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Help, I'm a Democrat!
Actually I meant to return to the Green Party after registering Democratic in 2004 to vote for Dennis Kuchinich, who really should be President now. But since I didn't change back, I have a Democratic ballot for the June primary. That's actually a lucky thing, since there's two people I know (well, one from thirty years back) and respect on the ballot.
I have mixed feelings about local races here in Siskiyou County. It's a beautiful place, and my friends are great, but as far as politics is concerned, there's a truly monumental task educating a lot of the populace here. Creepy religious brainwashing, a big problem. I never understood how someone can live in this incredible environment and not want to protect it. Of course I never understood how people in San Francisco can be ardent environmentalists and not go outdoors, either...
There's signs of change, still even the "progressive" candidates fall a bit short. And in this day and age, how difficult is it to put up a website if you're running for any office anywhere, really? I just don't understand...
Let's start with the propositions, there's only two and they're easy:
Proposition 81 - Library bonds - Yes
I'm not a fan of borrowing. Yet once again it seems like this is the only way to get vital public services financed. The ignorance lobby opposition's ballot argument includes some of the most unnecessarily ignorant and racist comments we've seen in a long time. They bring illegal aliens into the library issue. Big "Huh???". I hardly ever see aliens in the library, except for a few space aliens...
Their commentary shows just how far California's intellectual climate has deteriorated. Bloody idiots! Until we have rational fiscal policies (which is the real issue here), borrowing for libraries is the thing. I give this a lukewarm yes vote, since I actually do understand the issues. Having spent a lot of time in libraries, I'm not ignorant, and I appreciate that.
Proposition 82 - Preschool education and higher income tax - Yes
Couldn't we just tax the rich and leave it like that? This one tries to address two problems, and doesn't do a great job on either. Yet some good will come from it, so I'm voting another lukewarm yes.
The first problem is our educational system. Preschool education is a good thing, no doubt. California schools have been severely underfunded since Proposition 13 in 1978 and run by befuddled administrators who waste remaining dollars like there's no tomorrow. So I'm not convinced we ultimately need yet another special fund and bureaucracy. I'd like more bang for the buck, but there's so few bucks going to education now that passing this is better than not passing it. Unfortunately.
The second problem, strangely enough, gets hardly a mention in the ballot
arguments for either side. Extremely wealthy people (hey, I'm talking
much richer than me, or most anyone I know) don't pay their fair share
of taxes. I'm don't think there has to be a ceiling on wealth, but we
sure do need a floor. On the whole, our society has abundantly enough
for efficient, commonly funded education, health care, local fire
and
police,
emergency
service, roads, and other good programs. We should cut money for wars
of agression, prisons, bloated
homeland fatherland nazi security, corporate subsidies, etc.
Once that happens, we only need raise taxes for the
rich just a little bit. Which is
all this proposition does anyway, so the right wing should stop being
so damned greedy and chill out.
However, if the rich complain, I am in favor of make taxes simpler, and getting rid of all the nickel and dime fees. This would save money for everyone, rich and poor and in the middle. Tax accountants and meter maids might have to find productive jobs, but would that be bad? This proposition is a small bandaid over gaping damages caused by previous bad choices. Harrumph! Fine, then...
Democratic Primary Ballot
Governor - Phil Angelides
I knew Phil in Sacramento in 1977 when I was studying state government as part of my M.P.A. studies at U.S.C. He was just out of Harvard, and running for Sacramento City Council. A year older than me, it was already obvious this was a guy going places. And now he's running for Governor. I think he'd do a good job, by and large.
He was already a manager at the state Housing and Community Development department and an exceptionally creative and intelligent, if a bit nerdy guy. Somewhere there must be a picture of him with long shaggy hair. Maybe I have one in the boxes in my closet...
He's been a leader in socially responsible investments as State Treasurer, and knows state government and politics inside and out. His opponent Steve Wesley is just another rich guy with a political hobby, make no mistake, his interests are not yours. Of course Phil is still a Democrat, and his support of the death penalty is wrong, wrong, wrong. So I'll maybe vote for him in the Democratic primary, but go with Peter Camejo in November. Unless Phil wises up a bit more before then...
Lieutenant Governor - Liz Figueroa
I'm lukewarm about all three of the primary candidates. Liz Figueroa is the least of a political hack of the three, strong on health care, privacy, etc. And Dolores Huerta endorsed her, which is good enough for me.
