State Initiatives Voter's Guide UPDATES

Here are my recommendations and election results according to LA Times Nov 5, and the San Francisco Chronicle Nov 6. Results are in parentheses, with statistics for California (CA) and San Francisco (SF).

1A: high speed rail YES (CA YES 52%)(SF YES 79%) This is awesome!
The High Speed Rail Authority just released its study of the economic impact to the Bay Area of the high speed rail bond. The study concluded that the program would bring between $7 and $9 billion investment to the region, and spark a sustained employment increase of 1.1%.

On a more personal note, we need more public transportation in California; everyone shouldn't have to have a car. This kind of 'socialism' is something that would be a given in Europe or even on the East Coast. I wonder if Californians with car-attachment can imagine traveling on a good train service rather than endless traffic jams, pollution, and substandard bus and train services that aren't connected to each other.

2: care of farm animals YES (CA YES 52%)(SF YES 73%)
Compassion for beings which includes chickens, even though, heaven forbid, eggs will probably cost more when the chickens are given space to stand up, etc. The arguments against, like that this will spread avian flu, are ludicrous.

3: children's hospital NO (CA YES 63%; SF YES 60%)
Funds from last initiative (passed in 2004) have not been used yet.

4: parental notification NO (CA NO 54%; SF NO 76%)
Felt the same way in 2005 and 2006 when this measure got nixed by California voters.

5: nonviolent drug offenses YES (CA NO 60%; SF YES 61%)
5 & 6 oppose each other so don't vote the same way for both!

6: law enforcement funding NO (CA NO 69%; SF NO 80%)
Rather than building more prisons for creating more monsters, stop sending so many people there, especially nonviolent small time drug users.

7: 20% renewable energy NO (CA NO 65%; SF NO 69%)
PG&E, Reps, Dems, SF Chronicle + a huge list of other organizations are against it, including environmental and solar businesses. Endorsements are a short list of individuals (such as Danny Glover!) Here are some specifics about why it's poorly written: "Strange Bedfellows Oppose 'Green' Proposition 7"

8: elim. same sex marriage NO (CA YES 52%; SF NO 76%)
This is just completely stupid, not sure what else to say about it.

9: criminal justice changes NO (CA YES 53%; SF NO 63% )
One of those things that 'sound good' but that aren't really helping anything and are making things worse in fact by putting even more people in prison.

10: alternative fuel vehicles NO (CA NO 60%; SF NO 64%)
This was funded by a company that makes natural gas running cars...Other kinds of alt. fuel make a lot more sense.

11: redistricting NO (CA YES 50.5%?; SF NO 64%)
I don't claim to fully understand this. Republicans are for it.

12: veteran's bond act YES (CA YES 63%; SF YES 69%)
Pretty much everyone is for this one.

See Also

San Francisco Measures