The Sacramento Bee has just reported that State lawmakers have finally reached an agreement to end our State's budgetary crisis. CNN has also confirmed this with the Governator. Reportedly, the representatives were able to do minimal (if any) damage to the already faltering school system with the caveat that the state had to shift "costs into the future and [capture] funds from cities and counties".
"Compromises" such as this only serve to reaffirm our purpose in the Young Democrats. Shifting the cost into the future is kicking the problem to us: the future of California. If the elected officials in Sacramento want us to deal with the problem tomorrow, rest assured they will hear what we have to say today.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Big T and His Giant Tricycle
“Look out the window! What is that?” I asked my neighbor at the bar of one of the handful of nice restaurants in downtown Cottonwood.
“Oh that’s Big T,” He said, as though people drive strange contraptions through town here every day. For all I know maybe they do. I looked to my friend Aaron for conformation and found him looking over my head at our bar mate with a distinct conspiratorial smile as though to say, “She’s from California. She’ll never understand.”
Maybe I won’t understand, but I would have loved to get a closer look at Big T’s vehicle. From a distance it looked like a giant tricycle with a motor and two raised seats in the back. It was sort of like a car with three wheels and no top. It was rigged with lights, and it sparkled in the eerie darkness of the monsoon clouds backlit by a full moon. He drove in a couple of lazy doughnut circles before pealing down the deserted street.
The conversation turned to rock crawling vehicles, and I tuned it out thinking about Big T’s American flag bandana, and wondering why anyone would possibly get on a giant motorized tricycle without a helmet. This is again a sign that I am far from home, since aside from Aaron who works with people who’ve had traumatic brain injuries, I seem to be the only person who is at all concerned about Arizona’s lack of helmet law. The prevailing wisdom is, “If you’re stupid enough to get on a motorcycle with no helmet than you deserve to die.”
Statements like these leave me very confused about Arizona. People here, especially in the rural northern section, say please and thank you, they go to church, and they spend time with their families. I think most would say family and community are important to them. It seems odd to me that people, who are kind and considerate, would be so inconsiderate about other people’s deaths. Furthermore I think it’s pretty inconsiderate of helmetless motorcycle riders to crash and die. Not only does this leave a hole in their heads, but a hole in their families as well. And once we’ve paid to air life the crash victim to the nearest hospital, and in the event that he has no health insurance paid for all of his care, and if he survives, all of his rehabilitation, and if he is paralyzed or brain damaged, services for the rest of his life, there will be quite a hole in the tax payers wallets as well. All this might be prevented by asking Big T to wear a helmet over his American flag bandana, when he rides his giant tricycle.
“Oh that’s Big T,” He said, as though people drive strange contraptions through town here every day. For all I know maybe they do. I looked to my friend Aaron for conformation and found him looking over my head at our bar mate with a distinct conspiratorial smile as though to say, “She’s from California. She’ll never understand.”
Maybe I won’t understand, but I would have loved to get a closer look at Big T’s vehicle. From a distance it looked like a giant tricycle with a motor and two raised seats in the back. It was sort of like a car with three wheels and no top. It was rigged with lights, and it sparkled in the eerie darkness of the monsoon clouds backlit by a full moon. He drove in a couple of lazy doughnut circles before pealing down the deserted street.
The conversation turned to rock crawling vehicles, and I tuned it out thinking about Big T’s American flag bandana, and wondering why anyone would possibly get on a giant motorized tricycle without a helmet. This is again a sign that I am far from home, since aside from Aaron who works with people who’ve had traumatic brain injuries, I seem to be the only person who is at all concerned about Arizona’s lack of helmet law. The prevailing wisdom is, “If you’re stupid enough to get on a motorcycle with no helmet than you deserve to die.”
Statements like these leave me very confused about Arizona. People here, especially in the rural northern section, say please and thank you, they go to church, and they spend time with their families. I think most would say family and community are important to them. It seems odd to me that people, who are kind and considerate, would be so inconsiderate about other people’s deaths. Furthermore I think it’s pretty inconsiderate of helmetless motorcycle riders to crash and die. Not only does this leave a hole in their heads, but a hole in their families as well. And once we’ve paid to air life the crash victim to the nearest hospital, and in the event that he has no health insurance paid for all of his care, and if he survives, all of his rehabilitation, and if he is paralyzed or brain damaged, services for the rest of his life, there will be quite a hole in the tax payers wallets as well. All this might be prevented by asking Big T to wear a helmet over his American flag bandana, when he rides his giant tricycle.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Killing Rabbits
I just began a new job working at a vineyard and winery in Northern Arizona, so I will be writing dispatches from outside Sonoma County.
