Politics and Culture

Not so remarkably, the people of California are a lot smarter when it comes to making California law than our state legislature which has to be the least diverse and most unwise in the hemisphere next to the Havana politiebureau. Here are my recommendations for the propositions up tomorrow.

Proposition 91- No:

This one prohibits the legislature from moving transportation revenue from gasoline taxes to the general fund. I lean against any proposition that artificially limits the government's ability to make decisions like balanced budget amendments, etc. In other words, people should vote for honest politicians who won't move money away from its intended purpose. In case of an emergency or if none of the roads happen to need repair (ha!), this law would make the government less efficient (ha! ha!).

Proposition 92- No!:

This one writes the percentage of the budget that should be spent on education into the constitution (!!). A stupid bill for the reasons above as well as its goal. What the heck do we need a board of community college governors for? What if there's a decline in enrollment? What if (when) voters discover that a good percentage of education funds are a waste of money? Why can't people who decide to go to college pay for some of it?

Anyways, the legislature has run up big a deficit and maybe we shouldn't make it worse.

Proposition 93- No:

A cynical bill that limits the amount of time a person may serve in the legislature from 14 to twelve years but resets everybody to zero. Needless to say, in 2018, there'll be a proposition that limits terms to eleven years with the same reset proviso.

Propositions 94 to 97- No endorsement.

I am biased against any expansion to gaming, which I consider a net detriment to society. On the other hand, it would generate more revenue from people who lose 2% of their money on slot machines.