Proposition 11 will change the people who govern the boundaries of districts used to elect public officials every ten years. Proposition 11 will create an unnecessary process to give 3 democrats, 3 republicans and 3 independents the power to choose the people who will oversee the distribution of boundary lines.
Rather than going through the whole process of picking those favoring the party views, we should just leave it to the legislature to complete the task. The legislature is chosen by the people to follow through on their interests. We don’t need a group of nine chosen by one office to decide our interests.
Proposition 10 will create a five billion dollar fund to help subsidize consumers who purchase alternative energy vehicles. Yes, you heard it right. The state will pay people to buy cars.
*golf clap*
We all want to jump off the petreoleum bandwagon and into the clean and renewable energy cycle, but the state shouldn’t have to give us an incentive to do so. The decision to purchase a clean car should be up to the individual. They should calculate the cost of fuel and maintenance of a regular car compared to the clean car to decide whether or not to make the purchase.
The fund is not limited to subsidizing car owners; a quarter of the fund will go towards companies researching ways to produce clean vehicles with no expectation of return to taxpayers. Another twenty-five million will go towards educating people about the wholesomeness of purchasing clean vehicles.
Proposition 10 will basically fund the research, production, sale and marketing of car companies pimping their new product.
Proposition 9 will keep members of the prison community in prison for a longer period of time, pay for damages done unto the victim using the prisoner’s money, and reduce the number of parole hearings for lifers.
In the news, we always here about criminals with life sentences bogging down the court with appeal after appeal with no chance of the appeal going through. Proposition 9 will limit the number of appeals so the state will save money in this area.
I am unsure as to whether or not lifers are given the chance to appeal when a new technology is created that may help them prove their innocence, such as the revelation of DNA. It would be wrong to not allow inmates the chance to appeal their case if the new technology proves their innocence.
I am on the fence on this one. It is basically one of those heart vs brain battles.
Proposition 8 has most likely the shortest legal text in the voter guide. Proposition 8 makes a marriage of one man and one woman as the only recognized form of marriage in California.
I am voting no on Proposition 8. I believe it is a form of discrimination.
Currently, the state requries public utilities to use renewable sources of energy of up to 20% of their capacity by 2010. Proposition 7 is hoping to tack on two more deadlines to the current deadline–40% by 2020 and 50% by 2025.
The opponents of Proposition 7 argue this measure was hastily thrown together to be voted on the November ballot. I agree with them. Tacked at the end of the measure, there is power given to the Energy Commission to sell or lease property to private bidders for generation and/or transmission of renewable energy. Whose property is this and why only to private bidders?
There is just too much information to digest right now. The original deadline has not come to pass yet; in two years, we can revisit this topic again.
Proposition 6 will set aside one billion dollars to be spent on state and local justice programs. The proposition also calls for harsher penalities to gang-related crimes, methamphetamine sales, and vehicle theft.
A billion dollars is needed for this proposition? Really?
So it would cost us a billion now to extend the penalties and five hundred million later to rectify our mistakes (see Proposition 5). Why should it matter if a crime is done when in a gang or not? Each person should be treated accordingly on an individual basis. A murder is a murder no matter if it is gang-related or not.
Proposition 5 will shorten the prison terms for certain drug offenses. There is a rehabilitation program thrown in there somewhere and a creation of a panel to oversee the changes. Oh, it will also cost taxpayers $460 million annually to support this program.
I am a firm believer of the saying, “if you do the crime, you do the time.” Everyone has a choice when confronted with drugs. They could choose to use the drugs with the knowledge that they will become addicted and may go to prison or they could not. I am not paying to fix their problems if they choose poorly.
Currently, any unemancipated minor can have an abortion without notifying their parents or legal guardians. In the proposition, an unemancipated minor is a female under the age of 18 who has not entered into a valid marriage, is not on active duty in the armed services of the United States, and has not been declared free from her parents’ or guardians’ custody and control under state law.
Passing Proposition 4 will require the doctor to notify the parents or legal guardians either through phone or postage mail 48 hours before the procedure with a few exceptions.
Notification will be not be needed if the mother’s health is at-risk, the parent or legal guardian has waived the right of notification, the court has recognized the minor as being mature enough for the decision or the parents/legal guardian is abusive toward the child.
This sounds like a reasonable proposition. This is not stopping the abortion, it is just giving the parents or legal guardian a heads up on what is about to happen.
Proposition 3 asks of the California populace for permission to sell general obligation bonds up to $980 million in order to construct, expand, remodel, refurnish, and equip children hospitals. Seeing as how I just wrote a post to vote no on the animal cruelty proposition, it would be horrible for me to vote no on this one as well. But, I will be voting no. The reason?
On November 2004, voters passed Proposition 61 which sold $750 million worth of general obligation bonds for the same purpose. It has taken four years for roughly $400 million to be awarded to eligible hospitals. There is still $300 million sitting somewhere in the coffers collecting dust. Why do we need to add on another $980 million to the surplus when the state is already in debt? When they run out in three years, they can put this proposition back on the ballot.
Proposition 2 will require farmers to provide enough space for a pregnant pig, veal bovine and an egg-laying hen to lie down, stand up, turn fully around and stretch all its limbs without touching its enclosure at the risk of a fine up to $1000 and/or 180 days in jail.
My carnivorous spirit cringes at the amount of concessions we provide an animal that will be consumed in the near future. Don’t get me wrong, I do not support the actions of certain farmers that beat their livestock or carve them up for fun. But, really. The sole purpose of the livestock is to be food for us. They are not pets (which I think is cruel unto itself). There are already enough state laws covering the cruelty of animals.