11/5/08

Fall 2008 Election Results

On the national scene, the Obama-Biden ticket won the Presidential election. Barack Obama will become the 44th President of the United States and the first African-American to do so.

The Democrats have also taken control of the House of Representatives and the Senate. So, these next few years will all be on the shoulders of the Democrats. If they falter, then in the next election, the power to control will swing in the Republican favor. Although, if the Republicans go with Sarah Palin as their ticket, then we might get an Independent as our next president. How cool would that be?

As of November 6, 2008 10:00am, 99% of the votes have been tabulated for California and 100% for San Francisco:
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11/4/08

Fall 2008 Election Predictions

Again, I was 8 for 10 in my June 2008 election predictions and 8 for 10 in the election before that, so I am feeling pretty good about my predictions for tonight’s November 4, 2008 election.

California Propositions

Prop 1A – Safe, Reliable High-Speed Passenger Train Bond Act.
Proposition 1A will start the process of building a high speed passenger train stretching from Sacramento to San Diego.
Vote: Yes
Prediction: No

Prop 2 – Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act.
Proposition 2 will force farms to allow enough room for certain animals to stand up, lay down, and turn 360 degrees without touching the enclosure.
Vote: No
Prediction: Yes

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11/4/08

CA: Prop 12 – Veterans’ Bond Act of 2008

Proposition 12 calls for $900 million bonds to be issued to subsidize the Cal-Vet Home Loan Program. Since its inception in 1921, 420,000 veterans have been able to purchase homes via the Cal-Vet program. The program is self-sufficient in that the state is paid back by the participating veterans via their mortgage payments. The current fund in the program is down to $102 million.

The men and women of the armed forces put their lives on the line to protect our way of life. This is the least we can do for them on their return to their home. The fact that the state will recoup the costs from the veterans themselves proves this program is a win-win situation.

11/4/08

CA: Prop 11 – Voters FIRST Act

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.

11/4/08

CA: Prop 10 – The California Renewable Energy and Clean Alternative Fuel Act

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.

11/4/08

CA: Prop 9 – Victims’ Bill of Rights Act of 2008: Marsy’s Law

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.

11/4/08

CA: Prop 7 – The Solar and Clean Energy Act of 2008

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.

11/4/08

CA: Prop 6 – Safe Neighborhoods Act: Stop Gang, Gun, and Street Crime.

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.

11/4/08

CA: Prop 5 – Nonviolent Offender Rehabilitation Act of 2008.

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.

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