California Statewide Direct Primary — 2018 C

May 17, 2018 Joe AuBuchon

The Propositions

There are five (5) propositions on the California ballot for June 5th, 2018 primary election. The California State Legislature put all of these measures on the ballot. Four (4) of them are “legislative constitutional amendments” and the fifth is a bond measure.

First, the bond measure.

Proposition #68: Authorizes bonds funding parks, natural resources protection, climate adaptation, water quality and supply, and flood protection.

These are good things; indeed, they are necessary things. But . . . they are not things which should be financed (IMHO) by borrowing the money and forcing our children and grandchildren to pay these costs. Currently, California is in debt to the tune of $400+ billion. Yes, that is equal to more than $10,000 per resident.

While all of this debt is not due to bonds, I do not believe that we should add to that debt by issuing another $4 billion in general obligation bonds to finance the above.

US Debt Clock — California

If you click on the above, US Debt Clock takes you the the site for the US National Debt while California takes you to the debt for the state of California. Both provide some “fascinating” numbers and food for thought.

Other propositions

Proposition #69: Requires that certain new transportation revenues be used for transportation purposes.

We have too many transportation needs to list here and, in general, I favor limiting the use of transportation related taxes and fees to our transportation needs. But . . . this proposition is limited to only a few of those revenue sources. We already have one of the world’s longest constitutions — 100+ pages — and I do not believe that this measure should become a part of it. I would, however, favor an amendment that included all transportation related taxes and fees (except, maybe, general sales taxes) and limiting the spending of those monies to transportation related measures.

Supermajority

Proposition #70: Requires legislative supermajority vote approving use of cap-and-trade reserve fund.

Supermajority — two-thirds vote of the legislature.

I have serious doubts about “supermajorities.” I believe that, in many cases, their sole purpose is to defeat democracy. That is, to enshrine in our constitution the current political climate and prevent future generations from exercising their rights.

Proposition #71: Sets effective dates for ballot measures.

If common sense ruled California, this would not be necessary. In fact, Wm. Shakespeare wrote a comedy about items such as this: Much Ado About Nothing.

For more information see pages 22-25 of the Official Voter Information Guide.

Proposition #72: Permits legislature to exclude newly constructed rain-capture systems from property-tax reassessment requirement.

If you put in a system to collect and store rainwater on your property, you won’t have to pay higher property taxes because the system increased your property’s value.

There is no argument in the Information Guide against this measure.

Other things:

Want to follow (some of) the money? — http://fppc.ca.gov/transparency/top-contributors.html

Pages 30 & 31 of the Information Guide provides an Overview of State Bond Debt and page 31 has a short explanation of the California “Top Two” primary system.

Candidate statements are available on pages 37-83. (“Each statement was voluntarily submitted and paid for by the candidate.”) Some are revealing, at least to me. Many include email and website information.

Monday, May 21st, 2018 is the last day to register to vote.

Remember: whether you are liberal or conservative, radical or reactionary, or consider yourself to be a rational moderate (as I consider myself to be), this election is your chance to make your voice heard — Vote!

Thoughts on the Election

November 9, 2016 Joe AuBuchon

Elections — the day after

Today is November 9^th, 2016 — one day after local and national elections here in the United States, and I would like to offer a few observations.

The Earth continued to rotate and the sun rose on our beautiful home world. The apocalypse did not happen.

Donald Trump is the President-Elect and will be sworn in as the POTUS on January 20^th, 2017.

We may be in for interesting times, but life will continue.

Newspaper, radio, television and other commentators and pundits will play “Monday morning quarterback” ad nauseam for the foreseeable future — and it will change nothing.

There will be recriminations, gloating and regrets — and they will also change nothing. Election Cats

Perhaps people will again become polite to each other despite their differing political beliefs or prejudices or fantasies. (My belief — your prejudicial and idiotic fantasies, of course, but I won’t hold them against you.)

Once again the candidate who got the most popular votes lost the election to the candidate who got the most electoral votes. Yet, I have heard no outcries to change the system so that our votes are actually equal and not distorted by giving each state, no matter its population, two additional electoral votes — one for each senator. Or, perhaps, doing away with the Electoral College via an amendment to the Constitution and going with a straight popular vote.

