Barack Obama for President. Beyond all the hype and the inspirational speeches and the cool demeanor, Obama has laid out fundamentally sound plans for this country that will give a significant amount of help to those that need it. He'll fight for better health care coverage at lower costs, he'll help give more people the opportunity to go to college, he'll gradually end the war in Iraq in a careful and responsible manner, and the list goes on with plenty of reasons that have been endlessly discussed and analyzed. He's not the cure-all for all of this country's problems. But time and again, he's differentiated himself from most politicians by showing a genuine sense of compassion for the American people, coupled with ideas and solutions that demonstrate a strong understanding of how the world works and what this country needs. I mean, look at Obama compared to John Kerry's campaign four years ago. At this crucial time, we finally have a candidate that goes beyond the standard red state/blue state rhetoric and actually brings forward plans and a mindset that can give us hope for a better tomorrow, and that candidate is Barack Obama.
And now, the propositions
Prop 1A: Bond money to fund a high speed train - Our state is in the middle of a budget crisis, and we really don't have a lot of money to spend on projects that aren't totally essential. But the concept of a bullet train allowing for quick, easy travel from San Francisco to Los Angeles to San Diego just sounds like too great of an idea to pass up. There are plenty of budget concerns here, but I'll probably be voting yes.
Prop 2: Slightly bigger cages for farm animals - It's sad that we need a statewide proposition for what should already be common sense. And the entire No on 2 argument has just been a bunch of xenophobic bullshit. Come on people, vote yes.
Prop 3: Bond money for children's hospitals - Sure, why not? Yes.
Prop 4: Establishes 48-hour waiting period and parental notification requirement for unemancipated minors seeking abortions, with limited exceptions - With all the hoopla going on about Prop 8, Prop 4 has kind of faded into the background, which is unfortunate because Prop 4 would make pretty serious changes to the state constitution as well. There were similar measures on the ballot in 2005 and 2006, and both were defeated. Now, it's back for a third time, and this time it seems to have a slight lead in the polls. Nobody likes abortion. And everybody cares about child safety. But this proposition is just another attempt to chip away at women's abortion rights. I'll tell ya this: if Prop 4 passes on Tuesday, then it would behoove you to buy stock in a coat hanger company on Wednesday. Proponents of Prop 4 are calling it "Sarah's Law," which is funny because the Sarah that the bill is named after wouldn't have fallen under the criteria of who this proposition will affect. A flyer that I received in the mail also called it the "Stop Child Predators" act, which is funny because the name has absolutely nothing to do with the proposition. Because of this, I've been inspired to start creating propositions with names that have nothing to do with what the proposition proposes. How bout this: a law that bans people from driving SUVs in the state of California, and we'll call it the "Protect Children From Deadly Sea Creatures" act. But anyway, back to my point... Prop 4 is dangerous. Pretty much every education and health organization in the state is strongly opposed to it. Please, vote NO.
Prop 5: Sends more non-violent drug offenders to rehab instead of prison - Sounds like a good idea. Too many of the people overcrowding our prisons are in there for drugs and other minor offenses. I'm not talking about granting parole to dangerous drug dealers or anything, just the people that the law feels would benefit more from rehab than they would from prison. I'm voting yes, although I'm not expecting it to pass.
Prop 6: More money for law enforcement, revisions to California criminal law - Makes a series of changes to state law, all designed to throw more people into our already overcrowded prisons, because that always solves everything, right? Nah.
Prop 7: Renewable energy requirements for government-owned utilities - A renewable energy bill that's opposed by every major environmental and conservation group out there. No thanks.
Prop 8: Eliminates right of same-sex couples to marry - a.k.a. the Protect Marriage for Some and Abolish It for Others act, the Equal Rights Make Me Uncomfortable act, the Fred Phelps act, Prop H8, and the list goes on. I already wrote about this proposition at great length yesterday. To quote The Flaming Lips, no no no no no no no.
Prop 9: Notification of victims during sentencing, bail & parole hearings, releases, etc. - Most of the victims' rights provisions in here are already common practice. This proposition also includes several revisions to state law in the interest of taking rights away from prisoners. No thanks.
Prop 10: Money for renewable energy research and alternative fuel vehicles - See Prop 7. No.
Prop 11: Establishes redistricting commission - Right now, the state's legislative districts are based on boundaries drawn by members of the state legislature itself. Basically, the districts are gerrymandered in such a way that those holding office have little chance of ever being voted out. Democrats stay in charge of liberal-leaning districts, and Republicans stay in charge of conservative-leaning districts. I'm all in favor of redrawing the borders in ways that actually make sense geographically. And redistricting allows for a chance to hold elected officials more accountable for their actions. Vote yes.
Prop 12: Bond money to help veterans get affordable housing - Sure, why not? Yes.
Measure R (Los Angeles County only): Raises county sales tax from 8.25% to 8.75% with revenue going to improve roads, highways, and public transportaion - I hate the idea of raising the sales tax higher than it already is. But let's face it: the roads and highways in LA County suck. And the county is so big and spread out that public transportation remains largely ineffective for the majority of residents. It's time for an overhaul of the system. I'd say it's worth the slight tax increase. I'm voting yes.
And one bonus endorsement for anyone living in the 52nd Congressional District (which consists of La Mesa, Poway, and much of San Diego's East County): Mike Lumpkin for Congress. I've met the guy, my girlfriend has worked on his campaign for the past three months, and he's someone you absolutely need to vote for if you're able to. He has years of foreign policy and management experience as a former Navy SEAL, he's recognized as an official national security and international affairs expert, and he's got plenty of great ideas for how to fix our country's problems. And he's running against Duncan Hunter Jr. Remember Duncan Hunter? The guy who was running for the Republican presidential nomination eariler this year under an extreme anti-immigration platform and came in dead last in every primary he was a part of? Well he's retiring, and his 31 year-old son with no political experience is running to take his place. Please, don't let this happen. If you live in the 52nd district, vote for Mike Lumpkin.
Other great Congressional candidates I wish I could vote for: Al Franken, Kay Hagan, El Tinklenberg, Jim Martin, Charlie Brown, and of course, Dennis Kucinich.
Tomorrow's gonna be a big day. I'm terrified, but also very optimistic. After eight years of watching the country go down the toilet, a majority of people have woken up and realized that we need a real change of course in order to avoid falling apart completely. So please, don't forget to vote. There's simply too much at stake to sit this one out.
Come on, everyone. Let's go make some history.
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