also like the permanent forgeit of the legislature's daily salary and per diem for every day the budget is late; not fair w/the 2/3 requriement, but w/this change? I like.
The others I need to study more, but if any of you think I need to pay more attention to any, lemme know.
Elected offices:
Governor: Laura Wells, Green Party!!! Mind is almost certainly made up. I hate Meg Whitman. I hate Jerry Brown. I wish people would stop calling him Gov Moonbeam and talking about him like he's still the liberal he was in the 70's. His actual economic policy proposals are quite conservative, and have frightening amount of overlap w/Whitman's. Who would make the Arnold governorship look like we'd just had six years or so being run by the president of the Environmental Defense Fund. Really, Whitman like Arnold on Ayn Rand steroids without his environmental concern and forward thinking tendencies (tendencies, I say, only tendencies, let's not give him too much credit) on non-economic issues. She will be the worst governor in the history of the state. By far. OTOH, Brown? No. I don't give a full list of reasons why there's no chance in hell I'll vote for him only because I don't want to help Whitman's campaign, but he will suck at least 60% as bad as her, and I expect him to be about the same as Arnold, AT BEST. At worst? Make Pete Wilson look like the King of Awesome. (he won't be worse, but the times call for me, so he'll look worse)
Wells wants to create a state bank, which is at least an interesting innovation, get rid of the 1/3 legislative veto on tax increases, which is necessary for our survival, and generally has a good platform. Plus, I'm tired of picking 'tween two choices where the only consideration is whose policies will screw things up worse and faster, and neither is doing shit to help matters.
Senator: Okay, guys, if anyone who cares is reading this far, I'm persuadable. Make your case. The alternatives:
Boxer-- one of the best Dems in the Senate, no question. Alas, that statement is damning with faint praise. She is one of the best of a rotten bunch who should nearly all be scrapped. Including her, which I say with great sorrow because I have been a fan in the past..
Duane Roberts -- Normally, my default vote in close calls is Green. Duane Roberts is Green. He also has the following statement of purpose in the voter's guide: "See www.voteforduane.org" That's it. Nothing else. This lack of statement annoys me and makes me think he's not taking this seriously. So. What would be a probable vote for him instead isn't, and I may never bother w/the website. (ETA: I now learn they charge $25 per word for those statements, which is obviously a problem if you don't a lot of money and want to say something substantive. You'd *think* our state could give anyone who got on the ballot a free paragraph, at least, but apparently not. If anyone rich is reading this, please give the Cali Green Party enough money to pay for these statements next time around!)
Marsha Feinland -- Peace and Freedom Party. Problem 1: I'm not a socialist. Problem 2: I don't think we should have invaded Iraq (let's say I think this invasion was criminal and flat out evil) and our rationale in Afghanistan was questionable at best, but .. I don't think immediately withdrawing everyone from both places immediately is a good idea, either. That may not be what she means, but she sounds overly simplistic there. Otherwise, I like what she says. (single payer health care, better regulation of roporatins, increased environmental protection, better standards for workers). She will probably get my protest vote.
(Note: A vote for Fiorina is NOT HAPPENING; don't even try; ditto libertarian)
Lt Governor: Gavin Newsom, D, vs. James "Jimi" Castillo, Green. Much to like and dislike about Newsom. I'm probably voting for him. Again, I'm willing to listen to people on this one, at least if the polls aren't too close; if it's very close, I'm voting Newsom for sure, and hoping he lives up to his better past moments.
Secretary of State: Debra Bowen. I like her. She rocks. I also very much like the Green candidate and the Peace and Freedom candidates, but, hey, we actually have a democrat who's doing a good job. Let's reward this rare behavior!!!
Controller-- John Chiang. Here and the next, if the Dems don't screw up, I'll vote for them.
Treasurer--Bill Lockyer, tho if you want to convince me to vote Green or Peace and Freedom, give it a shot.
Atty General-- Kamala Harris, D. Almost certainly. If it was just her or Peter Allen (Green), I'd probably vote Allen. But I so don't want Steve Cooley (the republican), and Harris seems pretty decent for a major party candidate, these days.
Was going to say more, but need to go start pulling my work-weight around here now. Like anyone even read this far. :P
I just got my absentee ballot in the mail. On some races, I am persuadable, so anyone who wishes can try to persuade me. On other things, no.
I'm sparing the majority of non-Cali people from reading this with a cut (and leaving out lots for space purposes anyway), but leading w/two propositions viewable to all, as I think they are both important and a place where the people's vote clearly and decisively actually MATTERS, which is a rare thing to be able to say these days.
Prop 19 -- YES YES YES YES YES!!!!!! One of my three main motivating reasons to vote. Decriminalizes small amounts of marjuana for personal use; allows localities to allow sale for non-medicinal purposes. Down w/senseless prohibition, and a small strike back against the encroaching police state!
Prop 23 -- NO NO NO NO NO!!!! Would suspend recent carbon emission regulation until the mythical date that statewide unemployment drops to 5.5% or less for a full year. Hahahahahaha! Do I even need to say what's wrong this? I like breathing, and dislike ruining the world, and even for those who care naught for either, eventually we're gonna have to replace oil as our primary energy source, and I'd rather we were at the forefront of this development instead of lagging.