California keeps raising taxes — two dollars per pack of cigarettes and new taxes on marijuana that will combine to bring in more than two billion additional dollars yearly.

We now have another legal intoxicant in California and no legal definition on the blood levels necessary to charge a person with a crime when their smoking results in a motor vehicle accident and possible injuries or death to someone else.

California adult film performers do not have to use condoms while filming — now how did that get to be a state-wide proposition?

Proposition 61 failed to pass, thus allowing drug companies to keep raising prices for drugs. (Although if it had passed, there would still have been nothing to keep them from raising their prices. An expensive tempest in a teapot.)

California elected a female Democrat to the U.S. Senate to replace another female Democrat. Of course, if she had lost, California would still have elected a female Democrat to that position thanks to our top-two primary system.

It is going to be interesting to see how this Republican President and this Republican-dominated Congress/Senate will “work” together. Remember, we have a system of checks and balances in this country. And, no, these are not supposed to be checks with dollar signs in front of them.

If you voted, for either candidate, you have a right to complain about what happens now. If you didn’t vote, you still have a legal right to complain, but I don’t think you have a moral one. So, please, be quiet — grin and bear it until the next election. Then register and vote. If you’re not a citizen, become one if you wish to participate in our political process.

If you weren’t satisfied with either candidate and didn’t take part in the political process to select the candidates, next time participate. Get involved at the local level in the political party of your choice. Clinton and Trump were the results of too many of us leaving the selection to others for too many years. If you’re an independent and not a Republican or a Democrat, you have no say in who gets nominated — that say belongs to those who are actually registered as members of that political party. Think carefully about your choice when you register, and think carefully about whether or not you wish to get involved in the party or are content to merely vote on the choices of others.

A final thought

Election Day often falls during the same week as Veterans Day.

How about we make Veterans Day a true national holiday and combine it with Election Day. Think about it, a national holiday on which we can all vote. I think it would be a great way to honor those who have served and sacrificed to provide us with the right to vote and have preserved it for over two hundred years. (Oh, yeah and let’s keep it on a Tuesday so we don’t just make it another three-day-weekend and ignore its true purpose.)

Election 2016 — Reading Level

October 8, 2016October 28, 2017 Joe AuBuchon

Election 2016

California Voter Guide Reading Level Analysis

In my previous post I stated that I was thinking of doing an analysis of the reading level of the California Voter Information Guide. Well, I’ve carried through on my threat.

election voter information guide for california I am not a reading teacher nor a statistician, but I have used the Grammar Analysis tools available in various editions of MS Word to analyze the textbooks I have used as well as many of my assignments, tests and notes to both students and parents.

This involves either the typing or a Copy/Paste of the text to be analyzed into a MS Word document and then running the Spelling and Grammar check on the selected text.

MS Word gives you two measures of reading levels: (and, no, they do not move in lock-step with each other)

The first, Flesch Reading Ease, gives a number which indicates how easy or difficult the text is to read. A high number indicates the text is easy to read and a low number indicates that the text is difficult to read.
The second, Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, gives a number which indicates the grade level difficulty of the text.

As an example, the text above has a Flesch Reading Ease number of 57.3 and a Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level of 11.1 with my edition of MS Word. (Word for Mac 2011)

In doing my analysis I used the on-line edition of the 2016 California Voter Information Guide which is available at: http://voterguide.sos.ca.gov/

The MS Word document I created to do the analysis came to some thirty-two pages in length and I am not going to post it to this blog.

