How to vote in California on June 8th.
(I wrote this weeks ago, I guess I better get it out...)
I just read my ballot and I am fired up. I cannot believe the anti tax people. But I will get to that later.
I am registered Green so I will not go into the candidates in my primary. If you are Republican, well I heard today that Dick Cheney endorsed Meg Whitman. That is enough for me to wish I was registered Republican so I could vote against her. I was shopping at Goodwill in the mission district of San Francisco the other day and the music playing stopped and I heard a woman's voice: "I will CRACK DOWN on illegal immigrants and I will CRACK DOWN on sanctuary cities like San Francisco!!" It was an odd thing to hear, and the tone of voice was driving home fear. It was Meg Whitman. I screamed out in the Goodwill "Oh no! She's coming to crack down on us!"
State Propositions:
Prop 13: Yes, Prevent people from having an excuse not to do improvements for earthquakes
Prop 14: NO. This will eliminate 3rd parties. Top two vote getters go to the final election regardless of party. You will never get to vote for a 3rd party again. Party members should be able to select their candidate.
Prop 15: Yes: The beginning of campaign finance reform.
Prop 16: NO NO NO NO NO NO This was put up by PG$E who does not want green renewable competition! Marin, for instance, wants to provide consumers with a choice of green energy and this prop. would prevent that. It takes away the competition that capitalism is supposed to be based on.
Prop 17: NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO This means that someone who helped out the world by not driving for a few years would have to pay more than someone who has continuously clogged our streets and polluted our skies. If you commuted by bike for a few years or traveled over seas or served in Iraq you should not pay more for insurance!
Well just a quick note on the anti tax people on my ballot. We are trying to pass a local parcel tax of $150 to make up some of the money that the state cut from our local schools - if it passes we hire back the teachers we fired this spring, if it fails Noah will be in a class of 30 kids with one teacher, instead of 20.
Now the Community Colleges of our County are also trying to pass a parcel tax of $34 a year to make up for their cut budgets. The argument against it cries - We pay enough tax already!!!! Give me a break - $34 a year on a parcel in one of the most richest counties in the Country. The community college is key to giving education to people who will become working tax payers. Keep them uneducated and they will make less money, require more government assistance, and pay less taxes. You get what you pay for and if you don't want to live in a 3rd world country we need to pay taxes so our government can function.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Friday, June 4, 2010
Dear Obama, This is Your Chance
Dear President Obama,
Presidents are often defined by how they deal with unforeseen events. The Gulf Oil spill is now your opportunity to define your Presidency.
I voted for you and recognize many of the changes you have made in the way our government works. You have had to deal with many challenges left to you by previous administrations. In addressing these challenges you have failed to make the fundamental changes which would address the root cause of these problems. The question you need to ask yourself, is should the Federal Government fight to protect the interests of its citizens and the world in which we live or should it work to protect the unlimited power and greed of the corporate elite?
The BP Oil Spill is another example of how the past 30 years of deregulation and laissez-faire policies by the government has had devestating results. Three weeks before the blow out you said new drilling technology is safer. You failed to mention that although Canada, Norway, and Brazil require this safe technology, we do not. In fact BP admittedly did not even possess the tools to deal with an accident nor did they even have a plan of what to do.
Deregulation led to our economic crisis yet you kept those responsible for these policies in charge of our economy. The Health Insurance Industry has made health care unaffordable to many Americans yet you failed to address this problem. Massey Energy, private military contractors, the pharmaceutical industry, the energy industry. You name it, the power and control they have over the Federal Government is dangerous. Just as BP is demonstrating again (this is not their first case of criminal negligence as you must know) that left on their own, corporations do not look to the future nor do they have any reason to care about people or the environment. They care about profits. The role of the government is to make laws and make sure the corporations act responsibly.
It is time you deliver true change - especially if you want people like myself who worked hard for your election to be motivated to go to the poles in support of you and your party again. I am a green party member who may have to return to my party.
You need to return true balance to the Federal Government. This does not mean compromise with the corporate conservatives. Compromising with them basically gives them what they want. Health Care and Wall Street reform are great examples. If you want to provide balance you need to fight for the people and the environment - the corporate class and their lobbyists have more than enough power. We need you to take them head on and return reason to this country. Historically you have many bold, transformative Presidents from whom to draw inspiration.
A criminal investigation into BP is a start. Bringing back common sense regulations over industry - look at what other countries do to require safer oil drilling. But then you need to apply this across the board. Every issue facing our nation - national security, food security, water security, economic security, environmental security, energy security - they are all pitting uncontrolled corporate greed against the interests of humanity and the global environment. Corporations can still exist, do business, and make their CEOs and investors incredibly wealthy, but they need to be given LIMITS and rules under which they are allowed to operate.
Obama, it is time for you to lead, time for you to deliver the CHANGE those of us who voted for you were HOPING for. I still have the audacity to hope.
Danny Boyer
Half Moon Bay, CA
Presidents are often defined by how they deal with unforeseen events. The Gulf Oil spill is now your opportunity to define your Presidency.
I voted for you and recognize many of the changes you have made in the way our government works. You have had to deal with many challenges left to you by previous administrations. In addressing these challenges you have failed to make the fundamental changes which would address the root cause of these problems. The question you need to ask yourself, is should the Federal Government fight to protect the interests of its citizens and the world in which we live or should it work to protect the unlimited power and greed of the corporate elite?
The BP Oil Spill is another example of how the past 30 years of deregulation and laissez-faire policies by the government has had devestating results. Three weeks before the blow out you said new drilling technology is safer. You failed to mention that although Canada, Norway, and Brazil require this safe technology, we do not. In fact BP admittedly did not even possess the tools to deal with an accident nor did they even have a plan of what to do.
Deregulation led to our economic crisis yet you kept those responsible for these policies in charge of our economy. The Health Insurance Industry has made health care unaffordable to many Americans yet you failed to address this problem. Massey Energy, private military contractors, the pharmaceutical industry, the energy industry. You name it, the power and control they have over the Federal Government is dangerous. Just as BP is demonstrating again (this is not their first case of criminal negligence as you must know) that left on their own, corporations do not look to the future nor do they have any reason to care about people or the environment. They care about profits. The role of the government is to make laws and make sure the corporations act responsibly.
It is time you deliver true change - especially if you want people like myself who worked hard for your election to be motivated to go to the poles in support of you and your party again. I am a green party member who may have to return to my party.
You need to return true balance to the Federal Government. This does not mean compromise with the corporate conservatives. Compromising with them basically gives them what they want. Health Care and Wall Street reform are great examples. If you want to provide balance you need to fight for the people and the environment - the corporate class and their lobbyists have more than enough power. We need you to take them head on and return reason to this country. Historically you have many bold, transformative Presidents from whom to draw inspiration.
A criminal investigation into BP is a start. Bringing back common sense regulations over industry - look at what other countries do to require safer oil drilling. But then you need to apply this across the board. Every issue facing our nation - national security, food security, water security, economic security, environmental security, energy security - they are all pitting uncontrolled corporate greed against the interests of humanity and the global environment. Corporations can still exist, do business, and make their CEOs and investors incredibly wealthy, but they need to be given LIMITS and rules under which they are allowed to operate.
Obama, it is time for you to lead, time for you to deliver the CHANGE those of us who voted for you were HOPING for. I still have the audacity to hope.
Danny Boyer
Half Moon Bay, CA
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