A couple of weeks ago the owner of the vineyard where I work gave her son a gun, and told him to go outside and kill the rabbits in the vineyard. Let’s leave for a moment the fact that rabbits are so cute and cuddly that Amy Sedaris believes you should always have one hopping around the house, because they make people happy. Let’s also choose not to dwell on the owner’s assertion that the state of Arizona is too much like California, because there are some environmentalists in Arizona who believe it’s wrong to kill wildlife. Let’s instead pause to note that her son, a 35 year old self-proclaimed conservative, was unsuccessful at the task at hand. He did not kill or injure any rabbits. He was successful at puncturing, in several places, the irrigation lines for the grapes.
The battle between farmer and wildlife for supremacy in the field is an old one. This battle plays out every day in Napa and Sonoma where I heard a vineyard manager say that the only natural enemy of the wild turkey is the shot gun. Farmers the world over are not much different when it comes to protecting their crops. Maybe I would be a lousy farmer, but I don’t think I could kill a rabbit. I have a hard time cooking lobster and, unlike these rabbits, at least someone will eat the lobster.
All the talk of shooting animals this week drove home to me that I’m a bit out of step with the culture here. I’m a California girl, and I don’t like guns. The Arizona state legislature this week also spent some time talking about guns. They took steps toward passing a law that would allow people with permits to carry a concealed weapon into a bar. Even though this law would make it illegal for gun toting bar goers to drink alcohol, I still feel that there are a few obvious problems with this legislation. What happens when a bar-fight breaks out, and our sober permit holder pulls out his gun to settle it? Will one of the crazy drunk people punching each other wrestle the gun away from the sober person? Or does that only happen in movies?
What if, as happened in my new home town a month ago, a rabid bobcat walks into the bar, and drunk people corner it, and start taking pictures of it with their camera phones until it bites them? Is it ok for our sober friend to brandish her concealed weapon then? And who is it ok for her to shoot?
A couple of weeks ago the owner of the vineyard where I work gave her son a gun, and told him to go outside and kill the rabbits in the vineyard. Let’s leave for a moment the fact that rabbits are so cute and cuddly that Amy Sedaris believes you should always have one hopping around the house, because they make people happy. Let’s also choose not to dwell on the owner’s assertion that the state of Arizona is too much like California, because there are some environmentalists in Arizona who believe it’s wrong to kill wildlife. Let’s instead pause to note that her son, a 35 year old self-proclaimed conservative, was unsuccessful at the task at hand. He did not kill or injure any rabbits. He was successful at puncturing, in several places, the irrigation lines for the grapes.
The battle between farmer and wildlife for supremacy in the field is an old one. This battle plays out every day in Napa and Sonoma where I heard a vineyard manager say that the only natural enemy of the wild turkey is the shot gun. Farmers the world over are not much different when it comes to protecting their crops. Maybe I would be a lousy farmer, but I don’t think I could kill a rabbit. I have a hard time cooking lobster and, unlike these rabbits, at least someone will eat the lobster.
All the talk of shooting animals this week drove home to me that I’m a bit out of step with the culture here. I’m a California girl, and I don’t like guns. The Arizona state legislature this week also spent some time talking about guns. They took steps toward passing a law that would allow people with permits to carry a concealed weapon into a bar. Even though this law would make it illegal for gun toting bar goers to drink alcohol, I still feel that there are a few obvious problems with this legislation. What happens when a bar-fight breaks out, and our sober permit holder pulls out his gun to settle it? Will one of the crazy drunk people punching each other wrestle the gun away from the sober person? Or does that only happen in movies?
What if, as happened in my new home town a month ago, a rabid bobcat walks into the bar, and drunk people corner it, and start taking pictures of it with their camera phones until it bites them? Is it ok for our sober friend to brandish her concealed weapon then? And who is it ok for her to shoot?
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Time to go to work
In this last election, the Democratic Party at the state level captured three additional Assembly seats, maintained the status quo in the State Senate, U.S. Senate, and The House. At the federal level, the Democratic Party picked up the Presidency, 21 seats in the House of Representatives and 7 (or so) seats in the Senate. You would have to be crazy to say that Democrats don’t have the upper hand in the next round of elections.
…But Democrats do not have the upper hand in the next round of elections.
