Ballot Initiatives in your City / State ...

jimed14

So, I'm still going through the 272 page book entitled "Consolidated General Election - City and County of San Francisco" which contains all the ballot initiatives in the city of San Francisco, and the 142 page book for the California state initiatives I'll be voting on ... 12 state proposals and 22 city propositions! Ugh.

The big one for the states is Prop 8 ... which would ban gay marraiges. It's intersting that in the city, I see so many "No on 8" signs, yet, as I drove to Tahoe over the weekend, and got into more rural Cali, plenty of "Yes on 8" banners. This one will be very intersting.

Prop 4 deals with parental consent for abortions ... another one getting a lot of attention.

As for the city ... one or two that are generating some media attention ...

Prop K - Decrminalizing sex work

Prop V - Reversing the decision to get rid of Junior ROTC

and the incredibly silly Prop R - renaming a sewage plant the "George W Bush" sewage plant ....


Anyway ... curious to see what you are all voting on ...

Enkidu

I live in LA and our next door neighbors (Mormon) put up this gigantic "Yes on 8" (anti gay marriage) banner. I mean - huge. My husband wanted to go out in the middle of the night and take it down and I told him not to - I mean, the guy's an asshole anyway, but it's his right to post a sign. Even though I disagree with "Yes on 8."

The next garbage day the sign was gone. And my husband swears it wasn't him.

I get overwhelmed with all the propositions and initiatives, too. I wish the election was over. (I might vote to name a sewage plant George W. Bush though.)

Release Me

In massachusetts we have:
1. Eliminate the state income tax
2. reduce penalties for marijuana (I think uner one ounce) to a ticket and a fine, no jail
3. essentially outlaw dog racing

very polarizing issues. people want to get rid of the income tax because the state sucks with their spending. obviously the drug one gets people all fired up. then with dog racing people have to choose between poorly (in many cases - I am certainly not an expert on these) dogs and people losing jobs. one commercial I saw actually had some of the supposed workers on camera saying don't take away my job. wow.

digster

In New York City, I'll be voting on a referendum to temporarily change term limit laws to allow Bloomberg to run for a third term along with other members of city council in light of the current economic crisis as well as...

...oh wait, I forgot. My mayor is a giant douchebag and the City Council (of which 80% of members voting would be barred from seeking another term if term limit rules were not overturned; obviously no conflict of interest there) decided it would be a good idea to not consult the people on term limits in the form of a referendum, like they have twice in the past eighteen years.

Sorry, I'm a tad bitter.

Indifference

Release Me wrote:

In massachusetts we have:
1. Eliminate the state income tax
2. reduce penalties for marijuana (I think uner one ounce) to a ticket and a fine, no jail
3. essentially outlaw dog racing

very polarizing issues. people want to get rid of the income tax because the state sucks with their spending. obviously the drug one gets people all fired up. then with dog racing people have to choose between poorly (in many cases - I am certainly not an expert on these) dogs and people losing jobs. one commercial I saw actually had some of the supposed workers on camera saying don't take away my job. wow.

YES
YES
NO

jimed14

Enkidu wrote:

I live in LA and our next door neighbors (Mormon) put up this gigantic "Yes on 8" (anti gay marriage) banner. I mean - huge. My husband wanted to go out in the middle of the night and take it down and I told him not to - I mean, the guy's an asshole anyway, but it's his right to post a sign. Even though I disagree with "Yes on 8."

The next garbage day the sign was gone. And my husband swears it wasn't him.

I get overwhelmed with all the propositions and initiatives, too. I wish the election was over. (I might vote to name a sewage plant George W. Bush though.)

well, I think the sewage plant thing is a San Fran county initiative ...

Prop 8 is seriously getting people heated.

jimed14

Release Me wrote:

In massachusetts we have:
1. Eliminate the state income tax
2. reduce penalties for marijuana (I think uner one ounce) to a ticket and a fine, no jail
3. essentially outlaw dog racing

very polarizing issues. people want to get rid of the income tax because the state sucks with their spending. obviously the drug one gets people all fired up. then with dog racing people have to choose between poorly (in many cases - I am certainly not an expert on these) dogs and people losing jobs. one commercial I saw actually had some of the supposed workers on camera saying don't take away my job. wow.

As a person who lived in Mass for 30 years, these are intersting.

eliminate the state income tax? Man, I'll bet the businesses in NH are paying for a lot fo advertising to make sure this doesn't pass. Where do the proponents of this say they will get money? raising property tax?

They had the elimination of dog racing on the ballot in the late 90s early 2000s, didn't they? I think I remember voting on that one.

