I'd make a pretty good dictator... Woody Allen knows what's up.I'm certainly not as enthusiastic to vote as I was in 2008. And I can also be a cynical douche from time to time (read: most of the time), but voting actually does make a difference. If you'd rather send Meg Whitman to Sacramento than Jerry Brown, you are really dumb. For real. Word to Antoine.
First things first, the candidates I care about seeing win:
Jerry Brown, Governor
Barbara Boxer, Senator
Gavin Newsom, Lieutenant Governor
Debra Bowen, Secretary of State
Kamala D. Harris, Attorney General
Tom Torlakson, Superintendent of Public Instruction
And now, on to the propositions:
Prop 19 This one's a no-brainer. But as I wrote a few months back, the "movement" to legalize marijuana is sadly spearheaded by... no-brainers. For fuck's sake, the strongest vocal supporters of prop 19 in the hip hop "community" have been Asher Roth and Wale - two perennial losers. Prop 19 should pass because it's ridiculous to allow drug cartels to maintain their free reign; because it'd clear out the prison population of non-violent offenders. Prop 19 won't pass because the powers that be want to maintain those drug cartels; because the prison industrial complex benefits greatly from crowded prisons. A few months back, the polling on Prop 19 was doing pretty well. In the past month or so, the tides have shifted and it seems as if Prop 19 will simply go up in smoke. What's sad about this is that even the Democrats are against Prop 19. No "credible" politician will outrightly support it... in California. I'm still voting yes on Prop 19, hoping for a mary jane miracle.
Prop 20 This one's being funded by a wealthy guy (read: Republican) who seeks to impose new congressional redistricting that would ultimately reduce the number of House seats held by Democrats. Now, look. The Democrats are major fuck ups. But the lesser of two evils ought to prevail, and I'm moving if California ever turns red. No on Prop 20.
Prop 21 This proposition seeks to save state parks, keeping them open and free of charge. Can you imagine a world in which you'd need to pay an admission fee to see some redwoods upstate? Madness. In exchange, the vehicle registration fee is bumped up an extra $18 a year - a price I'm willing to pay for preserving what makes this country great. Yes on Prop 21.
Prop 22 Cuts can be a good thing sometimes. But these cuts would be at the expense of health care and other vital services but also, most importantly, education. I'm not okay with that. No on Prop 22.
Prop 23 Like Prop 19, you've probably heard about this one too. Prop 23 is being funded by two Texas oil companies - Valero and Tesoro - so you know it's mad sheisty. Prop 23 seeks to destroy California's long-standing record of environmental protection, essentially repealing the state's laws on global warming. A big no on Prop 23.
Prop 24 Prop 24 seeks to close corporate tax loopholes. Good. Yes on Prop 24.
Prop 25 As it stands right now here in California, lawmakers need to reach a 2/3rds agreement in order to pass the state budget on time. Legislators haven't met the deadline in 23 years because of this rule which allows partisans (read: Republicans) to block any movement. Forty-seven states have a majority vote. California should too. Definitely a yes on Prop 25.
Prop 26 Don't get Props 25 and 26 confused! Prop 26 seeks to impose a 2/3rds-required vote in order for the legislature to seek paid dues from companies who pollute in our state. It's basically impossible to reach a 2/3rds consensus on anything in this country - and the corporations who are backing this measure know that all too well. A strong no on Prop 26!
Prop 27 This proposition would eliminate the commission that was formed in light of Prop 11 passing in 2008. I'm inclined to vote in favor of this proposition because it seems like the prudent thing to do. Yes on Prop 27 - but not nearly as crucial as the other eight propositions.
Recap:
Yes on Prop 19 • No on Prop 20 • Yes on Prop 21 • No on Prop 22 • No on Prop 23
Yes on Prop 24 • Yes on Prop 25 • No on prop 26 • Yes on Prop 27
