Arnold Vs Gerry (The Governator Takes On The Ultimate Incumbent Protection Scheme Alert)

Opinionjournal.com ^ | 02/06/05 | John Fund

[goldstategop]

A la hasta vista, gerrymandering? Only Arnold has the star power to bring an end to the world's oldest incumbent protection scheme and empower California voters. The politicians are here to serve us, not the other way around. Its time to bring out Arnold's army to build the kind of democracy we should be proud of: one in which all of us have a real voice!

Denny Crane: "There are two places to find the truth. First God and then Fox News."

[wolfpat]

If he can do it there, I hope he comes to North Carolina and does it here. We have congressional districts that, in places, run the width of a highway.

[calcowgirl]

Its time to bring out Arnold's army to build the kind of democracy we should be proud of: one in which all of us have a real voice!

You favor mob rule?

[goldstategop]

Hardly! I favor voters being able to hold their own state legislative and Congresscritters accountable. And right now, we can't do that because the way the lines are drawn, they rarely lose.

Denny Crane: "There are two places to find the truth. First God and then Fox News."

[esoxmagnum]

Good for Arnold. I don't think he should be president, but he does have balls of steel.

I have spent enough time harping on teachers in these forums, and I am for teacher merit pay (mainly because I found out the teachers unions are dead set against them, so they must be good).

Illinois is the same way, districts are handed out through deal making, some districts are even passed down to children.

[Clemenza]

I LOVED Gerrymandering when I lived in Florida. It has insured Republican dominance in a state that is divided 33/33/33. I also HATED those stupid ballot initiatives as they all seemed to support more spending and regulatory idiocy.

I guess Florida is a Bizarro California, or is it the other way around?

[ClintonBeGone]

You favor mob rule?

Gold, do you worry. CCG favors mob rule too, its just that her McClintock mob ain't nearly the size of Arnold's army.

[calcowgirl]

No. I don't favor mob rule. I favor putting pressure on our legislators to represent those who elected them.

These ballot measures are getting out of control. I'd rather not have the shopping mall mob making uneducated decisions about the future of the state. They already brought us $15 billion in bonds and stem-cell research. If they don't look closely, they'll soon have another $10 billion in debt buried in Spending Control "reforms." If that's the army, you belong to, so be it. I am still looking for some fiscal responsibility.

See also:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1337773/posts
Fall ballot could see jumble of initiatives

"This is going to be the apocalypse of direct democracy," said Lewis Uhler of the National Tax Limitation Committee...

[SierraWasp]

""This is going to be the apocalypse of direct democracy," said Lewis Uhler of the National Tax Limitation Committee... "

And he is absolutely right! As usual. His son, Kirk made a fine Placer County Supervisor and should have been our State Assemblyman and then Senator in place of Ricko Oiler!!! Poor ol Ricko... He's back to working sheet rock in the real world again. (Phhhhht!)(Not that I'm thrilled with Lungren, either)

[socal_parrot]

[calcowgirl]

With $50 million dollars for an advertising blitz, anything can be sold to the shopping mall crowd by our celebrity governor. I offer the "cut up the credit cards" campaign as one example. The Spending "reforms" include $10 billion more in borrowing. The pension "reforms" will cost more to administer and "may" save some money in 20 years. I haven't looked into the "Merit pay" initiative to have an opinion yet.

What's your opinion on this redistricting thing? It seems like the rules for drawing districts could simply be changed to avoid the abuses illustrated in post #10 above. I am real queasy about giving the redistricting to a bunch of unelected retired judges. Why should we trust them more?

[SierraWasp]

"but he does have balls of steel."

Well phhhhht! So did Captain Qweeg!! Ha ha ha!!! Where's the strawberries... Oh wait! Maybe they were raspberries!!! I think raspberries grow better in the Sierra-Nevada CONservantsee!!!

[SierraWasp]

They should be drawn by computerized plotter based on programming by students at Pepperdine University using US census data!!!

Meanwhile CA suffers from more Eco Terrorism, this time in Sutter Creek in Amador County! Why these herosZEROs are fighting ex-urban sprawl! It's so funny to see the Sierra Flubbers trying to distance themselves on my local news casts... Phhhht!

[farmfriend]

but he does have balls of steel.

I thought steroid use shrank them.

[calcowgirl]

Ouch!

Balls of steel? Who cares.
I just wish he had the backbone to use the darn VETO pen!

[calcowgirl]

They should be drawn by computerized ...

So, am I to assume that you don't think 3 judges is an improvement over what we have now?

[Carry_Okie]

Good for Arnold. I don't think he should be president, but he does have balls of steel.

The prison guards rolled him.

[SierraWasp]

Is that what'cha call "rolled steel?"

[SierraWasp]

Well... maybe. Yes, just a little. Still too much temptation, even for retired judges. There's a little larceny is every heart, ya know.

[goldstategop]

With a big difference. Voters will get to have an up or down vote on a districting plan before it can take effect. That should help keep the potential for partisan mischief to a minimum and keep the mapmakers honest.

Denny Crane: "There are two places to find the truth. First God and then Fox News."