Release Me

jimed14 wrote:

As a person who lived in Mass for 30 years, these are intersting.

eliminate the state income tax? Man, I'll bet the businesses in NH are paying for a lot fo advertising to make sure this doesn't pass. Where do the proponents of this say they will get money? raising property tax?

They had the elimination of dog racing on the ballot in the late 90s early 2000s, didn't they? I think I remember voting on that one.

the income tax is something like 40% of the budget, so yeah, I'm sure property taxes would subsequently be raised. one commercial actually has this as a basis, essentially trying to scare people. I think the state can do without the income tax, but seems like a drastic move all at once, which is the idea of it - to send the message to the state. I'm still undecided here. afterall a few years back we voted to roll back the income tax a whopping quarter of a percentage point, it passed, then the state overrode it or ignored it or whatever you call it. you wonder if this passes what they would do.

mca47

From last week's Real Time...


New Rule: Next year, someone has to put an initiative on the ballot that bans all ballot initiatives. Can you follow these things? "Vote Yes to say No to the people who Support the Opponents of Prop 13 - by voting No on Prop 11, which says Yes to energy independence, and Not No to our teachers and firefighters."

HA!

I voted yesterday and it took me some time to get through the wording on some of them.

jimed14

mca47 wrote:

From last week's Real Time...


New Rule: Next year, someone has to put an initiative on the ballot that bans all ballot initiatives. Can you follow these things? "Vote Yes to say No to the people who Support the Opponents of Prop 13 - by voting No on Prop 11, which says Yes to energy independence, and Not No to our teachers and firefighters."

HA!

I voted yesterday and it took me some time to get through the wording on some of them.

it's no wonder lines for voting are so long ... I mean, I have 34(!) initiatives to vote on ... not to mention 6 or 7 non presidential races like school board, state council etc ...

mca47

jimed14 wrote:

it's no wonder lines for voting are so long ... I mean, I have 34(!) initiatives to vote on ... not to mention 6 or 7 non presidential races like school board, state council etc ...

Yeah, I waited 2 hours to early vote yesterday, and another 2 minutes to actually fill out the ballot (I brought a filled out sample ballot with me). It is amazing how f'n long it takes and you're right. Having people read though those and try to make sense of them is no easy task...especially here with so many old people!

JOEJOEJOE

Release Me wrote:

In massachusetts we have:
1. Eliminate the state income tax
2. reduce penalties for marijuana (I think uner one ounce) to a ticket and a fine, no jail
3. essentially outlaw dog racing

very polarizing issues. people want to get rid of the income tax because the state sucks with their spending. obviously the drug one gets people all fired up. then with dog racing people have to choose between poorly (in many cases - I am certainly not an expert on these) dogs and people losing jobs. one commercial I saw actually had some of the supposed workers on camera saying don't take away my job. wow.

So the local stoners wil have more dough to buy their weed!

Where does the state propose to find the revenue they lose from income taxes and dog-racing taxes?...some states have no income tax, but they tax in other ways. In Nevada, the casino tax raises enough dough so that there is no individual income tax.

Indifference

JOEJOEJOE wrote:

So the local stoners wil have more dough to buy their weed!

Where does the state propose to find the revenue they lose from income taxes and dog-racing taxes?...some states have no income tax, but they tax in other ways. In Nevada, the casino tax raises enough dough so that there is no individual income tax.

Well the MA state tax revenue is about 40% of the budget - and if its passes its phased in cut from 5/5.25% to 2.65% in 09 to 0% in 2010. I think all the essential services (police, fire, teachers, etc) should be unaffected - but should cut out the many people who work for the state who will have to - wait - hold on - actually work for a living.......handouts will need to stop as well.

jimed14

bump .... they are talking abot Prop K in San Francisco on CNN right now, about legalizing prostitution, which, I hope goes down in flames.

jimed14

whew ... I'm done ...

finished all my research on the 32 ballot initiatives (22 city, 10 state) ... man, that reminded me of studying for some of my differential equation exams ... :rolleyes:

still curious what other people are voting on (don't have to share your side, jsut curious as to intersting initiatives)

Vedderlution_Baby

Amendment 1: Delete from state constitution the provisions authorizing the Legislature to regulate or prohibit the ownership, inheritance, disposition, and possession of real property by aliens ineligible for citizenship

Amendment 2:Define marriage as the union of one man and one woman as husband and wife, no other legal union is valid or recognized

Amendment 3: Exclude certain improvements from being considered in property value assessment for ad valorem taxation purposes

Amendment 4: Provide property tax exemption for perpetually conserved land.

Amendment 6: Bases tax assessment of waterfront property on current use.

Amendment 8: Authorizes counties to levy local option sales taxes for community colleges, subject to voter approval.


