Get Your Vote On!

This nation was founded on the principle of democracy. A government of the people, for the people and by the people. In case you're wondering, “the people” are you and me. Obviously, we're not all sitting in Washington making the world go round, and the Bush administration has tarnished the word “democracy,” but as Tuesday November 4 (tomorrow) approaches, your opportunity to speak is upon you.

Your right to vote is the most important right you have in this country. Your vote is the way you participate in our republic. Your vote is your voice. You can write to your congressman all you want, but nothing speaks louder than when you vote his ass out of office for screwing up.

If you don't vote, then you might as well live in a totalitarian dictatorship, because by not participating, you waive your right to complain about whatever deal you get, raw or not. I suggest taking a little time to review the Voter Information Guide that was sent to you by your Secretary of State, and become at least superficially informed about the issues facing us in the upcoming election. Then, go and vote on Tuesday, November 4. Yes, that's tomorrow.

Here is a recap of the California Propositions on the ballot, and how I intend to vote. I, of course, suggest you do the same.

Proposition 1A: bond measure to begin construction on a high speed rail system connecting San Francisco and Los Angeles. The bond is not enough to complete the project, and the remaining ninety percent of the funding has not been secured. Proponents claim it will fix congestion, but the problem isn't getting from San Francisco to Los Angeles, it's getting from Oakland to San Francisco. Vote NO.

Proposition 2: animal rights on industrial farms. My heart says yes, my wallet says no. I hate to see animals getting mistreated. Proponents pick and choose their evidence to support the measure, but unless you work in the industry, you do not know what the conditions are like. We've heard a few horror stories of animal cruelty in the past few years, but those may be isolated incidents. On the other hand, passing this measure will require industrial farms to re-tool their entire operations. The costs will be great, and they will be passed on to the consumer. If you like meat and eggs, you may want to consider voting NO.

Proposition 3: Children's hospital bond. The hospitals just got a $750 million bond in 2004 under Proposition 61. Where did all that money go? In fact, it's not all gone yet. Vote NO.

Proposition 4: a constitutional amendment requiring a 48-hour parental notification period before minors will be allowed abortions. This measure discriminates against minors who do not have a functional and supportive family, and the dangers to these young girls could be catastrophic. This is another case of people attempting to impose their morality on everyone else and is a first step in whittling away the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision of 1973. Vote NO.

Proposition 5: puts non-violent drug offenders into treatment programs as opposed to prisons, saves the State of California billions of dollars annually, makes marijuana possession a ticketable offense instead of a misdemeanor. This is a step in the right direction for reforming the criminal justice system. Vote YES.

Proposition 6: allocates nearly $1 billion from the state's General Fund to pay for more police and more jails and prisons. It is throwing more money at the criminal justice system to continue operation, same as it ever was. It does not include any reform to the system or provide any proactive crime prevention. The solution proposed in Prop 6 is essentially to fight crime with more guns. Vote NO.

Proposition 7: mandates renewable energy. Alternative and renewable energy is going to be the product of research and development that will take place worldwide. A mandate requiring a certain percentage of renewable energy sources in California by a certain time is bound for failure. It will drastically increase energy costs and shut down small-scale renewable energy start ups (the ones who I think will eventually lead the charge in years to come). It's a nice idea, but it's not well prepared. I think it's back to the drawing board on this one. Vote NO.

Proposition 8: eliminates the right of homosexual couples to marry. Why don't we go ahead and not take rights away from people. In our advanced society, how is it that we can still allow bigotry to get even this close to our government. The law should treat every citizen of this country the same. Period. End of Story. Vote NO.

Proposition 9: the victims bill of rights. This measure gets in the way of an already-bogged-down criminal justice system by adding more requirements to it, that really don't advance the process at all, but it sure will make it cost more. Vote NO.

Proposition 10: this measure includes a nice idea of state-funded rebates for the purchase of alternative fuel vehicles. Proponents claim that it will remove “polluting diesels” from our roads. It turns out diesel vehicles are the ones that keep trade moving, and diesel engines are where the biggest advances on clean air vehicles have been. While eventually, we will need to move on to a different energy source than oil, any interim plan is going to involve oil until we find something else that is economically viable. See the article I wrote about that here. And vote NO.

Proposition 11: redistricting. Right now, the legislature sets district boundaries in California, and they do it to suit their own reelection needs. This measure takes it out of their hands and eliminates this conflict of interest. Vote YES.

Proposition 12: bond measure for a veteran's home loan program that has been in place for a long time. The costs incurred by this measure would be wholly borne by recipients of loans under the program. I can't see any reason why not. Vote YES.