I haven't posted much lately, but this is a pretty important election, so I thought I'd share my analysis of the candidates and the issues facing us, and hopefully, I'll do my part to make my fellow voters more informed.
I'll be discussing my Presidential choice in depth, and then I'll discuss the various California Propositions and lastly I'll make my recommendations for Kern County candidates and measures.
President - None.
While I could probably tolerate a McCain presidency (I'll discuss my issues with him as a candidate in a minute), the thought of an Obama presidency truly disturbs me. Let's just start with some of the basic things that paint him in a bad light:
- His association with people and organizations I find reprehensible - Tony Rezko, Bill Ayers (I believe it's been established that he didn't have a close relationship with Ayers, but he still knew about Ayers' background. A man of principle would refuse to associate with Ayers, and the simple fact that Obama chose to associate with him at all shows he condones Ayers' violent past and isn't bothered by the fact that Ayers is unrepentant about this actions, as evidenced by his comments in September 2001.), Khalid al-Mansour (including video of Obama toasting al-Mansour, which the LA Times refuses to release. Obama is quoted as saying that he'd like to continue his conversations with al-Mansour), ACORN (an organization that is consistently engaged in shady voter-registration efforts (not to be confused with voter fraud, they're two different situations), not to mention they are a major contributor to the mortgage mess that's going on, and to top it all off, the Obama campaign recently gave an ACORN-affiliated company $800K and initially lied about what it was for).
- Obama's belief that American voters are stupid, as evidenced by his claim that he attended Rev. Jeremiah Wright's church for 20 years but never really knew what the man stood for.
- Obama's membership in the New Party, a socialist party to the far-left of the political spectrum, his comments about wealth redistribution, his statement that it's selfish to want lower taxes, Biden's attempt to smear those who want lower taxes as unpatriotic (as an aside, I've served my country Senator Biden, and since you haven't, who are you to question my patriotism?)
- Obama's website disabled their card-security validation feature, enabling fraudulent donations, which he has yet to return, let alone discuss.
- His "cap & trade" plans for carbon emissions, including his foreknowledge that it would cause energy prices to skyrocket and would drive an entire industry out of business.
- His desire to create a Civilian National Security Force , which would be as well funded as the current national security apparatus.
No, all those things aside, the reason I don't want Obama in the White House rests on one word - EXPERIENCE. He has 2 terms in the Illinois State Senate, and less than a term in the U.S. Senate He's authored no major bills, and he's only had 3 (of 121) bills that he sponsored enacted (more facts here, here and here). In my eyes, he's just not the person that America needs right now. He's got some good ideas, some terrible ideas and some "meh" ideas, but I just don't feel that he's the right person for the job that the next President faces.
On top of all that, he picked a liar for a Vice-President, considering Biden consistently claims that a drunk-driver killed his first wife, yet no historical evidence exists to prove his claim (to the contrary, all the evidence, including many statements by Biden, show the driver wasn't drunk).
And I won't be voting for McCain/Palin, either. Even though McCain and I strongly disagree on the issue of illegal immigration, he had my vote until he flip-flopped and pandered to the religious right (who, in my opinion, are neither religious nor right). And I still was willing to vote for him, until he voted for that ridiculous bailout plan. A giant circle-jerk of greed got us in this mess, and all the bailout does is reward the most greedy. People, companies and the government overextended themselves, and the market needs a major correction. All his shortsighted efforts have done is delayed and made worse the inevitable correction. And for someone who consistently accuses Obama of being a socialist, I have but one thing to say - Hello, pot, this is kettle - you're black. Intervening in the market is an incredibly socialist move.
US Representative, 22nd District: Kevin McCarthy. Although running unopposed, Representative McCarthy has done a fairly good job in Washington representing Kern County. While I would prefer someone who took less money from corporations and special interests, he's still earned my vote.
State Assembly, 13th District: Jean Fuller. Assemblywoman Fuller has earned my vote by faithfully representing her consituents' desires in Sacramento.
Superior Court Judge, Office 30: Holly Mitchell. Her experience as a prosecutor gives her the edge over Chip Brehmer in my book.