According to the Secretary of State website, California’s Democratic Party experienced a small increase (about half of a percent) of voter identification while the Republican Party lost about 2.5%. This means the Independent, or decline to state, soaked up the additional two percent in Republican losses, bringing its representation to 20%. If you add in every registered non-Democrat or Republican, it would make up one fourth of the California electorate.
Even more important is the voting trend in non-Presidential elections. Consistently in off years the Democratic and Republican parties both see a drop in representation at the hands of independent/decline to state, both in relative and absolute numbers.
And finally, 31 of the 58 counties showed a Republican majority even in the face of the Democratic landslide victory.
Instead of looking at the last election as a voter mandate to the Democratic Party, it’s very easy to see it as a backhand to the Republican Party. While we as a party did gain, the amount of voters who don’t feel represented went up even more. I strongly believe that while the incumbent always has the advantage for their specific position, the party not in power has an inherent advantage campaigning. The average person, with the aid of the media, remembers the things that aren’t going well much more readily than the things that are.
It’s time for us all to really get to work. This last election was a gimme- a throw away by the Republicans. They walked into it standing little to no chance. Maybe not this next election, but an election soon, we as a party need to work hard to understand why our message hasn’t courted the 25% of voters up for grabs.
The 31% of people in California who are Republican are not changing. If, at this point and time, you’re still a Republican, then chances are you’re not going to be persuaded to change ever. That 31% is their base figure, the amount they can always count on. And make no mistake, the Republicans have some very smart and charismatic young leaders. I would know, I study with them. They WILL eventually find a way to grab some of those swing voters if we don’t get there first.
We as Democrats should ride the wave while we can, but don’t forget that it’s the swell building under the wave that determines where it goes.
Monday, December 29, 2008
A California Carol?
Have you seen "A California Carol"?
Just in time for the holidays, it's a new video from the Courage Campaign featuring Governor Schwarzenegger as Ebenezer Scrooge, facing the ghosts of California past, present and future.
You don't want to miss this:
http://www.couragecampaign.org/CaliforniaCarol
After you watch the video, please consider joining me in signing the card for Governor Schwarzenegger. Tell him that California deserves a leader, not a Scrooge, this holiday season!
Just in time for the holidays, it's a new video from the Courage Campaign featuring Governor Schwarzenegger as Ebenezer Scrooge, facing the ghosts of California past, present and future.
You don't want to miss this:
http://www.couragecampaign.org/CaliforniaCarol
After you watch the video, please consider joining me in signing the card for Governor Schwarzenegger. Tell him that California deserves a leader, not a Scrooge, this holiday season!
Sonoma County Rocked the Vote!
For those who missed the election results - Sonoma County rocks! We set a record voter turnout of 93.4%. Numbers straight from the CA Secretary of State's website: 231,817 total voters out of 248,122 registered voters. Don't believe me - check it yourself.
http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/sov/2008_general/contents.htm
Young people across the state were alo rocking the vote. California voters under age 30 favored Obama by 56 points, 77% Obama-21% McCain; voted to defeat Proposition 4 by 24 points, 38% Yes-62% No; and voted to defeat Proposition 8 by 26 points, 37% Yes-63% No.
http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/sov/2008_general/contents.htm
Young people across the state were alo rocking the vote. California voters under age 30 favored Obama by 56 points, 77% Obama-21% McCain; voted to defeat Proposition 4 by 24 points, 38% Yes-62% No; and voted to defeat Proposition 8 by 26 points, 37% Yes-63% No.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Ed's Sexy Voting Recommendations
Ed made this list, and since he is right on, here it is for you to read and follow!
Friends,
Of course tomorrow will be the biggest election in modern history. For this reason, I have put together a sample ballot "Cheat-Sheet" that you can take along with you to the polls. Know that I am completely comfortable with the positions I have taken, and for your own peace of mind, I think you should just trust me on these matters. I assure you, we'll all sleep better at night if you do. Also, feel free to distribute this list to as many people you know. Be sure to let them know that this is how I intend to vote tomorrow. This should give them peace of mind.
I guess you should also know that my ballot decisions are not based on logic, political insight, thorough knowledge of issues, or even common sense. No, no… not this year. Tomorrow's election is all about the young voter, and one thing is certain; young voters love sex and sex appeal. Because there are so many sexy issues and candidates on tomorrow's ballot, I have based all of my decisions entirely on the “sex factor.”