Secretary of State - Debra Bowen
Gotta fight those diabolic Diebold electronic voting machines. And she seems to understand that better than Deborah Ortiz her opponent. Hope she can do some good...
Controller - Joe Dunn
How to go after unpaid tax money? Joe wants to go after Enron, while his opponent John Chiang wants to go after guys in pickup trucks paid in cash. No-brainer here. Even though Joe's web site looks like something out of the Twilight Zone...
Treasurer - Bill Lockyer
Because...he's the only one running?
Attorney General - Jerry Brown
Ack! I worked for the Legislature when Jerry was Governor. When he's good, he's very good. When he's bad, he's awful. Still, his opponent Rocky Delgadillo is a fascist who belongs on the Republican ticket. Another Green vote in the general election...
Insurance Commissioner - no recommendation
Making this an elective office seemed like a good idea at the time. But the lure of all that insurance company cash made it mostly a failed experiment. Is Charles Quackenbush still on the beach in Hawaii? Cruz Bustamante has taken too much cash to effectivly counter to one of the most corrupt industries on the planet. And John Kraft is a another cheesy cheese millionaire looking for a hobby. The good news is, when insurance rates go up, people may have to sell their cars...
Board of Equalization District 2 - no recommendation
Tim Raboy works for the agency so maybe he knows what he's doing. But he doesn't have a website or even much of a campaign, so who knows what he thinks? His opponent Tom Bright has a website, but he wants to sell you printing supplies and talk about motor racing and singing in church. This is stupid.
U.S. Senator - Colleen Fernald
Colleen's a friend of mine, a longtime Sonoma County peace activist. She's running on limited resources, because that's what has to be done. Colleen has integrity, great values and is a wonderful person as well. Diane Feinstein's completely useless, another Democrat who should be a Republican. Vote for Colleen!
House of Representatives - no recommendation
Here in Siskiyou County, we have some of the most Neanderthal elected
officials on the planet. Wally
Herger is
one of the worst nightmares in Congress, a complete idiot.
A
bible-thumping
mormon moron, it doesn't get much worse than
this guy. I could go on.
There are two candidates in the Democratic primary. A. J. Sekhon is missing a website and a campaign. Bill Falzett seems more serious about running, and has a number of good positions. While he's kind of for withdrawing from Iraq, he feels the need to support "a stronger military" and tell us how his son's there, which strikes me as sad, perhaps sub-optimal child rearing. He doesn't get the real concept of peace, unfortunately. Not a bad candidate, but not a good one, either...
State Senate - no recommendation
There must be someone to oppose Sam Aastead the Republican dentist, who therefore must be bad even if I can't prove it.
Paul Singh? Who is this guy?
State Assembly - no recommendation
The Republican Doug LaMalfa is another complete idiot.
Mel Smith? Who?
R. Glenn Hennemann? Who?
Who are these people anyway? Why don't they have websites? Why aren't Democrats an organized party? Why doesn't anything show up when you Google these candidates? Why don't the local papers cover these races? Geez...
Superintendent of Public Instruction - Sarah Knopp
It's really clear that Sarah's the best candidate - no military recruiting in the schools, right on! Finally someone who sees the value of education instead of training. I'm enthusiastic about her..
Other Siskiyou County Races
Ev Miller was endorsed by the Siskiyou Democrats for Superintendent of Schools despite an unreadable website! Also Greg Messer is the only non-Republican Supervisor candidate, with a little better website still needing work. So it's come to that for me, voting on the basis of HTML. Is it getting late? Assessor no contest, Auditor Trina Hale, County clerk no contest.
D.A and Sheriff offices self-select for fascism...Republicans endorsed Kirk Andrus and Rick Riggins...so I guess that means the lessers of two evils are Larry Arkfield and Charlie Simpson...but I'm not voting. Everyone on the ballot is an enthusiastic supporter of failed drug war and incarceration/death penalty policies that only make life worse. I'll stay on my mountain out of the way of these people, nothing to see here, no, no, nope...and finally, no contest for Treasurer-Tax Collector...
Whew!
Other people who sometimes agree with me:
More information resources:
Smart Voter - lots o'links
Project Vote Smart - even smarter?
Around the Capitol - lots o'inforrmation here
Fundrace - find out who your neighbors gave money to in 2004
Open Secrets - another place to follow the money, which is really the only way to understand politics in Amerika...