California Propositions

My friend and I looked over the Propositions in detail. Here's what we come up with.

Prop 1A Protection of Local Government Revenues – (Me: NO; Dave: N/A) This is yet another budget constraining measure. These kinds of measures are a major cause of California’s yearly budget crisis.

Prop 59 Public Records, Open Meetings – (Me: NO; Dave: YES?) Open and public debate is a necessary part of government, but so is prudence. Dave feels the openness is more important. I feel certain situations require prudence, especially when dealing with court records and private matter.

Prop 60 Election Rights of Political Parties – (Me: NO; Dave: NO) This is a scam to attack Party rights! Bad! It attempts to undermine the primary process for Political Parties, allowing voting sabotage from opponents. This would essentially turn third parties in puppets of the two main parties. It would also create primary election wars between the two main parties.

Prop 60A Surplus Property – (Me: NO; Dave: NO) This is yet even another budget constraining measure. Again, these kind of measures are a major cause of California’s yearly budget crisis.

Prop 61 Children’s Hospital Projects. Grant Program – (Me: NO; Dave: YES?) This measure serves a great purpose (as the title suggests), but it’s using yet another Bond sale for funding. My opinion is that our State’s credit rating is already in the toilet. These kind of measures need to be held off until our State has a better credit record. Dave’s opinion is that this program is needed regardless.

Prop 62 Elections. Primaries – (Me: NO; Dave: NO) Even worse than Prop 60. This is a scam to open up primary partisan elections to any person of any party. It is an open attack on Party rights! This will allows sabotage of a party’s primary in the worse possible way. Very bad! Again, this would essentially turn third parties in puppets of the two main parties. And again, it would also create primary election wars between the two main parties.

Prop 63 Mental Health Services Expansion, Funding – (Me: NO?; Dave: YES?) This measure taxes anyone making more than $1 million per year to fund services for mental health needs. I might vote “NO” because is seems too Pie-In-The-Sky; and I’m not fond of an unnecessary tax. I’ll have to do more research.

Prop 64 Local Limit on Private Enforcement of Unfair Business Competition Laws – (Me: NO; Dave: NO) A scam to limit citizens’ rights to seek compensation for damages incurred by a legal entity. Very bad.

Prop 65 Local Government Funds, Revenues – (Me: NO; Dave: NO) This is yet more tinkering with budget constraints. ARG!

Prop 66 Limitation on “Three Strikes” Law – (Me; YES; Dave: YES) Right now, our prisons are unnecessarily filling up from the arbitrary application of the Three Strikes law by over zealous prosecutors. People are literally serving life sentences for petty crimes. Make room in our prisons for the serious offenders by ending the abuse of the Three Strikes law. Dave’s only concern with this proposition is that it requires review of current cases, which could be costly to the State. My view on this manner is that is our punishment for allowing abuses the law in the first place.

Prop 67 Emergency Medical Services – (Me: NO?; Dave: YES) This measure would provide additional (and needed) funding for EMS. I’m leaning against this measure because of the Telephone Surcharge it imposes.

Prop 68 Non-Tribal Commercial Gambling Expansion – (Me: NO; Dave: NO) A scam to that either taxes Indian Tribes 25% of their revenues OR allows non-tribal businesses to expand gaming operations. This measure is literally extortion of the Indian Tribes. It’s a ludicrous plan that shouldn’t have made it to the ballot. The Indian Tribes are already profit sharing with the State. We certainly don’t need non-tribal businesses running casinos all up and down the state! UPDATE: The backers of this prop have revoked support for it.

Prop 69 DNA Samples – (Me: NO; Dave: YES?) This measure will create a DNA database and allow for the collection of criminal’s DNA. Both Dave and I favor this. However, I think the measure goes too far by allowing the collection of DNA of some people who only arrested and have not been charged with a crime. Can you say, “BIG BROTHER?” I would favor a similar measure that doesn’t collect DNA upon arrest.

Prop 70 Tribal Gaming Compacts – (Me: NO; Dave: NO) Yet another scam. It allows Indian Tribes to expand gaming operations well beyond current limits in exchange for 25% revenue sharing. It would allow Indian Tribes to build Vegas style casinos all over California. Additional, as stated before, the Indian Tribes are already profit sharing.

Prop 71 Stem Cell Research – (Me: YES; Dave: YES) This is an important enough field of research to require public funding. The possible results from Stem Cell research are astronomical in terms of health and cures.

Prop 72 Health Care Coverage Requirements – (Me: NO?; Dave: YES) It’s about time we are addressing health care coverage. However, I’m not sure that this is the way to do it. I need to do more research on this one.