Proposition for You
A Proposition for You
It’s been said that the ballot measures for the upcoming election are confusing. Not really.
We’ve noticed a paucity of chatter about the upcoming special election. Even Google searches don’t show up much.
That’s probably because almost no one cares. An informal Prospect poll shows that almost no on knows what the measures are, but they are going to vote against them, if they bother to vote. Many local voters have already not voted by shelving, losing, or tossing the ballet. There might be exceptions, but that’s the norm.
The Prospect staff took it upon themselves to research the propositions, and after almost five minutes of analysis came up with the following:
1. All the propositions were advanced by a group known for double dealing and newspeak: the Legislature. Essentially the legislature is coming to us like addicts begging us to make rules to hold them to so they can get better. In the mean time, they want us to slip them some cash, just to get a little sumptin-sumptin to hold them over. My response to that is this: comport yourselves appropriate to the task you were hired to and we won’t have to pass these convoluted laws.
2. The propositions use that special kind of language where a word means the opposite of what it usually does. To correct the language, you have to modify it. One good trick is to add the term “from behind” wherever the words “protect” or “insure” are used, so “the legislature would protect (from behind) teachers and children”.
3. They all, now or later, one way or the other, cost you and me money.
Propositions at a glance:
Prop What it “does” What it does
1A If the state ever made money again they would save some $16 Billion dollar tax increase
1B Give money to the schools they were entitled to by Prop 98 $16 Billion dollar tax increase
1C Let the lottery go commercial/sever link to school funding New gamblers/screw schools
1D Takes tobacco tax from First 5 to pay off other funds Robs Petey to pay Pauly
1E Takes $from MH services to pay for MH screening-that’s nuts! Helps fewer, but identifies more
1F Prevents pay raises if “Fund for Economic Uncertainties” is 0 Meaningless and stupid
Essentially, the economy is in the dumper and our elected royalty want to levy taxes against us to cover the shortage. Where will we get it, most of us are broke and a fifth of us are out of work. Several of these measures take money to cover Federal mandates, or to pay for programs we voters have already approved. Taking money away from us, or re-routing dedicated money to cover mandates, is a bad idea, and in the long run will slow economic recovery.
I think we should send the legislators back to do the work we elected them to. They need to carefully divide the pot they have, just as many of us are. Older people are taking half their medications to save money; families are deciding between food and clothing. The legislators need to trim their support of the rich, and curb the growth of the prison-industrial complex which cost us more than $25 billion last year.
The Prospect encourages you to vote your conscience, but we’ll vote No on all six measures.
A DIFFERENT OPINION HERE
It’s been said that the ballot measures for the upcoming election are confusing. Not really.
We’ve noticed a paucity of chatter about the upcoming special election. Even Google searches don’t show up much.
That’s probably because almost no one cares. An informal Prospect poll shows that almost no on knows what the measures are, but they are going to vote against them, if they bother to vote. Many local voters have already not voted by shelving, losing, or tossing the ballet. There might be exceptions, but that’s the norm.
The Prospect staff took it upon themselves to research the propositions, and after almost five minutes of analysis came up with the following:
1. All the propositions were advanced by a group known for double dealing and newspeak: the Legislature. Essentially the legislature is coming to us like addicts begging us to make rules to hold them to so they can get better. In the mean time, they want us to slip them some cash, just to get a little sumptin-sumptin to hold them over. My response to that is this: comport yourselves appropriate to the task you were hired to and we won’t have to pass these convoluted laws.
2. The propositions use that special kind of language where a word means the opposite of what it usually does. To correct the language, you have to modify it. One good trick is to add the term “from behind” wherever the words “protect” or “insure” are used, so “the legislature would protect (from behind) teachers and children”.
3. They all, now or later, one way or the other, cost you and me money.
Propositions at a glance:
Prop What it “does” What it does
1A If the state ever made money again they would save some $16 Billion dollar tax increase
1B Give money to the schools they were entitled to by Prop 98 $16 Billion dollar tax increase
1C Let the lottery go commercial/sever link to school funding New gamblers/screw schools
1D Takes tobacco tax from First 5 to pay off other funds Robs Petey to pay Pauly
1E Takes $from MH services to pay for MH screening-that’s nuts! Helps fewer, but identifies more
1F Prevents pay raises if “Fund for Economic Uncertainties” is 0 Meaningless and stupid
Essentially, the economy is in the dumper and our elected royalty want to levy taxes against us to cover the shortage. Where will we get it, most of us are broke and a fifth of us are out of work. Several of these measures take money to cover Federal mandates, or to pay for programs we voters have already approved. Taking money away from us, or re-routing dedicated money to cover mandates, is a bad idea, and in the long run will slow economic recovery.
I think we should send the legislators back to do the work we elected them to. They need to carefully divide the pot they have, just as many of us are. Older people are taking half their medications to save money; families are deciding between food and clothing. The legislators need to trim their support of the rich, and curb the growth of the prison-industrial complex which cost us more than $25 billion last year.
The Prospect encourages you to vote your conscience, but we’ll vote No on all six measures.
A DIFFERENT OPINION HERE
