Introducing the June 8 PROPOSITIONS…

By
Vern Nelson
– February 9, 2010Posted in: california, Campaign Finance Reform, democracy, Hardly able Abel, propositions

The good news is there’s only FIVE propositions to think about this June – just enough to fit conveniently into our little, harried brains:

  • Prop. 13 – would exempt earthquake retrofitting from property taxes.  Nobody seems to have any strong feelings about this one yet; it seems like a reasonable idea.  Funny though to have another Prop. 13 that deals with property taxes.
  • Prop. 14 – Maldonado’s “top-two” open primary.  I remember when I was in jail, reading in the paper how Jerbal had created a Facebook page called “Never Elect Abel Maldonado To Anything, Ever Again,” which only raised my opinion of Abel.  It was cool that he stepped up when no other Republican would help get the budget through, and an open primary that could result in more pragmatic, moderate Republicans getting elected seems like a good thing to me.  And I like that both parties are against it.  But almost everyone else I know is also against it.  Art just reposted a rightwing Republican dissent;  the progressives at Calitics oppose it;  and the Greens and Libs feel it would shut them out even further.  “Instant Runoff Voting” would be best – but, when is that going to be on the table?
  • Prop. 15 – the California Fair Elections Act – this one is my special project.  I’ll be writing about it a lot over the next four months;  a self-financing (thru lobbyist fees) pilot program for funding the Secretary of State election, it’s the first necessary baby step to the system of publicly financed elections that we need if we’re ever going to elect  politicians who aren’t bought and paid for by the corporations and unions.  More important than ever in the wake of the Citizens United decision!  YES!!!
  • Prop. 16 – SCAM from PG&E to make it harder to create public power districts.  HELL NO!
  • Prop. 17 – SCAM from Mercury Insurance to gut consumer protections and charge you a lot more for your auto insurance.  HELL NO!

So, for plenty of good arguments pro and con on these measures between now and June 8,
stay tuned to the Most Trusted Name in Orange County Blogs – The Orange Juice!

About Vern Nelson

Greatest pianist/composer in Orange County, and official political troubadour of Anaheim and most other OC towns. Regularly makes solo performances, sometimes with his savage-jazz band The Vern Nelson Problem. Reach at vernpnelson@gmail.com, or 714-235-VERN.