Posted on 10/10/2005 2:51:58 PM PDT by Names Ash Housewares
Arnold Resurgent?
Last summer, I spoke at an event at which Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger also talked. He was in the midst of doing battle with the Democrats in California's legislature and, above all, with the public employee unions, who were spending large amounts of money on advertising. At that time many were saying that his "reform" agenda, embodied in five propositions that will be on the ballot in November, was in deep trouble. Arnold expressed confidence and said that in his bodybuilder days, what he and his competitors most feared was peaking too soon. He argued that his opponents had peaked, and by November the voters would support his reform proposals.
In polling released Tuesday by Survey USA, the five proositions are all leading comfortably with likely voters--one by eleven points, the other four by at least twenty.
The survey only included a little over 500 likely voters on each issue, and there is plenty of time for voter sentiment to change. Still, a month out from the election, Arnold's bet is looking pretty good.
(Excerpt) Read more at powerlineblog.com ...
Grass roots efforts. Get out the vote. I am walking the neighborhoods until voting time. Just don't talk... let's walk. Arnold took a beating over the summer but the pendulum is now swinging the other way. Remember how it used to be before the recall. Support this reformer.
I'm voting No on 77. I hate the current system, but don't see this making it better (in fact, it would make things worse, imo).
As far as other states, I don't think there is anything comparable to what California is proposing. There are some details about other states in this article (warning SFChron lefty alert):
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/10/07/BAG7IF3FUA1.DTL
If Proposition 77 passes in November, California would become the 13th state to put an independent commission in charge of drawing its political lines. But that's about the only thing the redistricting plan would have in common with the rest of the nation.
(snip)
I have my doubts about giving the matter to judges but anything is better than the alternatives. Personally, I would want to write into a new law prescriptions against odd-shaped districts but how one does that ... I don't know. But California today is like Texas in 2003 -- Texas Dems had 65% of the seats but only 45% of the vote; today, California Dems have 65% of seats but only 53% of the vote.
Once the seats become competitive again, then they CA Dems will stop being beholden to labor unions and the gays and start reflecting the views of voters.
Prop 77 -- 'instead of politicians drawing their own districts so they never lose, a panel of independent retired judges will draw districts and this will be approved by the people. This will end the rigged elections.' Is what Arnold's flyer says. I'm voting for it til I hear otherwise, even tho the retired judges in California are most likely libs. Better than the politicians drawing the lines.
Excellent news.
I doubt if Arnold and his props were ever behind with a real poll.
The lying union thugs, perverts and MSM told us their wet dreams about these props going down to defeat. The reality was never what they told us.
The union thugs and Teachers have spent millions and millions in their tv lies/spins, the California voters have ignored them.
The same reality will face those who are saying that GW is finished.
It depends on what you want it to accomplish.
You see, this was all part of Arnie's grand scheme. Sucker the Dems into thinking he was on their side, fix the budget with their help, and then throw them and their allies a major curveball: take away the unions money, and take away Democratic safe seats.
This makes the 2006, and 2008 state elections, truly competitive. Current Dems will have to run on their records (voting for illegal alien licenses, voting yes on 100 gay rights bills). They will look like the spineless b-stards they are and the Republicans will pick up seats. Then the state political process can become more sensible again.
If Arnie doesn't get the redistricting initiative passed, then he and every future Republican governor lives with a Democratic legislator that is immune to common sense.
For a view at how bad some of the districts are, see here:
http://www.calvoter.org/voter/maps/
Take a special look at Assembly districts 60, 63, and 66; and Congressional districts 11, 15, 23, 38, 39, 53
I'm voting no as well. I prefer a democratic approach, regardless of how ugly it is.
I got my Sample Ballot over the weekend and looked over the text of Prop 77. Any claim that "the politicians pick the judges!" by opponents is one of those facts that is very nearly a lie. "The politicians" are the heads of both parties in both houses, there's a random element of picking all the judges they choose so cronyism is minimized, etc. I'm voting for it -- it certainly can't be worse than the current system.
