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Thursday, November 09, 2006

Hasta la vista, babies...

OK, since the 2006 Election is in the record books, this concludes active updating on this site. My thanks to Beep for her occasional contributions. I will be discussing political issues at http://www.msgeek.org/, so come visit me there.

It feels good to see Congress flip 100%. We really did accomplish our mission, unlike someone else who made that claim.

I'll probably open up a 2008 Presidential Election Cycle blog sometime around January 2008. Not sure what I'll call it. Watch my main blog for details.

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

Analyze this...

Schwarzenegger/Angelides: In retrospect, maybe running Warren Beatty against Ah-nuld might have been a good idea. Ugh. Angelides could have won if only he went for the throat more. It's not necessarily in his nature to do so. So we're stuck with Ah-nuld. But only for 4 more years. And he's going to have to deal with a legislature that is still overwhelmingly blue.

The most important race in California has been won: Debra Bowen is our Secretary of State. Maybe the State House race didn't end up with a Revenge of the Nerds, but the most knowledgeable person on issues of Election Protection has won. We will likely get a Free/Open Source-based system with a robust paper trail, and Diebold and Sequoia and ES&S will finally be shown the door.


Bond issues good, taxes bad:
This was a rousing endorsement of the "Borrow and Binge" school of economics. Taxes are the "third rail" of California politics, and that has been confirmed by the results of the propositions. The bond issues all passed, the cig tax and the Alternative Energy tax failed.


California is still a pro-Choice state:
The "squeal rule" went down to defeat yet again. The idea of a father preventing the abortion of the child he fathered by incest is still too yucky even for the most conservative among us. Actually the abortion ban in South Dakota also went down to defeat, so maybe the tide is beginning to turn on this issue.

Democratic ownage of the House: Finally checks and balances have been restored to the National government. No more rubber stamps for Dubya and Darth Cheney. The Senate is still in play, and will only have a razor thin majority if Tester and Webb win. Without Tester and Webb winning, everything is split 49/49 with Joementum maybe swinging with the Republicans and Darth Cheney as the tie-breaking vote.

Final analysis: An unfinished revolution. Hopefully two years from now Dean's 50-state approach will finish the job with a Dem in the White House and Dems with both the House and the Senate.

Tuesday, November 07, 2006

Bittersweet Symphony...

Big plus: Looks like we take back the House.
Big minus: Ah-nuld in for another four fucking years.
Plus: Santorum and DeWine go bye-bye
Minus: Joementum still in office
Minus: Won't know until tomorrow about other CA races of importance.
Plus: we gain in the Senate
Big Minus: If the Senate is tied, Darth Cheney is the tie-breaking vote.
Minus: VA Senate too close to call, Ford in TN beaten with the old miscegenation shibboleth.
Big plus: It looks like the GOP couldn't pull a screw job this time in spite of the close races. Maybe the people are going to start winning for a change.

More updates tomorrow.

Friday, November 03, 2006

Revisiting my recommendations...

(Some of these races only cover my immediate local area.)

GOVERNOR Phil Angelides

LT. GOVERNOR John Garamendi

SECRETARY OF STATE Debra Bowen. This is vitally important for election protection. Deborah Bowen is STRONG on issues of voting rights. Do we want California to be spelled O-HI-O? No? Good. If you will be voting on any race, vote for Debra. PLEASE.

CONTROLLER John Chiang

TREASURER Bill Lockyer

ATTORNEY GENERAL Jerry Brown

INSURANCE COMMISSIONER Cruz M. Bustamante (hold your nose)

BOARD OF EQUALIZATION, 4th Dist. Judy Chu

U. S. SENATOR Dianne Feinstein. Reluctantly, with held nose. She will win. But her bullshit votes over the past few years really make this a hard task.

UNITED STATES REPRESENTATIVE

28th CD – Byron DeLear. This is a safe seat for Berman. He will win this. There is room for a protest. Howard Berman is bought and paid for by the RIAA/MPAA. Byron DeLear is too radical for me, but his chance to win this is worse than the Republican candidate, whom I don't even know.

STATE SENATOR 20th SD - Alex Padilla. God, I wish Cindy Montanez was the candidate. Alex really did a screw job on Cindy. Still, kicking him upstairs to State Senate might create an opening for Cindy Montanez on the LA City Council, where she can do some good.

