Election '08 by Gus, Part 12: My endorsements

Here are my endorsements for the CA general election on 11/4:

National:

President: Barack Obama

Thoughtful, intellectually curious, intelligent, compassionate, and potentially transformational. In short, what we need more of in our leadership at all levels.


State:

Proposition 1, High Speed Rail Bonds: YES

SF to LA in 2.5 hrs at $50 a person? Sign me up. That shit can't happen quickly enough.


Proposition 2, Standards for Confining Farm Animals: NO

Redundant- CA law already protects animal welfare and safety. Enforce the existing regulations as the supply side strategy. The rest of it can be handled by demand side consumer preferences (i.e., buying cage-free eggs, etc.)


Proposition 3, Children's Hospital Bond Act: NO

Redundant- only $400M of the $750M that was authorized in Proposition 61 in November 2004 has been awarded. Spend the other $350M you already have, and once that's spent, if there's really an argument for more I'll be happy to consider it.


Proposition 4, Waiting Period and Parental Notification Before Termination of a Minor's Pregnancy: NO

Raise your kids well, and they won't get pregnant as minors, thus obviating the need for this law.

Failing that, raise your kids semi-competently, and they'll involve you in the decision-making, thus obviating the need for this law.

Or, just raise your kids like you don't know what the hell you're doing. Sorry, but I don't feel like changing the legal code to bail you out of the consequences of your incompetent parenting.


Proposition 5, Nonviolent Drug Offenses: YES

Drug use is primarily a public health problem, not a law enforcement problem. I have no problem throwing violent drug cartel members in jail, but your average idiot walking around with a little bag of weed is hardly a major threat to society.


Proposition 6, Police and Law Enforcement Funding: NO

After Proposition 8, which I will get to shortly, this one is the most offensive to me. It isn't even the usual shitty proposition that increases already stiff sentencing rules in a blatant, shameless effort to pander to people's baser instincts:

Politician 1: I think we should have mandatory sentences for all people convicted of jaywalking of 100 years in prison, after which time their rotting corpses will be pissed on, then cremated, and then the ashes locked up for the next 10,000 years in the Yucca Mountain facility with all the leaking nuclear waste.

Politician 2: I don't know, I kind of think our current policy of 25 years in prison, including daily raging anal fistula, is sufficient.

Politician 1: WHAT? How DARE you insult decent, hardworking folks. SOFT ON CRIME! SOFT ON CRIME! Why do you love criminals and hate America???

Politician 2: NO! NO! I'm NOT soft on crime!! I... I... I think we should take the jaywalkers, and put them, still alive, in barrels full of spent nuclear fuel and put them in Yucca Mountain for 10,000 years!

And that, friends, is how sentencing laws are developed in this country. But this proposition isn't even really that. No, it's an attempt to legislate that a fixed amount of the general budget gets spent on law enforcement. Screw budget negotiations! Screw schools! Screw all the other stuff that needs money! Yes, we'll make a naked grab for dollars, but embed it WITHIN a blatant, shameless effort to pander to people's baser instincts.

Crap. Crap crap crap. Seriously, who writes this shit?


Proposition 7: Renewable Energy Generation: NO

Another favorite strategy of mine- naming your proposition the opposite of what it actually does.

This one creates thresholds for renewable energy sourcing, but establishes a minimum power requirement for getting a permit at 30 megawatts, which is more than what 60% of renewable energy providers can produce (since most renewable energy providers are pretty small). That will wipe out a hefty fraction of the renewable power suppliers. Also, the permitting authority is transferred from local government, where it currently resides, to the state Energy Commission. Then, the measure raises the targets for renewable sourcing, while simultaneously removing the provision that requires utilities that fail to meet the target in a given year to make up for that loss by procuring additional renewable energy in later years.

In short, wipe out a new industry of small providers so that the large energy suppliers of old can get around someday to providing what the smaller providers already do. Oh, and we'll make sure there's no real penalty for failing to get around to doing it.


Proposition 8, Amending the State Constitution to Eliminate the Right of Same-Sex Couples to Marry: NO

I regret that I have but one vote to cast against this stinking piece of bigoted, pseudo-legislative crap.

Seriously, people, this is the 21st fucking century. What I love about America is that if you want to hate gay people, you're totally welcome to do within the confines of your own exceedingly small mind. In fact, you're even free to shout out your bigotry from the very rooftops. And I would go to the mat to protect your right to do so.

But do not touch the Constitution. Keep your angry, close-minded, bigoted hands off.


Proposition 9, Constitutional Amendment of Victims' Rights, Parole for Criminals, etc.: NO

This one is like a hybrid of Props 6 and 8: a constitutional amendment to enshrine forever a blatant, shameless effort to pander to people's baser instincts. I have nothing new to add- this thing is crap.


Proposition 10, Alternative Fuel Vehicles Bonds: NO

I went back and forth on this one a little. It appears to be a move to get more trucks on natural gas, which is supplied by a company that is owned by the author of the proposition.

Thing is, the U.S. has a reasonable amount of natural gas. It doesn't have a lot of oil. So although it wouldn't necessarily help much on the renewable fuels front, I was willing to entertain the idea just on the basis of being able to rely more on domestic energy production.

That said, this proposition boils down to borrowing $10B to hand out $50K subsidies per truck to anyone willing to trade their crappy gasoline-powered truck for a slightly less crappy natural gas truck. In the end, I think the marginal benefit of this scheme is less than the marginal cost.


Proposition 11, Redistricting Constitutional Amendment: YES

Much as I hate constitutional amendments, the current system is definitely rigged for incumbents, so having a defined process that incumbent legislators don't have direct control over sounds like a nice try. If it doesn't work, another state can figure out a better way.


Proposition 12, Veterans' Bonds: YES

This appears to be a straightforward continuance of a reasonably well-run, reasonably low-impact program fiscally.


Get out and vote on Tuesday, folks!