Analysis — The California Secretary of State’s Letter to California Voters

Flesch Reading Ease: 47.6
Flesch-Kincaid Reading Level: 9.9

Analysis — Quick Reference Guide to Proposition 51 (School Bonds)

Flesch Reading Ease: 36.2
Flesch-Kincaid Reading Level: 10.9

Analysis — Quick Reference Guide Proposition 64 (Marijuana Legalization)

Flesch Reading Ease: 32.6
Flesch-Kincaid Reading Level: 11.6

Analysis — Analysis of the Legislative Analyst of Proposition 51

Flesch Reading Ease: 36.2
Flesch-Kincaid Reading Level: 12.0

Analysis — Analysis of the Legislative Analyst of Proposition 64

Flesch Reading Ease: 30.7
Flesch-Kincaid Reading Level: 12.0

Analysis — Argument in Favor of Proposition 51

Flesch Reading Ease: 41.6
Flesch-Kincaid Reading Level: 10.6

Analysis — Argument Against Proposition 51

Flesch Reading Ease: 48.3
Flesch-Kincaid Reading Level: 9.7

Analysis — Rebuttal to the Argument in Favor of Proposition 51

Flesch Reading Ease: 58.2
Flesch-Kincaid Reading Level: 7.4

Analysis — Rebuttal to the Argument Against Proposition 51

Flesch Reading Ease: 52.1
Flesch-Kincaid Reading Level: 8.3

Analysis — Argument in Favor of Proposition 64

Flesch Reading Ease: 30.8
Flesch-Kincaid Reading Level: 12.0

Analysis — Argument Against Proposition 64

Flesch Reading Ease: 38.5
Flesch-Kincaid Reading Level: 12.0

Analysis — Rebuttal to the Argument in Favor of Proposition 64

Flesch Reading Ease: 33.5
Flesch-Kincaid Reading Level: 12.0

Analysis — Rebuttal to the Argument Against Proposition 64

Flesch Reading Ease: 39.2
Flesch-Kincaid Reading Level: 11.4

Analysis — Text of the first three paragraphs of Section 2 of the proposed law (Prop 64)

Flesch Reading Ease: 19.5
Flesch-Kincaid Reading Level: 12.0

Analysis — Kamala D. Harris Candidate Statement (Senator)

Flesch Reading Ease: 45.8
Flesch-Kincaid Reading Level: 11.5

Analysis — Loretta L. Sanchez Candidate Statement (Senator)

Flesch Reading Ease: 41.2
Flesch-Kincaid Reading Level: 12.0

Analysis — California Voter Bill of Rights

Flesch Reading Ease: 62.9
Flesch-Kincaid Reading Level: 8.6

Conclusion

As I stated earlier I am not a credentialed reading teacher nor am I statistician. I am an American citizen and voter with an interest in our current election and our nation’s future.

election banner The above “analysis” is not scientific; it is personal. I have taken what I believe to be representative sections of the Voter Information Guide and subjected them to an easy to use and verify reading level analysis. Other tools and sections may (and probably will) give different results.

If you are interested in the California Voter Information Guide, it is available at: http://voterguide.sos.ca.gov/

If you are interested in analyzing reading levels, there are numerous articles available on-line via any search engine.

If you wish to analyze any of the California Voter Information Guide for yourself, MS Word’s Grammar Check is easy to use. I do not know the status of reading level checks available on other currently available word processors.

If you are concerned about the “average” American being able to read the California Voter Information Guide you might start here: https://nces.ed.gov/pubs93/93275.pdf — It’s a 2003 document and I don’t know if there is a more recent study available.

You might just enter: “average reading level of the American voter” or something like it into your search engine.

And, please, remember that your vote counts just the same as that of Mr. Trump or Mrs. Clinton (and just the same as that person you think is an idiot who lives down the street) so: VOTE! election - register to vote

Best Wishes for an “interesting” election season. Ho, ho, ho . . .

Election 2016

October 7, 2016 Joe AuBuchon

A few thoughts on the 2016 Presidential Election

Yesterday, my copy of Orange County’s Sample Ballot & Voter Information Pamphlet arrived containing quite a bit of information.

The beginning was devoted to how, when and where I can vote. I’ve been voting Absentee / Vote-by-Mail for the last few elections. I can fill out my ballot at home in peace and quiet, without any lines, and drop my ballot at my neighborhood fire station, which is just a couple of minutes of walking down the street. I used to drop it off at the polling place in the auditorium of the school at which I was teaching.

One page showed the endorsements of the Democratic, Republican, and American Independent parties on the Senatorial, Congressional and State Legislature races.

Another explained items concerning the Presidential (party-nominated offices), California Top-Two Primary and County or Local Offices (nonpartisan).