MEMBER OF THE ASSEMBLY

39th AD – Richard Alarcon (Hold your nose and vote.)

STATE MEASURES
CALIFORNIA PROPOSITIONS :

1A – Transportation Fund Protection. YES

1B – Highway Safety, Traffic Reduction, Air Quality and Port Security. YES. I am for limiting our bonded indebtedness until we get our financial house in order. However, port security is very important and Homeland Security doesn't consider it a priority. We should. This is actually a worthy investment.

1C – Housing and Emergency Shelter Trust Fund Act of 2006 NO. No more bonds except in dire emergency. No more borrow and binge Bush-shit. It's time to get our fiscal house in order and reform revenue-generating.

1D – Kindergarten-University Public Education Facilities NO. No more freaking bonds except in dire emergency. We've passed enough education bonds as it is.

1E – Disaster Preparedness and Flood Prevention OK, this is a dire emergency. The Sacramento Delta Levees are as endangered as the New Orleans Levees. YES.

83 – Sex Offenders, Sexually Violent Predators, Punishment, Residence Restrictions and Monitoring (Initiative Statute) Why don't we just freaking GET REAL and build colonies for violent sex offenders in the Mojave? This is going to cost a shipload of money and it will never be enough for the families of children victimized for sex offenders. Just get it over with and give LIFE IN PRISON TO CHILD MOLESTERS. One strike, you're out. If you can live with such a draconian law on the books, DO IT. PULL THE TRIGGER ON IT. No more half-measures. NO.

84 – Water Quality, Safety and Supply. Flood Control. Natural Resource Protection. Park Improvements. YES. Yeah, it's a bond. Yeah, it's a dire emergency. Fix the Sacramento Delta Levees, once and for all.

85 – Waiting Period and Parental Notification Before Termination of Minor’s Pregnancy. HELL NO. We voted this down last year. If we have to vote it down again and again every year we'll do it. California is a Pro-Choice State. Deal with it.

86 – Tax on Cigarettes. NO. Bad idea. We will have the highest excise taxes on cigarettes in the country. Currently New York State has the highest, and cigarette smuggling is a whole new category of crime Law Enforcement has to deal with. We need real comprehensive health care reform. We need to deal with our revenue crunch by making the tax code fairer and making the rich and big corporations pay their fair share.

Arnold vetoed "Health Care for California" which would have made Prop 86 redundant and given us a single-payer health care system which would have been the envy of the rest of the US. Arnold showed his true colors: bought and paid for by Big Pharma and Big Insurance.

Also...isn't anyone concerned that we are slouching towards prohibition of tobacco? We know what prohibition of alcohol, the "great experiment" did...it basically turned the Mafia into a growing concern and made the fortunes of people like Al Capone and the Five Families of New York. Yes, tobacco is a filthy habit. Yes, it endangers non-smokers too through second-hand smoke. But prohibition is never the answer.

87 – Alternative Energy. Research, Production, Incentives. Tax on California Oil Producers. NO. I'm sorry, nobody gave me a good reason TO vote for it. And I follow the maxim "when in doubt, don't." We need to look into encouraging alternative energy. But this is not a great way to do it. California hit Peak Oil in 1985, for crying out loud. We aren't producing a great deal of oil, and weren't even when we did. If we throw a disincentive into eking out the last bit of oil from existing wells, the oil companies won't bother.

88 – Education Funding. Real Property Parcel Tax. Not progressive enough. The tax would weigh heaviest on those poor folks and senior citizens who are fortunate enough to own a home. We need to start looking at revenue enhancement. But this is not the way. NO.

89 – Political Campaigns. Public Financing. Corporate Tax Increase. Campaign Contribution and Expenditure Limits. HELL YEAH. "Clean Elections" laws work in places like Arizona and Maine. We need to get people who aren't zillionaires back into public office. This horrible election cycle with its hideous expenditures should be ample proof we need public funding of elections. Financial Institutions and Corporations spend big sums of money on candidates they believe will advance their agenda. It would be poetic justice if they were required to spend big sums of money on candidates that advance the people's agenda. Again, HELL YEAH.

90 – Government Acquisition, Regulation of Private Property. HELL NO. This is a proposition only Tom McClintock could love. Dishonest, deceptive, just plain wrong. We need to do something about Eminent Domain overreach. This is not the way to do it.