2008 Florida Ballot Measures

jimed14

Vedderlution_Baby! wrote:

Amendment 2:Define marriage as the union of one man and one woman as husband and wife, no other legal union is valid or recognized

looks exactly like Cali's prop 8 ...

Vedderlution_Baby

jimed14 wrote:

looks exactly like Cali's prop 8 ...

Yea but gay marriage is already against the law in Florida. The group that pushed the measure created it so the current law couldn't be changed or done away with by a judge.

kenny olav

Release Me wrote:

In massachusetts we have:
1. Eliminate the state income tax
2. reduce penalties for marijuana (I think uner one ounce) to a ticket and a fine, no jail
3. essentially outlaw dog racing

I'm voting...

NO on 1 (don't throw the baby out with the bathwater)
YES on 2 (don't throw your buddies into jail)
YES on 3 (don't throw dogs out on a track and make them run around so you can make bets on them... seriously)

Indifference

Kenny Olav wrote:

I'm voting...

NO on 1 (don't throw the baby out with the bathwater)
YES on 2 (don't throw your buddies into jail)
YES on 3 (don't throw dogs out on a track and make them run around so you can make bets on them... seriously)

YES
YES
NO

Looks like we are agree on one of them.....................

Vedderlution_Baby

Cnn has a "Race Tracker" on it's website right now where you can select a state and it puts a pane on the right hand side of the window that is constantly updating itself so you can keep up it. So if you're on there, this could come in handy. I'm watching the Presidential election, prop 2 (florida) and prop 8

Vedderlution_Baby

Fuck. Looks like Prop 2 is going to fucking pass.

jimed14

Vedderlution_Baby! wrote:

Fuck. Looks like Prop 2 is going to fucking pass.

interesting ... not sure how that bodes for Obama in the state ...

people can still vote for your prop 2 and Obama ... just, intersting.

walkunafraid

I'm on pins and needles about California's Prop 8. At one time it was way behind by double digits. According to the latest polls, it's now neck-and-neck.

It's far and away the most heated ballot measure I have seen in my life. There has been more money spent on the measure than on any other in U.S. history. People have been standing on the streets with signs for both sides for the last month. The number of political ads, heated arguments, and celebrity/political endorsements has been mind-numbing.

I swear, if Californians vote to eliminate same sex marriage, I don't know what I'm going to do. How can this measure even be on the ballot in the 21st century?

jimed14

walkunafraid wrote:

I'm on pins and needles about California's Prop 8. At one time it was way behind by double digits. According to the latest polls, it's now neck-and-neck.

It's far and away the most heated ballot measure I have seen in my life. There has been more money spent on the measure than on any other in U.S. history. People have been standing on the streets with signs for both sides for the last month. The number of political ads, heated arguments, and celebrity/political endorsements has been mind-numbing.

I swear, if Californians vote to eliminate same sex marriage, I don't know what I'm going to do. How can this measure even be on the ballot in the 21st century?

I don't have good news for you ... (I'm in your camp by the way) ... jsut read this on Politico ...

Good for Obama, bad for same-sex marriage?

California Democrats want Obama to win, but they're growing nervous tonight that a landslide back east could, perversely, help the state's conservatives pass an amendment barring same-sex marriage.

Their problem: If the presidential election appears over, it will likely depress the turnout, except among three groups: The social conservatives, and committed gay rights voters, going out to vote on Proposition Eight; and African-Americans, who are expected to come out to vote for the first black president even if his victory is all but assured.

And California polling suggests that black voters will back Proposition Eight. The last Field Poll had it at 49 to 43 percent in that community.

Some Democrats remember Jimmy Carter's early concession in 1980, which was devastating for local races in the West. So they may be hoping McCain pulls out a state or two back East.

Vedderlution_Baby

• Amendment 1: Delete from state constitution the provisions authorizing the Legislature to regulate or prohibit the ownership, inheritance, disposition, and possession of real property by aliens ineligible for citizenship RESULT: Fail
  
• Amendment 2:Define marriage as the union of one man and one woman as husband and wife, no other legal union is valid or recognized RESULT: Pass
  
• Amendment 3: Exclude certain improvements from being considered in property value assessment for ad valorem taxation purposes RESULT: Pass
  
  
• Amendment 4: Provide property tax exemption for perpetually conserved land. RESULT: Pass
  
  
• Amendment 6: Bases tax assessment of waterfront property on current use. RESULT: Pass
  
  
• Amendment 8: Authorizes counties to levy local option sales taxes for community colleges, subject to voter approval.

RESULT:Fail


2008 Florida Ballot Measures



I'm disappointed 2 passed. Damn.

Vedderlution_Baby

So what's the word? Any props that passed/failed that you were hoping for? I know Prop 8 in Cali failed which is sad but Mass decriminalized weed so that's a plus.