Sierra Sands Unified School District Trustee, Area 2: Pam Lochead, Tom Martin, Michael Scott. I'm a firm believer in rewarding my elected officials for their performance. I have a very high opinion of the schools here in Ridgecrest, so I feel the three incumbents should be re-elected.
Ridgecrest City Council: Jason Patin, Jerry D. Taylor and Mark Millis. I'm not real pleased with our the incumbents running for reelection, and think these three will do a fine job. There are other decent candidates, but they appear confused about what the Constitution means at the local level vice federal level.
Indian Wells Airport District Director: Russ Bates. Who better to sit on an aiport district than a pilot/aerospace engineer?
Indian Wells Valley Water District: Leroy Corlett and Don Cortichiato. The incumbents have done an excellent job in my opinion, and deserve reelection. I am not endorsing a 3rd person, as I do not know enough about the other candidates to make an informed decision.
Proposition 1A: NO. This bond measure requires payback from the General Fund, which impacts our state budget, and eventually, our tax rates.
Proposition 2: YES. Call me a hippy if you want, but I believe that just because these animals are bred to die, it doesn't mean they should be treated the way they currently are during their lives.
Proposition 3: NO. While an admirable reason for wanting a bond, the current financial situation in California makes any bond measure requiring payback from the General Fund a no-go for me.
Proposition 4: YES. I just don't believe that an abortion is something that a minor should be allowed to keep hidden from a parent. It's not the responsibility of the state or the doctor to counsel the minor, it's the responsibility of the parent. Additionally, if kids know they won't be able to get an abortion on demand, maybe they'll think twice before having sex.
Proposition 5: NO. While I think the drug laws in the U.S. are stupid, and for the most part we shouldn't be imprisoning non-violent offenders, this bill isn't the solution.
Proposition 6: YES. The first duty of federal, state and local governments is to provide for the safety of their citizens. While California has a long way to go in that regard, this is a good first step.
Proposition 7: NO. As much as I think we need to move towards alternative and renewable energy, this bill isn't the right way for us to go. Plus, when the California League of Conservation Voters, Environmental Defense Fund, Natural Resources Defense Council and the Union of Concerned Scientists (all groups who have championed alternative and renewable energy sources) are against a bill that would supposedly move us in the right direction, you know something is wrong with the proposition.
Proposition 8: UNDECIDED. This is a difficult issue for me. I am very proud to be an American and want everyone the world over to share in the liberties I enjoy. More importantly, I'm proud that I'm trying to follow the teachings of Christ. This issue requires me to decide which Bible direction I'm supposed to follow. If I "Give unto Ceasar that which is Ceasar's", my interpretation of the Bible requires me to live within the laws of my land, which says equal rights for all. But the Bible also tells me that homosexuality is an abomination. With that in mind, to vote for gay marriage would be condoning abominable behavior. So, I still haven't decided how to vote on this, and I'll be doing a lot of soul-searching and praying tonight.
Proposition 9: YES. While not a perfect solution, I believe that victim's rights should be more important, and this proposition will help achieve a balance of fairness when it comes to victim's rights.
Proposition 10: NO. As much as I think this is a great measure, it's a bond that requires payback from the General Fund. Perhaps if they shifted the payback from the taxpayers to the benefitting companies, I'd be more inclined to support it.
Proposition 11: NO. The current redistricting process sucks, as it's left in the hands of the people who benefit the most from gerrymandering. However, switching to the methodology proposed in this proposition is just as ridiculous. Instead of a state-appointed commission comprised of partisan members, the electorate should vote for all 11 members of the commission, and they should be forbidden by law from being a member of either party. That would truly ensure fair redistricting.
Proposition 12: YES. Unlike all the other bond measures on the ballot, I am wholeheartedly endorsing this one. And no, it's not because it deals with veterans (of which I, my sister, my father, my step-father and all my friends are). No, it's because unlike the other bond measures, this one would be paid back by the veteran's as their loan payments, rather than by the taxpayers.
Measure N: YES. Ridgecrest roads suck, and rather than try and play games with the books to afford this, or rely on state or federal funds that may never arrive, we have a responsibility to ourselves and our community to make a firm decision - we either want the roads enough to pay extra for them, or we don't. Cutting the city's budget (and I agree that it could be trimmed) won't pay for all the road work.