Here are my sexy picks:
PRESIDENT & VICE PRESIDENT
Barack Obama & Joe Biden Two Sexy MFs. If they were R&B artists, they'd be Barry White and Michael McDonald. You got it, damn sexy. McCain, on the other hand has absolutely no sex appeal. We do know why Palin was picked as McCain's running mate, though. She is every Young Republican’s wet dream. Just imagine a Budweiser bikini-clad Sarah Palin draped over the hood of a Nascar. I know I have, but that’s a scary thought in and of itself.
CALIFORNIA CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS (in the North Bay)
* Remember, I only vote for the sexy people
6th District: Lynn Woolsey, sexiest 71 year old hottie in the House
1st District: Mike Thompson, he's got a Vietnam Vet kinda sexiness working for him
9th District: Barbara Lee, "Barbara Lee Does IT for Me"
? District: Democrat Candidate of Choice, they're all just so sexy
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATIVE DISTRICTS (in the North Bay)
State Assembly: District 7: Noreen Evans, dare I say, I have a sexy boss
State Senate: District 3: Mark Leno, if I wasn't a straight man...
State Assembly: District 1: Wes Chesbro, got that whole Tom Selleck mustache thing going on
State Assembly: District 6: Jared Huffman, member of the 1987 World Champion US Volleyball Team, how sexy is that
SONOMA COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
District 5: Rue Furch, West County sexy environment friendly naturalist, yeow
District 3: Shirlee Zane, one sexy redhead
District 1: Valerie Brown, oh, baby... don't even get me started
SONOMA COUNTY CITY COUNCIL RACES
Santa Rosa City Council, 4-Year Seat:
Michael Allen, the naughty nurse
Lee Pierce, think Shaft, without the hair
Gary Wysocky, sex on wheels
Marsha Vas Dupre, Cougar
Santa Rosa City Council, 2-Year Seat:
Judy Kennedy, sassy bitch
Petaluma City Council:
Tiffany Renee, she only looks innocent
David Glass, the bookworm type
Spence Burton, don't really know him, but i've beentold he satisfies the ladies
Sebastopol City Council:
Kathleen Shaffer, the naughty librarian
Jen Thille, will give you thrills
Cotati City Council:
Janet Orchard, ahh...if I were only this Diva’s type
Windsor City Council:
Debora Fudge, better than chocolate
Healdsburg City Council:
Mike Mcguire, "Hott Damn!"
CANDIDATES—SPECIAL DISTRICTS:
Cotati/Rohnert Park Unified School District:
Ed Gilardi, makes you want to stay after school, if you know what I mean
PROPOSITIONED
1A High-Speed Passenger Train Bond Act for the 21st Century.
YES, c'mon baby, do the loco-high speed-motion with me
Prop 2 Treatment of Farm Animals
YES, being locked in a cage is only sexy for so long. I wouldn't want to spend my whole life that way
Prop 3 Children's Hospital Bond Act
YES, more hospitals, more hot nurses
Prop 4 Teen Safety
NO, ain't nothing sexy about endangering the health of young ladies
Prop 5 Nonviolent Offenders Rehabilitation Act
YES, rehabilitation, think of it as a "safe word"
Prop 6 Safe Neighborhoods Act
NO, this is definitely not the "girl next door" kind of Prop.
Prop 7 Renewable Energy
NO, this is a scam. if you want to save energy, just do it with the lights off
Prop 8 Marriage Inequality
NO, hate ain't sexy, neither are the Knights of Columbus http://www.kofc.org/un/index.cfm "vote No on ha-8"
Prop 9 Victims' Rights and Protection Act
NO, if you're into "Caged Heat" http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071266/ save our State’s tax dollars by going to the video rental store
Prop 10 California Alternative Fuels Initiative
NO, sounds inviting, but T.Boone Pickens is not at all sexy http://apolloalliance.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/pickens372.jpg
Prop 11 Redistricting
NO, a Republican power-grab is NOT sexy. stick with the reacharound
Prop 12 Veterans Bond Act.
YES, help veterans do things in the privacy of their own homes
Measure Q
YES, just imagine all the sexy things you can do while commuting
Friends,
Of course tomorrow will be the biggest election in modern history. For this reason, I have put together a sample ballot "Cheat-Sheet" that you can take along with you to the polls. Know that I am completely comfortable with the positions I have taken, and for your own peace of mind, I think you should just trust me on these matters. I assure you, we'll all sleep better at night if you do. Also, feel free to distribute this list to as many people you know. Be sure to let them know that this is how I intend to vote tomorrow. This should give them peace of mind.