Props where I'm leaning strongly and care a lot:
Prop 21 -- $18 surcharge on all vehicles , better funding for state parks. I would rather find a better way to fund the parks, like more taxes on the wealthy, and poor people really can't afford any increase on their taxes and I hate any sort of non-progressive tax increase. Since that isn't an option, and the parks are woefully, even criminally, underfunded, I'm almost certainly voting yes.
Prop 25: Gets rid of 2/3 majority vote for budget, w/out getting rid of 2/3 majority vote for tax increases. I would rather get rid of the 2/3 legislative vote for tax increases too, but in the meantime, I'll take this. Yes. (I mean, what, we're over 100 dyas past due w/the budget now? I also like the permanent forgeit of the legislature's daily salary and per diem for every day the budget is late; not fair w/the 2/3 requriement, but w/this change? I like.
The others I need to study more, but if any of you think I need to pay more attention to any, lemme know.
Elected offices:
Governor: Laura Wells, Green Party!!! Mind is almost certainly made up. I hate Meg Whitman. I hate Jerry Brown. I wish people would stop calling him Gov Moonbeam and talking about him like he's still the liberal he was in the 70's. His actual economic policy proposals are quite conservative, and have frightening amount of overlap w/Whitman's. Who would make the Arnold governorship look like we'd just had six years or so being run by the president of the Environmental Defense Fund. Really, Whitman like Arnold on Ayn Rand steroids without his environmental concern and forward thinking tendencies (tendencies, I say, only tendencies, let's not give him too much credit) on non-economic issues. She will be the worst governor in the history of the state. By far. OTOH, Brown? No. I don't give a full list of reasons why there's no chance in hell I'll vote for him only because I don't want to help Whitman's campaign, but he will suck at least 60% as bad as her, and I expect him to be about the same as Arnold, AT BEST. At worst? Make Pete Wilson look like the King of Awesome. (he won't be worse, but the times call for me, so he'll look worse)
Wells wants to create a state bank, which is at least an interesting innovation, get rid of the 1/3 legislative veto on tax increases, which is necessary for our survival, and generally has a good platform. Plus, I'm tired of picking 'tween two choices where the only consideration is whose policies will screw things up worse and faster, and neither is doing shit to help matters.
Senator: Okay, guys, if anyone who cares is reading this far, I'm persuadable. Make your case. The alternatives:
Boxer-- one of the best Dems in the Senate, no question. Alas, that statement is damning with faint praise. She is one of the best of a rotten bunch who should nearly all be scrapped. Including her, which I say with great sorrow because I have been a fan in the past..
Duane Roberts -- Normally, my default vote in close calls is Green. Duane Roberts is Green. He also has the following statement of purpose in the voter's guide: "See www.voteforduane.org" That's it. Nothing else. This lack of statement annoys me and makes me think he's not taking this seriously. So. What would be a probable vote for him instead isn't, and I may never bother w/the website. (ETA: I now learn they charge $25 per word for those statements, which is obviously a problem if you don't a lot of money and want to say something substantive. You'd *think* our state could give anyone who got on the ballot a free paragraph, at least, but apparently not. If anyone rich is reading this, please give the Cali Green Party enough money to pay for these statements next time around!)
Marsha Feinland -- Peace and Freedom Party. Problem 1: I'm not a socialist. Problem 2: I don't think we should have invaded Iraq (let's say I think this invasion was criminal and flat out evil) and our rationale in Afghanistan was questionable at best, but .. I don't think immediately withdrawing everyone from both places immediately is a good idea, either. That may not be what she means, but she sounds overly simplistic there. Otherwise, I like what she says. (single payer health care, better regulation of roporatins, increased environmental protection, better standards for workers). She will probably get my protest vote.
(Note: A vote for Fiorina is NOT HAPPENING; don't even try; ditto libertarian)
Lt Governor: Gavin Newsom, D, vs. James "Jimi" Castillo, Green. Much to like and dislike about Newsom. I'm probably voting for him. Again, I'm willing to listen to people on this one, at least if the polls aren't too close; if it's very close, I'm voting Newsom for sure, and hoping he lives up to his better past moments.
Secretary of State: Debra Bowen. I like her. She rocks. I also very much like the Green candidate and the Peace and Freedom candidates, but, hey, we actually have a democrat who's doing a good job. Let's reward this rare behavior!!!
Controller-- John Chiang. Here and the next, if the Dems don't screw up, I'll vote for them.
Treasurer--Bill Lockyer, tho if you want to convince me to vote Green or Peace and Freedom, give it a shot.
Atty General-- Kamala Harris, D. Almost certainly. If it was just her or Peter Allen (Green), I'd probably vote Allen. But I so don't want Steve Cooley (the republican), and Harris seems pretty decent for a major party candidate, these days.
Was going to say more, but need to go start pulling my work-weight around here now. Like anyone even read this far. :P