How do I spell relief?

[kaysho]

E-L-E-C-T-I-O-N.

Election Day, specifically!  You know, it's funny ... I used to be a political junkie.  Crossfire?  I was watching it.  Talking politics with my college friends every single day?  I was there.  I used to watch the stock market every day, too, and try to figure out the source of today's half-percent drop.

Then I realised, at some

Comments

[hukka]

I definitely agree with you on the gov race. I don't like Brown from what I've seen, but I really hate the idea of someone who couldn't even be bothered to vote suddenly deciding they found political office to be a fun new hobby.

[kaysho]

I think the concerns that Brown will be too much in the pocket of the state's unions are legitimate, but aren't overriding. He's an experienced, intelligent man. And he's also experienced enough now that I suspect he'll be a bit less "moonbeamy" than last time. :)

[alohawolf]

As someone said in the LA Times, "I dont want to live in California LLC".

I agree about Jerry Brown, he is the right person for the job, and the sheer amount of money being spent by Whitman strikes me as purchasing the office, not to mention in her personal appearances she comes off as heartless.

[kaysho]

She does come across as very scripted and really unable to handle the unexpected ... which matters in a pol even more than maybe being heartless.

[kjaer]

Ah, a fellow Sensible Party member. Well met.

They're trying to introduce a 2/3 majority on budget measures in Washington state on this ballot. The primary argument against was, "...but, California."

Plus Carly Fiorina was pretty much entirely responsible for the destruction of Hewlett-Packard, just like she destroyed Lucent before that. Keep her out of the Senate.

[kaysho]

I am all in favour of adopting other people's best practices that they have learnt from experience, instead of having to learn everything for myself the hard way. California's budgeting system is definitely not a best practice. :)

When someone in business runs for public office, I don't really look at the success or failure of their business for guidance ... there are too many other variables, and the skills required to be a good pol are rather different than the skills required to run a business. I just find Fiorina too socially conservative for my tastes.

[stilghar]

"...all bathwater and no baby."

Good one. I'll steal it at the earliest opportunity. ;)

[kaysho]

You cannot steal that which I give freely. :)

Thanks!

Did you take some inspiration from my post?

[keoniphoenix]

Nicely Done, however if I had my say, I would have have suggested to the people who wrote Prop 23 to give it up. Instead, somebody else should have wrote and initiative to where the Legislature and Governor's/Lt. Governor's office are denied their salary until budget deficits are reduced to zero. That's way more effective at getting stuff done because once the legislature gets caught accepting bribes (its a felony in most states and even if not convicted, getting caught accepting bribes makes it impossible to win another seat office) way more effective people might take over and pay attention how serious it is.

-- John O.

Re: Did you take some inspiration from my post?

[kaysho]

I can't say that I read your post, sorry. It probably went by on a day I wasn't watching LJ because of work.

Re: Did you take some inspiration from my post?

[keoniphoenix]

Ah well that's cool. My post was on the stuff back in my home state of Arizona.

-- John O.

[toob]

I'm voting the same, except No on 22. I think that the budget expenditures should not be decided by voter mandate -- that is how we got into this mess in the first place.

The state needs the flexibility to spend its budget in the areas that need it most. Mandated spending is, IMO, a HUGE problem.

[kaysho]

Prop 22 was one of those "on balance" things for me. The provision that funds dedicated to be paid to local governments or to transportation projects can't even be used as collateral for the state to get its usual bridging loans to cover seasonality in tax receipts is almost paranoid. But the state's using its cities as unwilling bankers is unconscionable. If the state collects taxes on a city's behalf (as it does with property and sales taxes and the VLF), it has an obligation to hand them over instead of forcing cities to "lend" their local tax revenue to the state. All this does is let the state avoid its problems while making more problems for its cities. I can't blame them for suing.

Then again, perhaps the limitations on gerrymandering and being able to pass a budget with a simple majority will also help put a stop to this by reducing the incentives to pull shady deals like this.