Time to Vote
Tomorrow is election day, and while I’m cautiously hopeful that the Democrats will be able to wrest control of Congress from the Republicans, and hopefully grow a collective spine while they’re at it, and stop the rapid decline of our country and loss of freedoms, I’m having trouble getting revved up about the local elections here in California. The most exciting part to me will be that the constant barrage of political phone calls will stop.
I’m not a fan of Arnold Schwarzenegger. His ‘special elections’ showed a complete disregard for the will of the voters, and they cost California a LOT of money that should have been much better spent elsewhere. Personally, I think he should start writing some checks, because he owes us. The reason he was elected a few years ago was that Davis was known for taking money and giving favors whereever he thought was politically expediant. That’s pretty much the definition of a politician to me, but if I could find one who didn’t behave that way, I’d certainly raise a glass in toast to them, and be happy to be wrong. Arnold has turned out to be far worse than even Davis in this regard, an issue that rarely comes up. So no, I won’t be voting for Arnold. But he’s so clearly going to win in a humiliating landslide, and I still don’t have any idea what Angelides even stands for, other than that he’s a Democrat.
Our Senator, Diane Feinstein (Democrat) is up for reelection, but since I don’t even know the name of her opponent, I’m guessing that will be another humiliating defeat. Kind of interesting to me that a Democrat and a Republican are both pretty much shoo-ins in the same state.
Then we get to the ballot initiatives. Gosh, there are a lot of them, and mostly, I’m not sure what they are all about. The pro sides tell me that a vote for them is a vote for California, and the anti sides tell me that a vote for them is a vote to ruin California, and there doesn’t seem to be a lot of room in the middle. We have 15 initiatives to vote on, and they’re mostly as confusing as hell.
I’m sure about prop 85, which would put a waiting period on abortions for minors, requiring that parents be notified by the doctor and 48 hours let pass before an abortion can be performed. Do I want girls to talk to their parents before going through something as dangerous and major and emotional as an abortion? Of course I do. Do I want a girl who is afraid for her safety to have to do so? Absolutely not. And you know what? There is no law PREVENTING girls from talking to their parents. So I’m voting no on this one.
I had to think a little bit more about prop 83, which would implant GPS devices on convicted sex offenders once they have served their terms in prison. The mom part of me thought, hell yes, I need to do whatever needs to be done to keep my child safe. But another part of me knows that most sexual crimes are committed in families, and this law would do nothing to protect those children. Time would be spent searching for all of the GPS devices of ex-offenders, and not as much searching for the child. And, I believe it is a loss of civil liberties to have the government tracking people via GPS devices, and that’s a slippery slope down which we have already traveled too far. So while there are PARTS of this bill that I think might be helpful, I’m not going to vote for it. That doesn’t make me soft on crime, but I do think it makes me more realistic as to the corruption inherent in this kind of program, and in the basic ineffectiveness of such a system.
I’m voting for prop 87, which I’m hopeful will help bring about alternative energy to California. Being the most populated state in the Union, we use far more than our share of natural resources, and I think we need to put in our fair share of effort towards a solution.
There’s a prop to increase funding to schools, which the yes people say is a great idea, and the no people say won’t help our schools in the least and is a big lie. Guess I’ll vote for that, since I do believe in schools and that California grossly under funds them as things currently stand. There’s a cigarette tax that seems a bit excessive to me ($2.60 MORE per pack. Not carton, per pack). I’m not a fan of the cigarette companies, and I would love to see them all go out of business in a hot second, but I’m not sure this is the answer.
There’s one that would limit eminant domain, which I’m all for, since under current law, if the government thinks a new Starbucks would be of more use to your community than your house would, they can boot you out and put in a Starbucks. There are other provisions in the iniative that I’m not completely clear on, but I guess I’m as clear as I’m going to get.
There are a bunch of judges…I don’t tend to vote on them…I don’t know anything about them or their voting records, so I’m not sure which way I should go, and I don’t want my vote to go against someone good or for someone I don’t like.
The thing is, for me, that California’s system seems pretty strange. Our voting pamphlet tells us how our State government voted on some of these propositions. But the way our system works, their vote doesn’t really mean much, we have to go on and vote for or against them after that. I guess we don’t trust the people that we put in office to do our will in the least. It’s disheartening, and exhausting, and I suspect it keeps folks home from the poles. That’s the shame of it, that people stay home.
So please, get out and vote tomorrow. It’s your right, your privilege, and your duty. If you don’t know how you feel on an issue, either learn about it or leave it blank , but get out there and let your voice be heard on the issues that matter the most to you. And enjoy the peace and quiet of your phone come Wednesday. I know I will.