CITY OF LOS ANGELES MEASURES :

H – Affordable Housing Bond. NO. LA City is suffering the same kind of bond trouble the State of CA is in. We need to look at increasing revenue, not saddling ourselves with bonded indebtedness.

J – Regional Fire Station Sites. YES, this fixes a problem with another measure that passed to build new fire stations. The measure is being held up because of the mistake in the wording of the measure. If we don't fix this mistake the City will have to deal with wielding the Eminent Domain axe and spending the money to compensate those who have to vacate properties. Modern communications technology and modern firefighting technology means that we can have small satellite stations and big regional fire stations.

R – Councilmember Term Limits of Three Terms; City Lobbying, Campaign Finance and Ethics Laws. HELL NO. We need to have campaign finance reform. We need to look scientifically and dispassionately on whether term limits make our Council less effective. But this was done in a very sneaky way and it has clauses that will make Neighborhood Councils even weaker than they already are. This is a power grab. Tell them NO.

Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Another scary story for Halloween...

If you're in California, and you can't bear to vote for any other person on the ballot, please, please vote for Debra. This is important. Watch this for a spine-tingling picture of why it's so important.

Loretta Sanchez detained by TSA

This is totally out of control...one more reason to throw the bastards out.

CNN: Critical congresswoman allegedly mistaken for terrorist.

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Ms. Geek's recommendations for CA 2006

GOVERNOR Phil Angelides

LT. GOVERNOR John Garamendi

SECRETARY OF STATE Debra Bowen. This is vitally important for election protection. Deborah Bowen is STRONG on issues of voting rights. Do we want California to be spelled O-HI-O? No? Good. If you will be voting on any race, vote for Debra. PLEASE.

CONTROLLER John Chiang

TREASURER Bill Lockyer

ATTORNEY GENERAL Jerry Brown

INSURANCE COMMISSIONER Cruz M. Bustamante (hold your nose)

BOARD OF EQUALIZATION, 4th Dist. Judy Chu

U. S. SENATOR - Sit it out. Feinstein will win. But her bullshit votes over the past few years are enough to make me just not want to vote for her. Maybe I'll hold my nose and vote for her this time.

UNITED STATES REPRESENTATIVE

28th CD – Sit it out. Howard Berman is bought and paid for by the RIAA/MPAA. Byron DeLear is too radical for me.

STATE SENATOR 20th SD - Alex Padilla (God, I wish Cindy Montanez was the candidate. Alex really did a screw job on Cindy. Still, kicking him upstairs to State Senate might create an opening for Cindy Montanez on the LA City Council, where she can do some good.)

MEMBER OF THE ASSEMBLY

39th AD – Richard Alarcon (Hold your nose and vote.)

STATE MEASURES
CALIFORNIA PROPOSITIONS :

1A – Transportation Fund Protection. YES

1B – Highway Safety, Traffic Reduction, Air Quality and Port Security. YES. I am for limiting our bonded indebtedness until we get our financial house in order. However, port security is very important and Homeland Security doesn't consider it a priority. We should. This is actually a worthy investment.

1C – Housing and Emergency Shelter Trust Fund Act of 2006 NO. No more bonds except in dire emergency. No more borrow and binge Bush-shit. It's time to get our fiscal house in order and reform revenue-generating.

1D – Kindergarten-University Public Education Facilities NO. No more freaking bonds except in dire emergency. We've passed enough education bonds as it is.

1E – Disaster Preparedness and Flood Prevention OK, this is a dire emergency. The Sacramento Delta Levees are as endangered as the New Orleans Levees. YES.

83 – Sex Offenders, Sexually Violent Predators, Punishment, Residence Restrictions and Monitoring (Initiative Statute) Why don't we just freaking GET REAL and build colonies for violent sex offenders in the Mojave? This is going to cost a shipload of money and it will never be enough for the families of children victimized for sex offenders. Just get it over with and give LIFE IN PRISON TO CHILD MOLESTERS. One strike, you're out. If you can live with such a draconian law on the books, DO IT. PULL THE TRIGGER ON IT. No more half-measures. NO.

84 – Water Quality, Safety and Supply. Flood Control. Natural Resource Protection. Park Improvements. YES. Yeah, it's a bond. Yeah, it's a dire emergency. Fix the Sacramento Delta Levees, once and for all.

85 – Waiting Period and Parental Notification Before Termination of Minor’s Pregnancy. HELL NO. We voted this down last year. If we have to vote it down again and again every year we'll do it. California is a Pro-Choice State. Deal with it.