I guess you should also know that my ballot decisions are not based on logic, political insight, thorough knowledge of issues, or even common sense. No, no… not this year. Tomorrow's election is all about the young voter, and one thing is certain; young voters love sex and sex appeal. Because there are so many sexy issues and candidates on tomorrow's ballot, I have based all of my decisions entirely on the “sex factor.”
Here are my sexy picks:
PRESIDENT & VICE PRESIDENT
Barack Obama & Joe Biden Two Sexy MFs. If they were R&B artists, they'd be Barry White and Michael McDonald. You got it, damn sexy. McCain, on the other hand has absolutely no sex appeal. We do know why Palin was picked as McCain's running mate, though. She is every Young Republican’s wet dream. Just imagine a Budweiser bikini-clad Sarah Palin draped over the hood of a Nascar. I know I have, but that’s a scary thought in and of itself.
CALIFORNIA CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS (in the North Bay)
* Remember, I only vote for the sexy people
6th District: Lynn Woolsey, sexiest 71 year old hottie in the House
1st District: Mike Thompson, he's got a Vietnam Vet kinda sexiness working for him
9th District: Barbara Lee, "Barbara Lee Does IT for Me"
? District: Democrat Candidate of Choice, they're all just so sexy
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATIVE DISTRICTS (in the North Bay)
State Assembly: District 7: Noreen Evans, dare I say, I have a sexy boss
State Senate: District 3: Mark Leno, if I wasn't a straight man...
State Assembly: District 1: Wes Chesbro, got that whole Tom Selleck mustache thing going on
State Assembly: District 6: Jared Huffman, member of the 1987 World Champion US Volleyball Team, how sexy is that
SONOMA COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
District 5: Rue Furch, West County sexy environment friendly naturalist, yeow
District 3: Shirlee Zane, one sexy redhead
District 1: Valerie Brown, oh, baby... don't even get me started
SONOMA COUNTY CITY COUNCIL RACES
Santa Rosa City Council, 4-Year Seat:
Michael Allen, the naughty nurse
Lee Pierce, think Shaft, without the hair
Gary Wysocky, sex on wheels
Marsha Vas Dupre, Cougar
Santa Rosa City Council, 2-Year Seat:
Judy Kennedy, sassy bitch
Petaluma City Council:
Tiffany Renee, she only looks innocent
David Glass, the bookworm type
Spence Burton, don't really know him, but i've beentold he satisfies the ladies
Sebastopol City Council:
Kathleen Shaffer, the naughty librarian
Jen Thille, will give you thrills
Cotati City Council:
Janet Orchard, ahh...if I were only this Diva’s type
Windsor City Council:
Debora Fudge, better than chocolate
Healdsburg City Council:
Mike Mcguire, "Hott Damn!"
CANDIDATES—SPECIAL DISTRICTS:
Cotati/Rohnert Park Unified School District:
Ed Gilardi, makes you want to stay after school, if you know what I mean
PROPOSITIONED
1A High-Speed Passenger Train Bond Act for the 21st Century.
YES, c'mon baby, do the loco-high speed-motion with me
Prop 2 Treatment of Farm Animals
YES, being locked in a cage is only sexy for so long. I wouldn't want to spend my whole life that way
Prop 3 Children's Hospital Bond Act
YES, more hospitals, more hot nurses
Prop 4 Teen Safety
NO, ain't nothing sexy about endangering the health of young ladies
Prop 5 Nonviolent Offenders Rehabilitation Act
YES, rehabilitation, think of it as a "safe word"
Prop 6 Safe Neighborhoods Act
NO, this is definitely not the "girl next door" kind of Prop.
Prop 7 Renewable Energy
NO, this is a scam. if you want to save energy, just do it with the lights off
Prop 8 Marriage Inequality
NO, hate ain't sexy, neither are the Knights of Columbus http://www.kofc.org/un/ind
Prop 9 Victims' Rights and Protection Act
NO, if you're into "Caged Heat" http://www.imdb.com/title/
Prop 10 California Alternative Fuels Initiative
NO, sounds inviting, but T.Boone Pickens is not at all sexy http://apolloalliance.org/
Prop 11 Redistricting
NO, a Republican power-grab is NOT sexy. stick with the reacharound
Prop 12 Veterans Bond Act.
YES, help veterans do things in the privacy of their own homes
Measure Q
YES, just imagine all the sexy things you can do while commuting
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