Monday, November 3, 2008
Tomorrow...
“There has never been anything false about hope.”
I imagined writing a pre-election blog that would be articulate, a little inspiring and slightly profound. Well, Election Day is tomorrow and I can’t even begin to tell you how anxious, nervous, excited, etc. I am, much less write a full piece that fully articulates how I feel about everything that’s happened in the last year and a half or so. Instead, you get this. Sorry.
I’ve been waking up every morning this last week and have been announcing to myself and Fatima, 6 days, 5 days, 4 days and so on. Tomorrow has been on my mind since I saw the youtube video of Hillary Clinton announcing her bid for the Presidency. At the time I thought she was a shoe-in. My favorite candidate at the time was Dennis Kucinich but being a keeper of real I knew he was a long shot in a very Ralph Nader kind of way. You know, he makes so much sense it’s considered radical. Anyway, let’s fast forward to February of 2007.
When the Democratic Primary reared its head to California I was slated to be out of the state so I requested an absentee ballot. I remember sitting on my couch in my old apartment trying to decide between Hillary and Obama and deciding I couldn’t decide. I liked them both. I was excited about both candidates. I thought of Bill Clinton in the White House and was reminded of a thriving economy and messy blow jobs in the Lincoln bedroom; can’t have one without the other. Anyway, I called Fatima and laid my worry. Her emphatic VOTE FOR OBAMA had me at VOTE and so I did. Soon as I did I felt great about it too.
Now, I won’t tell you why I’m voting for Obama because if you have a shred of common sense (Palin, are you effin’ serious?) OR decency (McCain voted with Bush 90% of the time) I’m just preaching to the choir. Plus, I can go on for pages and no one wants that.
As you all probably know, I’m a huge sports fan. I love baseball, boxing, futbol, football and on and on. In a way this election is the culmination of all the great match ups in said sports, past, present and future. Of course, with consequences of ridiculously grand proportions. This is like Mexico in the World Cup, the Dodgers in the World Series, the Lakers in the Finals and the Raiders in the Super Bowl. Add those up, times it by 1,000,000 and that’s how badly I want Barack Obama to win. Scratch that, that’s how badly WE NEED him to win tomorrow.
For one, if McCain wins, the future of my nephew becomes uncertain vis-à-vis job opportunity for my sister in a fucked up economy, funding in education, more tax breaks for the rich and less for everyone else and so on. Two, the future of my organization becomes very uncertain in an already uncertain world.
I remember what it felt like in 2004 to sit around and watch the results trickle in and realize that George W. Bush was about to win. I remember how I felt like the world had came crashing down on me. What’s worse, four years later, it actually came crashing down on all of us.
When I saw Barack Obama’s Yes, We Can video I thought of George W., I thought of the past 8 years of disastrous policy and ignorance. I thought of what the possibility of an Obama presidency could do for this country. I replayed Obama’s words in my noggin’ “…that we are one people, that we are one nation.” I thought of Bob Marley and John Lennon.
Last week, my girl’s mom asked me to give her the lowdown on the current California Propositions on tomorrow’s ballot. I’ve done the research as Tom Cruise would say. In case you’ve yet to make up your mind or have no idea what these Propositions say or don’t say I’ve included my email to her in this posting. Keep in mind, these are my opinions and mine alone. They come from reading various publications and blogs, deciphering the information and researching some more. Anyway, take ‘em as they are.
Prop 1A – YES
This measure will provide funds for the completion, as building has already begun, on a commuter rail that will stretch from Sacramento to San Diego. It will be a zero emissions rail (good for the environment) and passenger funded after the fact. So, it pays for itself.
Prop 2 – YES
This prop requires farms to allow animals, we consume, to have enough space in their cages to flap their wings, move their legs and so on before we kill them and eat them for dinner. It’s the least we can do right?
Prop 3 – YES
Creates a grant to fund more children’s hospitals. A no-brainer.
Prop 4 – NO
Mandates a 48 hour waiting period for parental notification for abortions by a minor. I hope you vote NO, but if you do vote yes, you should know that this measure will be put into California Constitution. It’s the tattoo equivalent. Goes on easy but it’s a pain in the ass and nearly impossible to remove.
Prop 5 – YES
Allocates about half a million $$’s to expand treatment programs (as opposed to mandatory jail time) for those convicted of minor drug offenses. It’s not only common sense but that allocated half a mil will be overshadowed by the amount of money saved by NOT sending someone to jail for possession of marijuana.
Prop 6 – NO
In sum, it gives slightly under $1 million a year to police in an effort to target gangs resulting in an upswing in racial profiling. It also requires minors (as young as 14) to be tried as adults for certain offenses. The measure obviously doesn’t read as such but that’s the intent.