16 Comments
Ml
The anticipation is just killing me! I can’t wait for it to all be over so I can settle on one mood – happy cause the Democrats won something or pissed off cause the Repubs made another sweep in this dumb state!
Beenzzz
I certainly plan on voting. In fact, I think we are going to do the early thing and get it over and done with today!
Maya's Granny
Exactly. We only have two propositions and they are easy to understand. Very short ballot — I voted early last week and it took little time.
Amy
I already voted via absentee, since I’ll be in Delaware on election day. Prop 85 was the only one that was easy to figure out.(No, of course) The other ones took what felt like hours of slogging through all the pro and con arguments etc etc. I can’t even remember now how I voted, but I did check my votes against the democratic ticket on line, and I was about 80% democratic, which is about standard for me.
Gina
Yes, already voted absentee. I tend to look at what groups are for/against a proposition. It can often be a good indicator of what is really behind it.
Py Korry
On KCBS this morning, they did a story that said that 3 million people will decide the California election. 3 million in a state of 33 million!
We’ll be two of those 3 million, so I hope the election goes the way we hope!
Dot
I already voted absentee. I’ll be glad when tomorrow is OVER. The commercials are killing. Now they have singing commercials on the radio. ACK My ears are bleeding.
ally bean
I’m ready to vote– have my list of who I’m voting for and how I’m voting on whatever. It takes so much effort just to be informed, let alone remember what to do when you get to the voting precinct that I’m not surprised that so many people blow off the chance to vote. I don’t think that is right, just not surprised by it.
Pony Storm
There is something very satisfying about going to the precinct polling place, casting your vote, and tackling the rest of the day with a certain sence of anticipation (and hope.) I remember my Mom taking my Grandmother and Great Grandmother to vote when they were too old to make it without assistance. Then I took my Mom to the polls when she became too arthritic to go it alone. What a reassuring feeling! Someday, if I last that long, someone’s gonna have to carry me into the voting place, because I’m not going to quit voting…and I always make up my mind at the last moment. Voting absentee would leave me feeling in doubt.
Black Belt Mama
Isn’t there some kind of clause with the abortion bill that would allow girls afraid of their attackers/parents to get a judge to allow them to go through with it without parental consent?
And as far as the sexual predator one goes. . . I only wish that was up for vote in my state. As far as I’m concerned, once you’ve committed a sexual crime against a child (family or not) you should have no rights. There is no rehabilitation for those predators. If we have to let them out of jail, at least a GPS would maybe help put some fear in them, and allow us not to lose track of them.
And as far as the phone calls go. . . Amen. I can’t wait until they’re over. They have woken up my napping child so many times that I could just scream. . .
wordgirl
If I lived in California, I think I’d be as conflicted as you are about those voting choices. Imminent Domain has just gone completely off the deep end. I’m with you. And the chip implant? Not sure how I feel about that.
Susan in Italy
So many absentee voters! I mailed my Illinios ballot in from Milan last month. You brought up voting for judges and how hard it is to be informed about it. I agree completely. I have never found enough info on them to warrant my voting them in or out with a conscience. Too bad.
Lalunas
This is a very unnerving election. Will my vote count or will their fancy new computerized voting machine somehow mess up my preferences. With all the media reports on the voting computers having problems I debated voting. What is the poin, it will be messed up again and the reporters will just say something like, the state of California votes are undetermined due to a computer error. Then I though, oh this might be a conspiracy to keep voters away from the pole. Weighing the odds I am going to vote, if just for the sake of getting a, I voted sticker…
Jenny's BFF
Wow! I didn’t realize that the abortion measure was on the ballot in multiple states. It’s a very sensitive issue here in Oregon. I also voted no. Thinking back on my own youth made me realize that teens do what they will. Legal or not. I can’t imagine passing a law that may lead to an increase of dangerous, illegal abortions for young women.
In Oregon we vote by mail exclusively. It’s quite convenient. The most difficult part of the process is sifting through all of the agenda-laden materials to learn what you are really voting for.
Melissa
I already mailed mine in, but I voted just like you’re going too. I sometimes wonder who exactly voted for Arnie. I know for sure, i didn’t.
ann adams
I have to finish ours up today, take to it Ray, and drop it off tomorrow. His hospital stay threw me off.
Re National Doughnut day. Sorry you missed it but according to my desktop calendar, today is National Peanut Butter & Jelly Day. Does that work for you?