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Taking A Stand
"There are a lot of things that voters have the power to decide upon that will affect our home state, California!"
By
Ricky Zhang
It’s that time again! With the election right down the block, some individuals are casting early votes because of schedule interferences that prevent them from voting on the Election Day itself, November 2nd. Not only will this paramount election affect the future of the United States, but it will affect the world as well! While the spotlight is focused on the presidential campaign between President Bush and Senator Kerry, there are a lot of things that voters have the power to decide upon that will affect our home state, California! Namely, these are the numerous propositions that we have been informed about over the radio, by mail or perhaps through the newspaper. Propositions can be quite mind-boggling at times because there are so many of them! So, as a proud teenage Republican, I will express my viewpoints on several important propositions.
One of the significant propositions that we should definitely support is Proposition 59. Proposition 59 allows people the right to access certain government information. Individuals will be able to know what’s going on in peoples’ businesses and such. Obviously, this is extremely important, because we certainly wouldn’t like the government hiding information from us.
Moving on, we have Proposition 61, which I definitely oppose. While Proposition 61 claims to be a $750 million bond that is a fund grant for children’s hospitals, I doubt it will be successful because it would be repaid by our General Fund- which is basically broke. Besides, all these grants have no promise of actually improving children’s hospitals. You simply can’t risk so much money towards health improvement if it doesn’t have guaranteed results.
We also have the controversial Proposition 62, which should have complete opposition from all individuals. Straight from the corrupted politics of Louisiana, Proposition 62 eliminates our voter choices! You can forget about voting for third parties. You might even possibly have two Republicans or two Democrats on the general election ballot. As a Republican, I should be happy if there are two Republicans on the ballot- but even I think it’s completely wrong if we lose our ability to choose who to vote for. If that doesn’t make sense, it’s sort of like having the popular votes be Osama Bin Laden or Saddam Hussein and having to choose one of them as your leaders. Unfair? I think so!
Another complicated proposition we have is Proposition 65, which gives voters the right to approve a lot of government actions involving the reduction of vehicle license fee revenues, sales tax powers and revenues, as well as local property tax revenues. Sounds complicated doesn’t it? Well, basically, it allows local government to suspend performance of State Mandate if the State doesn’t pay back the local government in 180 days! If that was hard to understand, Proposition 65 puts us in a deadlock in terms of reforming local government finance, and we honestly cannot afford to let that happen.
Are you tired of the high crime rates? I certainly am. One of the most important propositions that will affect California is definitely Proposition 66, which I oppose. Proposition 66 will free even more convicts and felons onto our streets, and I don’t think we can tolerate much more crime! This proposition would amend the “Three Strikes Law,” revising what is considered violent and serious felonies. Some might argue it is unfair for people to get horrendous prison sentences for stealing pizzas and such, but think about this – what did these people do before they stole pizzas? Some could have robbed banks – others probably killed someone! Can you really let these people loose on the streets? There are so many better alternatives than crime, and people who decide to fall in this path over and over again deserve to put away with the successful “Three Strikes Law.”
If it’s a bill that always comes on time, it’s our phone bill. Proposition 67 adds a 3% surcharge on telephone use within California, in addition to current taxes and surcharges! More money will be coming out of our pockets, and we can’t afford to drop another quarter into these already high phone bills.
Now one of the more interesting propositions is definitely trying to make its way through our playing cards – literally. Proposition 68 gives 16 specific, non-tribal racetracks and gambling establishments the right to build more casinos and gives them exemption from many of the local and state laws! You’re basically turning the casino business into a monopoly. Through experience we know that gambling is not a good thing, and with more casinos- can you imagine the traffic and dramatic increase of crime? I’m sure no one wants to have a loan shark wandering in their neighborhood or gambling addicts congest their sidewalks. The same goes for Proposition 70, which basically grants Indian casinos infinite ammo of slot machines and types of games. Are you sure you want to see your friends be seduced into the financially disastrous world of gambling? I think not.
Tired of unsolved crime mysteries? Tired of wrongfully convicted individuals? Well, Proposition 69 is here to make justice serve better! Proposition 69 requires DNA samples to be collected from adults and juveniles who have committed a felony. You might think this is an invasion of our rights, but if you think deeper, this basically disables criminals from getting away with things! No longer will you have to wonder who killed who – because DNA samples will provide sufficient evidence to convict individuals. Also, innocents can be saved from wrongful conviction by Proposition 69. The only drawback is a 10% increase in our traffic citations and criminal fines.
Recently, there has been great talk about stem cell research. Proposition 71 allows up to $3 billion to be used for stem cell research- which is rather questionable and usually deemed immoral and unethical. Both sides to this proposition are alluring. The upside is finding cures to many diseases, but the downside is killing unborn babies and tinkering with taxpayer funds. If stem cell research is so great, shouldn’t people eagerly invest in it? I have no position on Proposition 71, so it’s up to you voters to decide.
There are just so many propositions, I hope I served as an easy-to-understand guide with a simple perspective! I believe I listed the most important propositions that we need to be aware of, but ultimately, it’s up for the voters to decide! Just to vote itself is already a great start because you’re taking advantages of your privileges. After all, some people don’t even get the chance to vote in certain countries, and that’s a shame. You, however, have the power to make a change. Take a bit out of your time, and vote! It truly does make a difference.
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