Why I'm voting against the California Special Election

Thursday, May 14. 2009

On Tuesday, all Californians will be asked to vote in a special election to "save California's budget". Didn't notice there was an election, did you? Well, don't forget to vote. It's easy: just vote "no" on everything.

The incompetents in our state government are asking us to destroy early childcare, slash public mental heath, decimate K-14 education, raise sales tax, and increase the state's dependence on legalized gambling. And put money in a "rainy-day fund" despite having no money to spare. (more)

Why are they doing this? It's for two reasons: first, our state's ridiculous law that every annual budget has to pass both houses of legislature with a 2/3 majority. Second, becausethe Governator is allowing himself to be held hostage by the extreme right wing of his own party, and vetoed a compromise budget which did pass the 2/3 majority. Also because nobody in Sacramento is willing to stand up to the prison industry or PG&E, both of which are blackmailing this state.

If you vote "yes" on propositions 1A to 1F, you are accepting perpetual fiscal responsibility to pay off California's debt caused by Sacramento's inability to overcome partisan politics (especially the Republican Party's obstinancy). You'll be 40 years paying off things which you didn't want to fund in the first place (prisons) and in the meantime see things you really need (schools) get cut to the bone.

If these propositions get voted down, then maybe Sacramento will be forced to repeal the stupid 2/3 majority law, and Arnie will be forced to accept a reality check. If you vote yes, you will pay for their mistakes.

Just say no.

Oh, and a word on why "rainy day funds" are stupid. Our state, like most, has billions in outstanding bond debt, which incurs interest, often up to total of 70% of the original bond amount over the years. If the state has any extra money, it should go to pay off bonds so that more of the budget is freed up from making interest payments. Suggesting we put the money in a "rainy day fund" is like telling someone with $35K of credit card debt that he ought to open a savings account.

Posted by The Fuzzy Chef in Politics at 20:18 | Comment (1) | Trackbacks (0)

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All pols should be drawn and quartered. The brilliant folks in Jeff City Mo just vetoed a bill that would have given health insurance to 35,000 very low income families with children - at no cost at all whatsoever to the state. It would have been paid for by the hospitals. Go figure!

#1 fitzie on 2009-05-15 12:10 (Reply)

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