1. Judges aren't non-partisan. 2. Only 3 Judges (vs. 5 or 7) is too much an opportunity for slant (and corruption). 3. The selection Judicial Council process of identifying Judges in the pool is hidden from public scrutiny as it is being performed by pseudo-governmental bodies and institutions not subject to transparency provisions. 4. The nomination process will be done by the same state legislators (but much fewer of them) that this intitiative is supposed to correct. 5. Legislators doing the selections only get to choose candidates from the opposite party. 6. The schedule for implementation is not only aggressive, but probably not feasible (Candidates file papers before the districts are even drawn--see Rose report). 5. The Secretary of State has said it is not doable, as do other experts. 6. By most accounts published, conservatives will lose seats and Republicans will probably lose seats, while minority districts (mostly Dem) will be protected under the Baker v. Carr provisions. 6. Mid-decade redistricting requires use of already outdated census data. 7. Despite requiring voter approval of new districts, the new district maps will first be used without approval. 8. From what I can determine, legislators don't draw districts today--they hire Consultants to do it for them. Under the new law, Judges will chose from plans presented to them--by Consultants! The same exact people will be drawing districts--it is only a matter of who can sell the judges as to their 'plan' being the best. I think I'm missing a few reasons, but this is most of them.
Regarding the implementation schedule, one has to wonder if this is any way to "reform" government. It reduces public participation and scrutiny and railroads it through the system. Consider this excerpt:
San Francisco Chronicle, Sept 27, 2005There are some interesting comments from political insiders in a piece posted, September 29th, 2005 by Capitol Weekly.(snip)
But the details surrounding Prop. 77 drew the most concern at Monday's hearing. If the measure passes, for example, the state will have until Dec. 30 to select the panel of judges, hold three public hearings, draw the new districts and get them approved by the U.S. Department of Justice and the three-judge panel to have them ready for the June 2006 primary election.
"It would be incredibly difficult, if not impossible, to get this done before Dec. 30,'' said Karin MacDonald of the Institute of Governmental Studies at UC Berkeley.
The tight deadlines would cut many community groups out of the redistricting process, argued Eugene Lee of the Asian Pacific American Legal Center.
In the 2000 redistricting, "we worked for a year and a half to discuss draft plans and submit testimony,'' he said. "The incredibly compressed time period would eliminate the ability of citizen groups to have a voice.''
"If Proposition 77 is approved on Nov. 8, how many seats in the Legislature can Republicans expect to pick up?"• "None."• "None--until the next census redistricting, which is because it will languish in court until such time that it is deemed too costly, political and ridiculous to actually implement. The smart money is betting that, if it passes, it will be overturned and fought in court all the way until the next census takers come knocking on your door."
(snip) [Click link above for more responses.]
See also my post above.
Bookmarked, for the benefit of those who would say that failure to support Prop. 77 is tantamount to approving of the current gerrymandered system.
We all know from whom that will be heard.
There's the lob ...
Base hit, runner on first.
Time to send the prop 75 folks some more money. Humboldt County has about 50,000 voters or less and the teachers unions are saturating the air ways against #74 and 75...
Crack, batter hits a triple, driving in runner. Ilk up, 1, nothing. Runner on third.
Runner on third steals home. Ilk lead 2, nil.
David Horowitz just weighed in. The full article is thought provoking:
Arnold Schwarzenegger Wrong on Redistricting Proposition
newsmax.com ^ | October 10, 2005 | David Horowitz
Posted on 10/10/2005 4:34:24 PM PDT by FJR
Ilk beats bilk when given time, as it should.
Maybe someday, when you learn to make a logical argument based upon sourced facts you might become as persuasive as is ccg. Until then, you do yourself disservice, routinely, with persistent misrepresentation, empty labels, and slurs.
'Let's watch the dems stuff the ballots on election day and everyone declare how close the election was..."
Nahh.. The 9th circuit is going to overturn it if some Judge appointed by Clinton doesn't get to it first.
Truth be told, I'm just having a little fun. I'm not sure how I stand on 77, either. Y'all have fun though, give it your dangest ...
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