California Voting

Shit! A week since I blogged? While I'm obviously not slavish about it, that's waaaaaaaay too long and I apologize.

Ever since I turned 18, I've been very serious about voting. I believe being informed about the issues and casting a ballot is a sacred right in our democracy.

So, here's how I'm voting on Tuesday:

President--Bob Barr. Yes, he's late to the Libertarian philosophy, but better late than never.

In California we have ballot propositions. Basically, anyone who can gather enough signatures can get one of these on the ballot. Oh, and they can only cover one issue. Some of our country's biggest political movements (for better or for worse) have started with the initiative process.

Prop 1a

• 1A - California High Speed Rail Bond. S.B. 1856. As usual, transportation propositions sound attractive since our traffic is so bad. My question for this one is, if building high-speed rail through the state is such a great idea (e.g., people will take it and will be self-sufficient), where's the private money to start such a venture? NO
  
• 2 - Treatment of Farm Animals. Again, let the market decide, just like there is now a market for organic food. Besides, the state can't even police working conditions for migrant farm workers. Now we're going to ask it to do the same for farm animals? NO
  
• 3 - Children's Hospital Bond Act. Grant Program. Statute. A favorite strategy of initiative proponents is to float bond measures (e.g., borrow money) instead of raising taxes to pay for their projects. While technically true, money has to come out of the budget to pay the principle and interest on these bonds, and taxes may eventually have to be raised to do so. With very few exceptions, I think that is immoral to pay for our projects with our kids' money. Two hospitals near me have been shut down recently and this bond wants to bill more? I don't think building more is the answer. NO
  
• 4 - Waiting Period and Parental Notification Before Termination of Minor's Pregnancy. Constitutional Amendment. (third attempt at Proposition 73). These anti-choice people just can't take no for an answer. Whether a minor informs her parents about getting an abortion is none of the state's business. Period. No
  
• 5 - Nonviolent Offenders. Sentencing, Parole and Rehabilitation. Statute. Drug use should not be a crime. Putting non-violent drug offenders in jail is stupid and a waste of money, particularly when you consider how crowded CA prisons are. This prop will save money and take a step towards a more rational approach to drug users in the state. YES
  
• 6 - Criminal Penalties and Laws. Public Safety Funding. Statute. This is one of the propositions that gets on the ballot because the state legislature can't effectively do its job of passing important bills (see #11). There are some things I like about this bill and others that I don't. However, since it has written into it that it would require a 3/4 percent vote to repeal, I say NO.
  
• 7 - Renewable Energy. Statute. Normally, I would support this because the big utility companies are against it, so it must be a threat. However, the initiative will drive out smaller renewable energy companies (who are likely to be the most innovative) and would require a 2/3 vote to repeal. NO
  
• 8 - Eliminates the Rights of Same-Sex Couples to Marry. Initiative Constitutional Amendment. The campaign for this initiative is hilarious in that neither side mentions gay people wanting to get married. It's all about whether the school will have to teach about gays and lesbians getting married and crap like that. All of the agents of intolerance in our state (and out of it) are in favor of this proposition. Why? Because they think same-sex sex is gross and they think it goes agisnt the bible. When they start shopping at the kosher butcher I'll start taking them seriously. Everyone should have the right to marry whomever they love. Period. No, NO and HELL NO on this proposition.
  
• 9 - Criminal Justice System. Victims' Rights. Parole. Constitutional Amendment and Statute. This initiative puts emotion into our justice system. Not a good idea. NO.
  
• 10 - Alternative Fuel Vehicles and Renewable Energy. Statute. It's got a great name, but it takes money out of the budget for private purposes. Oh, and by the way, the ports in Long Beach and LA worked out a similar deal for their truckers without there being a law. What a concept. NO.
  
• 11 - Redistricting. Constitutional Amendment and Statute. Every 10 years in CA, sitting members of the lesislature get together and draw up congressional and state voting districts based on the census. What they do during this blatantly political exercise is design "safe" districts for each other (large majorities of dems or reps). This has had several bad effects in Sacramento. First, it allows the extreme views of both parties to win elections because those running know they don't have to appeal to centrists. Second, the reps got themselves enough safe districts so they can obstruct the CA budget which requires a 3/4 majority to pass. The process for choosing this non-partisan group to draw the boundaries may be imperfect, but what we have now sucks. The only official opponents of this measure are those politicians and groups who have a strong intereste in the status quo. YES.
  
• 12 - Veterans' Bond Act of 2008. S.B. 1572. We're in debt with a bad housing market and we're going to give one group of people easy credit to buy houses? Isn't this part of what got us in this mess? NO
  

Whatever's going on in your state, please vote on Tuesday. I'm going to bring the HB and NZS with me to the polls. Teach your children well.