Then came a page listing party name abbreviations (e.g.: DEM – Democratic) and also listing candidates for the State Senate and State Assembly districts in Orange County.

The next page listed the Voting Service Centers (6) where you could drop of your Vote-by-Mail ballot, get a replacement ballot or receive other voter assistance.

Next, several pages of candidate statements for those running for Congress and state and local offices.

Section 7 contained six pages on Measure O — a bond issue ($63,000,000) for repairs and upgrades for the Fountain Valley School District.

The Sample Ballot / Practice Ballot followed; three pages in length and fourth blank page — “This page left intentionally blank”

Page 34 contained a plea to volunteer on Election Day; page 35 had a copy of the Voter Bill of Rights and then a final page asking if my information was correct.

The back cover had my mailing address, my polling place, a postage paid postcard so I could volunteer and in the lower right hand corner a paragraph on how to sign up for a “paperless” Sample Ballot.

Oh, yeah, I should get my Vote-by-Mail Ballot sometime next week — they begin to get mailed out on the 11th (Tuesday).

Now I’m waiting for my copy of the California State Voter Guide — maybe I can then figure out how to vote on the seventeen (17) state propositions without having to depend on the always too rosy / too gloomy / too deceptive / too self-interestry television commercials and newspaper endorsements.

While reading following the baseball and football games last night (and having the late-evening news on in the background) Smoke and Mist kept me company — thus, the gratuitous cat pictures in today’s post.

Perception = Reality (?)

September 29, 2016 Joe AuBuchon

Perception can be defined as the way we experience the world. Our actions are based on that perception. We like to believe that the world we experience is the real world — reality. Therefore: perception is reality.

A problem, maybe the problem, is that each of us experiences the world a bit differently. Therefore: different experiences equal different realities.

I react to the world I see, and you react to the world you see. Our perceptions and, therefore, our realities are different. Because our realities are different, our actions and reactions are different.

Oftentimes our perceptions, realities and, therefore, our actions closely align. We are driving and see a red light at the next intersection; we slow our automobiles and stop. Of course, if we are not paying attention and do not see the red light, it does not exist in our reality, and we do not stop which may result in an “accident” and injuries or death for ourselves and others.

Our current Presidential election campaign can be seen as a case in point.

Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump represent different perceived political, economic and social realities. Neither candidate appears, to me at least, to inspire much trust or hope for the future. Indeed, the theme of the election seems, again to me at least, to be dislike and the fear that the other candidate, if elected, will bring about the apocalypse.

Both candidates are white, Caucasian. Both candidates are wealthy. Both candidates are college educated. Both candidates are married and have children. Yet, their world-views and supporters are quite different.

Both seek the votes of, but only one of them draws significant support, from non-Caucasians and Latino minorities. (At least, according to the polls published by our print and electronic media.)

Both seek the support of the poor, as well as the wealthy.

As neither smarts nor knowledge and education are requirements for voting, both candidates seek the votes of those with high school and college educations as well the votes of those who have not completed elementary school. The same is true of employment status, marital status, whether or not one has children (and of what age), religious beliefs, etc.

The total number of Americans eligible to vote in the November 2016 Presidential Election exceeds 225 million. Many will not be registered to vote and many of those registered to vote will not do so. Yet, some 100+ million of us will vote and those votes will reflect 100+ million realities.

The world I live in as a college educated and retired teacher is a different world, or reality, than that lived in by an unemployed, non-high school graduate living in a trailer park in the rural South; or a Black, single mother with three kids under ten and working two jobs in the formerly industrial North; or a billionaire investment banker with his, or her, own jet; or a nearly ad infinitum of other possible realities.

Yet, on November 8^th, 2016 we will all vote, or not, to elect one of these two candidates (or a third-party candidate) who, we hope, will try to knit these hundred million different realities into a viable vision of our future and that of our children.

Your vote counts the same as mine. Your vote counts the same as that of every member of the group of people you fear, or admire, the most.

Your vote counts the same as that of Hillary Clinton or that of Donald Trump.

Isn’t reality scary?

Or is that just my perception of it?