Prop 7 – YES
Requires gov’t owned utilities to go Green. There’s already a mandate but this will speed up the process and make the standards better. Meaning by 2025, gov’t owned utilities will be required to get 50% of their energy from renewable resources.
Prop 8 – NO
I’m sure you’ve already seen the commercials and made up your mind.
Prop 9 – NO
This is the one I know about the least. I can’t seem to wrap my little brain around it. I’ve read mostly negative opinions and ALL the major newspapers (L.A. Times, San Francisco Chronicle, NY Times, La Opinion, etc. etc.), are calling it costly and unnecessary. In sum, it duplicates, I say complicates victims rights in dealings with the accused.
Prop 10 – NO
This Texas tycoon, Boone Pickens paid millions of dollars to put this on the ballot. Why? Well because he has a vested interest in natural gas fueling stations. Natural gas is definitely an alternative fuel but it’s only slightly less pollutant than gas. Its way too much money, $10 Billion, and there’s very little benefit to the environment and consumers.
Prop 11 – NO
This allows Republicans to redistrict boundaries in an effort to garner more power via constituents. If I were Republican I’d vote for it, since I’m not. I say no.
Prop 12 – YES
Creates a $9 million bond for Veterans. This will make it easier for a veteran to purchase a house or a farm. Weird, a farm. Either way, stuff for vets is always good.
Measure R – YES
Two words: Traffic relief. It’s basically money for roads, to repair potholes, synchronize traffic signals, etc. This will also allocate money to the Metro trains we all love.
That’s it. If you’ve read this far a congratulations is in order. So, congrats.
I imagined writing a pre-election blog that would be articulate, a little inspiring and slightly profound. Well, Election Day is tomorrow and I can’t even begin to tell you how anxious, nervous, excited, etc. I am, much less write a full piece that fully articulates how I feel about everything that’s happened in the last year and a half or so. Instead, you get this. Sorry.
I’ve been waking up every morning this last week and have been announcing to myself and Fatima, 6 days, 5 days, 4 days and so on. Tomorrow has been on my mind since I saw the youtube video of Hillary Clinton announcing her bid for the Presidency. At the time I thought she was a shoe-in. My favorite candidate at the time was Dennis Kucinich but being a keeper of real I knew he was a long shot in a very Ralph Nader kind of way. You know, he makes so much sense it’s considered radical. Anyway, let’s fast forward to February of 2007.
When the Democratic Primary reared its head to California I was slated to be out of the state so I requested an absentee ballot. I remember sitting on my couch in my old apartment trying to decide between Hillary and Obama and deciding I couldn’t decide. I liked them both. I was excited about both candidates. I thought of Bill Clinton in the White House and was reminded of a thriving economy and messy blow jobs in the Lincoln bedroom; can’t have one without the other. Anyway, I called Fatima and laid my worry. Her emphatic VOTE FOR OBAMA had me at VOTE and so I did. Soon as I did I felt great about it too.
Now, I won’t tell you why I’m voting for Obama because if you have a shred of common sense (Palin, are you effin’ serious?) OR decency (McCain voted with Bush 90% of the time) I’m just preaching to the choir. Plus, I can go on for pages and no one wants that.
As you all probably know, I’m a huge sports fan. I love baseball, boxing, futbol, football and on and on. In a way this election is the culmination of all the great match ups in said sports, past, present and future. Of course, with consequences of ridiculously grand proportions. This is like Mexico in the World Cup, the Dodgers in the World Series, the Lakers in the Finals and the Raiders in the Super Bowl. Add those up, times it by 1,000,000 and that’s how badly I want Barack Obama to win. Scratch that, that’s how badly WE NEED him to win tomorrow.
For one, if McCain wins, the future of my nephew becomes uncertain vis-à-vis job opportunity for my sister in a fucked up economy, funding in education, more tax breaks for the rich and less for everyone else and so on. Two, the future of my organization becomes very uncertain in an already uncertain world.
I remember what it felt like in 2004 to sit around and watch the results trickle in and realize that George W. Bush was about to win. I remember how I felt like the world had came crashing down on me. What’s worse, four years later, it actually came crashing down on all of us.
When I saw Barack Obama’s Yes, We Can video I thought of George W., I thought of the past 8 years of disastrous policy and ignorance. I thought of what the possibility of an Obama presidency could do for this country. I replayed Obama’s words in my noggin’ “…that we are one people, that we are one nation.” I thought of Bob Marley and John Lennon.
Last week, my girl’s mom asked me to give her the lowdown on the current California Propositions on tomorrow’s ballot. I’ve done the research as Tom Cruise would say. In case you’ve yet to make up your mind or have no idea what these Propositions say or don’t say I’ve included my email to her in this posting. Keep in mind, these are my opinions and mine alone. They come from reading various publications and blogs, deciphering the information and researching some more. Anyway, take ‘em as they are.