86 – Tax on Cigarettes. NO. Bad idea. We will have the highest excise taxes on cigarettes in the country. Currently New York State has the highest, and cigarette smuggling is a whole new category of crime Law Enforcement has to deal with. We need real comprehensive health care reform. We need to deal with our revenue crunch by making the tax code fairer and making the rich and big corporations pay their fair share.

Arnold vetoed "Health Care for California" which would have made Prop 86 redundant and given us a single-payer health care system which would have been the envy of the rest of the US. Arnold showed his true colors: bought and paid for by Big Pharma and Big Insurance.

Also...isn't anyone concerned that we are slouching towards prohibition of tobacco? We know what prohibition of alcohol, the "great experiment" did...it basically turned the Mafia into a growing concern and made the fortunes of people like Al Capone and the Five Families of New York. Yes, tobacco is a filthy habit. Yes, it endangers non-smokers too through second-hand smoke. But prohibition is never the answer.

87 – Alternative Energy. Research, Production, Incentives. Tax on California Oil Producers. The jury is out. We need to start looking to new alternatives for energy. I'm not sure this is the way forward, though. Give me a bit more time to consider.

88 – Education Funding. Real Property Parcel Tax. Not progressive enough. The tax would weigh heaviest on those poor folks and senior citizens who are fortunate enough to own a home. We need to start looking at revenue enhancement. But this is not the way. NO.

89 – Political Campaigns. Public Financing. Corporate Tax Increase. Campaign Contribution and Expenditure Limits. HELL YEAH. "Clean Elections" laws work in places like Arizona and Maine. We need to get people who aren't zillionaires back into public office. This horrible election cycle with its hideous expenditures should be ample proof we need public funding of elections. Financial Institutions and Corporations spend big sums of money on candidates they believe will advance their agenda. It would be poetic justice if they were required to spend big sums of money on candidates that advance the people's agenda. Again, HELL YEAH.

90 – Government Acquisition, Regulation of Private Property. HELL NO. This is a proposition only Tom McClintock could love. Dishonest, deceptive, just plain wrong. We need to do something about Eminent Domain overreach. This is not the way to do it.

CITY OF LOS ANGELES MEASURES :

H – Affordable Housing Bond. NO. LA City is suffering the same kind of bond trouble the State of CA is in. We need to look at increasing revenue, not saddling ourselves with bonded indebtedness.

J – Regional Fire Station Sites. YES, this fixes a problem with another measure that passed to build new fire stations. The measure is being held up because of the mistake in the wording of the measure. If we don't fix this mistake the City will have to deal with wielding the Eminent Domain axe and spending the money to compensate those who have to vacate properties. Modern communications technology and modern firefighting technology means that we can have small satellite stations and big regional fire stations.

R – Councilmember Term Limits of Three Terms; City Lobbying, Campaign Finance and Ethics Laws. HELL NO. We need to have campaign finance reform. We need to look scientifically and dispassionately on whether term limits make our Council less effective. But this was done in a very sneaky way and it has clauses that will make Neighborhood Councils even weaker than they already are. This is a power grab. Tell them NO.

Thursday, October 19, 2006

Let's support the troops and seal the deal...

If you support the troops, VOTE DEMOCRATIC.

Here is a taste of what military families deal with on the home front.

Food insecurity.
Getting behind on the rent.
Winding up in a Payday Loan hole big enough to drive a hummer into. That was recently changed with a cap on what military families can be charged for loans...36%. THIRTY SIX PERCENT. A while back when we still had usury laws that was loan shark territory. Now we don't. Thanks Rethugs.

It still gets me pig-biting mad to see our own government which claims to honor the troops showing that they consider them cannon fodder only. Trillions for defense, and not a penny to the widows and orphans.

The best way you can support the troops is to go to the polls November 7th. Not Ocho de Noviembre as that damn GOP mailer sent to Spanish-surnamed people in the OC said, but NOVEMBER 7TH. Go there and VOTE. Do it for the people in uniform. Do it for their families. Do it for the little kids who have their "flat daddy" cutout to remind them what their real 3D daddy or mommy looks like...that is unless their daddy or mommy comes home in a 3D pine box in the dead of night, and gets delivered to the family in an unmarked van.

God this makes me mad.

I'm not alone, thankfully. Discussion on Kos.