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.

Continue Voting No

Proposition 4 was called Proposition 73 in 2005, and it got voted down. It was called Proposition 85 in 2006, and met the same fate. Now, it appears on the ballot again with essentially the same language, and it continues to be a bad idea. I'm getting pretty tired of these people trying to tell me how my family should be. If a minor is seeking an abortion, and she hasn't told her parents, has it occurred to any of the supporters of this measure to ask why she isn't telling her parents? I'm sure all the supporters grew up in nurturing supportive families. But guess what? Not everybody has that luxury.

The argument in favor of Proposition 4 that appears in the Voter Information Guide says, “When abortions are kept secret, adult sexual predators go free.” My question is this: what the Hell are you talking about? Really, that's a pretty roundabout connection. Here's another connection: when people are faced with restrictions, they find ways to circumvent those restrictions. The speed limit on the freeway is 65 miles per hour. We drive 70. Marijuana is illegal. We smoke it anyway. The drinking age is 21. I got drunk for the first time when I was 16.

When a minor pregnant girl circumvents a restriction on getting an abortion without notifying her parents, the results could be catastrophic for her. This law isn't going to save any lives, and it's not going to put any sexual predators in prison. It's going to drive young girls to coat hangers and shop vacs instead of abortion clinics staffed with doctors and professionals. Further, it's going to allow the religious zealots that are trying to take over this country to begin to whittle away at abortion rights.

Here's a little food for thought. Freakonomics, by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner makes an interesting connection. The Roe v. Wade decision, which essentially legalized abortion in the United States, was written by the US Supreme Court in 1973. Within 20 years, the crime rate dropped nationwide. Levitt and Dubner suggest in Freakonomics that a connection may exist. Abortion leads to fewer children born into situations where they are not wanted. Unwanted children have a higher tendency towards crime, on account of not growing up in loving homes. Fewer unwanted children, therefore, may lead to less crime. When coupled with evidence presented in the book, this argument is fairly compelling. The book is fascinating, and I highly recommend it.

The people who oppose abortion and work to get it made illegal are the same people who champion abstinence-only sex education. They want no abortion, no birth control, and they expect kids to listen when they're told not to have sex. I'm sure that will be a highly effective means of preventing teen pregnancy, just like posting a sign that says the speed limit is 65 miles per hour. If you want to fix the problem of children with bad parents, eliminating options for “family planning” is not the way to do it. Maybe instead, everybody should be required to use birth control until they take and pass a parenting class and demonstrate that they are qualified to reproduce and take care of their children. But let's not make new laws that will encourage more breeding and building of dysfunctional family situations.