Prop 1A – YES
This measure will provide funds for the completion, as building has already begun, on a commuter rail that will stretch from Sacramento to San Diego. It will be a zero emissions rail (good for the environment) and passenger funded after the fact. So, it pays for itself.
Prop 2 – YES
This prop requires farms to allow animals, we consume, to have enough space in their cages to flap their wings, move their legs and so on before we kill them and eat them for dinner. It’s the least we can do right?
Prop 3 – YES
Creates a grant to fund more children’s hospitals. A no-brainer.
Prop 4 – NO
Mandates a 48 hour waiting period for parental notification for abortions by a minor. I hope you vote NO, but if you do vote yes, you should know that this measure will be put into California Constitution. It’s the tattoo equivalent. Goes on easy but it’s a pain in the ass and nearly impossible to remove.
Prop 5 – YES
Allocates about half a million $$’s to expand treatment programs (as opposed to mandatory jail time) for those convicted of minor drug offenses. It’s not only common sense but that allocated half a mil will be overshadowed by the amount of money saved by NOT sending someone to jail for possession of marijuana.
Prop 6 – NO
In sum, it gives slightly under $1 million a year to police in an effort to target gangs resulting in an upswing in racial profiling. It also requires minors (as young as 14) to be tried as adults for certain offenses. The measure obviously doesn’t read as such but that’s the intent.
Prop 7 – YES
Requires gov’t owned utilities to go Green. There’s already a mandate but this will speed up the process and make the standards better. Meaning by 2025, gov’t owned utilities will be required to get 50% of their energy from renewable resources.
Prop 8 – NO
I’m sure you’ve already seen the commercials and made up your mind.
Prop 9 – NO
This is the one I know about the least. I can’t seem to wrap my little brain around it. I’ve read mostly negative opinions and ALL the major newspapers (L.A. Times, San Francisco Chronicle, NY Times, La Opinion, etc. etc.), are calling it costly and unnecessary. In sum, it duplicates, I say complicates victims rights in dealings with the accused.
Prop 10 – NO
This Texas tycoon, Boone Pickens paid millions of dollars to put this on the ballot. Why? Well because he has a vested interest in natural gas fueling stations. Natural gas is definitely an alternative fuel but it’s only slightly less pollutant than gas. Its way too much money, $10 Billion, and there’s very little benefit to the environment and consumers.
Prop 11 – NO
This allows Republicans to redistrict boundaries in an effort to garner more power via constituents. If I were Republican I’d vote for it, since I’m not. I say no.
Prop 12 – YES
Creates a $9 million bond for Veterans. This will make it easier for a veteran to purchase a house or a farm. Weird, a farm. Either way, stuff for vets is always good.
Measure R – YES
Two words: Traffic relief. It’s basically money for roads, to repair potholes, synchronize traffic signals, etc. This will also allocate money to the Metro trains we all love.
That’s it. If you’ve read this far a congratulations is in order. So, congrats.
Labels: 2008 Election, Obama
Comments:
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Thank you for this summary, I actually was going to make notes to take to the voting poll tomorrow! Now all I have to do is print this and take with me...
# posted by 
: November 3, 2008 12:44 PM
: November 3, 2008 12:44 PM 
dude, i am surprised at how many of these we are actually not in sync on. (like 3 or 4.) since i tend to implicitly agree with you, and having received an email from you telling me this little voter guide was here and in place, i fully expected to find utter alignment. still, despite some slight difference of opinion, our agreement on the most important issues is in fact, intact. i am only planning on voting yes on three props because i think a couple of the other props have been written in a flawed manner, based on what i have read. that said, i am glad we are in agreement on 1, 5, and 8.
also, i fucking love that video if for no other reason than because the greatest basketball player of all-time, kareem abdul-jabbar appears in it. i also love to see woody allen's girlfriend whenever i can as well. (nyuk-nyuk...)
also, i fucking love that video if for no other reason than because the greatest basketball player of all-time, kareem abdul-jabbar appears in it. i also love to see woody allen's girlfriend whenever i can as well. (nyuk-nyuk...)
enlightening! i just wish i had read this yesterday... i would have taken it with me to the polls as a cheat sheet. good stuff Sucio.
mj,
looks like i was on the "winning" end of props 3 & 4. fucken ay, i'm kinda shocked you voted no on prop 4; we all have reasons.
lilia,
damnit! could have used your no vote on 8. ni modo.
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looks like i was on the "winning" end of props 3 & 4. fucken ay, i'm kinda shocked you voted no on prop 4; we all have reasons.
lilia,
damnit! could have used your no vote on 8. ni modo.
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