We had a special election yesterday, and the results have astounded me. I've never seen anything like this.
After each election the Secretary of State posts graphics on the web site. These graphics show how each county voted on each proposition and office, and usually they all look similar--the coastal counties vote mostly liberal, and the inland counties vote mostly conservative. No matter what the office or the proposition is, one map looks pretty much like all the others.
Yesterday there were 6 statewide propositions. On 5 of these propositions, every single county in the state voted the same way. On only one, Proposition 1B (which had something to do with education money), was there a difference--three counties voted for it, and the remaining counties voted against it. Click here, and then on the maps for the individual propositions, to see what I mean.
Five of the propositions failed by about a 2-1 margin, and the one that passed was by a 3-1 margin. But the consistency across the counties is what is surprising me most.
It may never happen again in my lifetime.
7 comments:
Even San Francisco voted with the tide. It was quite remarkable, although not altogether unpredictable.
Karen Bass's statement today angered me though. She believes that we voted the way we did because we didn't understand the propositions and were "weary."
Yeah, we are weary all right. Weary of those self-righteous legislators who get flipped the bird by their electorate and who still don't understand what just happened.
I hope this is just the beginning for California. We've long been a government that happens to have a state attached. It's time we take our state back and put the government in its place.
But if they won't get the message it won't happen, so we need to continue on and work to take it back.
A part-time legislature would be a great start.
I'm in that stupid green area, but yea... I saw those graphics and my jaw dropped. I think the first phrase out of my mouth was, "oh my gosh, the state government must be pooping in its collective pants right now".
(Pun intended :D)
I was happy with 3 out of 6 results this time, but I seriously believe most Californians couldn't tell you what most of the propositions actually did. There is absolutely no reason not to pass D or E, and not passing them makes doing a new budget harder while money sits unused, or worse gets spent in an area where it wasn't needed.
And, while I'm just a ticked at the legislature, I'm even more upset with California voters who enact virtually every bond issue (high speed rail? stem cell research?) and categorical restriction (Prop 98? cigarette tax? other cigarette tax?) thereby increasing tacxes while making the legislature's job harder.
One could argue that it's not the public's job to distinguish the economic effects of so many ballot measures. In fact, I would argue that. But since they are there -- if you can't explain to me precisely what the measure does, you should be abstaining. And, if you're in doubt -- vote no. No legislation is better than bad legislation. In that sense, at least, Tuesday went better than usual.
This was the first time in my voting history that I voted with the majority in EVERY issue.
I especially like the graphic for Prop-1F, the only winner, which boils down to:
"If you don't do your job as an elected official, you don't get or deserve a raise"
1F is also purely window dressing. It passes as law something that has never happened (See Sac Bee, 5/17) nor is it likely to. Pass one that says that they don't get to collect their pay (and per diem), EVER, for days without a budget and we're talking.
Maybe some of the more complacent voters, who often choose to avoid the polling booths for fear of social payback are finally fearing how it will affect their Golden State lifestyles. I have heard the rumor that there are conservatives in the inland areas of Cali, perhaps they are tired of LA and San Francisco calling the shots. At any rate, if folks like what has happened economically in California-then they will love Obamanomics.
Here in Florida they say what happens in California heads east.
I congratulate you for flexing your muscles and pray the Santa Anna winds blow the change here.
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