Fellow Californians, help a baby Democrat, please?

[Ladyhawk]

First of all, I'm voting by absentee because I don't have a regular polling place. Secondly, I think I ripped off the adhesive that was supposed to seal the envelope after I'm done and have stuffed it with the ballot. Should I move to Florida? :eyes:

I notice a couple of referendums have been stuck in for good measure and I know nothing about them. Could someone fill me in? Also, can I jury-rig a sealant and still have the ballot count? It's too late to request a new one, I think.

[haymaker]

1. In short, jury rig the ballot and mail it today.

Vote yes on prop 53, no on prop 54. Hurry.

[goobergunch]

2. Prop 54 is Ward Connerly's "Racial Privacy" initiative

It would force the state to collect ZERO racial data...meaning it would be impossible to collect data for racial profiling investigations, among other things. I would urge a no vote.

As for Prop 53, it sounds good enough but it's yet another budgetary mandate...can't say I know how I'd vote on that one.

[wryter2000]

3. Tape the envelope shut or something

Should be no problem.

We had a really hard time with 53. It sounded like it might provide money for good things, but it might have been only demanding that a certain percentage of what we already had would go to those things. IOW, micro-managing how money is spent. Not good.

It really sucked that we got no explanation of this one because of the whole recall fiasco. Damn Darrell Issa.

No on 54. It's a Ward Connerly "we don't need no more help for the lazy minorities" thing!

Now, go vote.

[dfong63]

4. vote no on both props 53 and 54

prop 54 should be a no-brainer. it would make it impossible to prove discrimination.

prop 53 would build in yet another difficult constraint into the budgeting process which is already difficult enough. we don't need it. the initiative process was never designed as a mechanism for crafting a state budget. instead let's just elect competent legislators and let them do it.

also, read the ballot arguments and see who supports prop 53 - republicans and the Howard Jarvis association. repubs like this because it reduces the amount of money available for social programs.