Handy Links To California November Ballot Propositions

Like it or not, California invariably includes a number of propositions on every statewide ballot and that always means more time to invest in an attempt to figure out what they really mean unless you just plan to use a dart board.  This November will be no different so I've assembled a few links for you to use in attempting to sort out the good from the bad and the ugly.  I've also included a few opinions of my own for what they're worth and, as usual, I'm against most anything that gives the state more money.  In my humble opinion, California is already far overextended and views it's citizens as a never ending source of funds for all manner of socialist programs.  It's time for the voters to force our elected officials to get California out of our pockets and back to fiscal responsibility.

2012 propositions	Ballot Title	Dogger's Opinion
Proposition 30	Sales and Income Tax Increase (2012)	No
Proposition 31	Two-Year State Budget Cycle (2012)	No
Proposition 32	The "Paycheck Protection" Initiative (2012)	Yes
Proposition 33	Automobile Insurance Persistency Discounts (2012)	Yes
Proposition 34	The End the Death Penalty Initiative (2012)	No
Proposition 35	Ban on Human Trafficking and Sex Slavery (2012)	Yes
Proposition 36	Changes in the "Three Strikes" Law (2012)	No
Proposition 37	Mandatory Labeling of Genetically Engineered Food (2012)	No
Proposition 38	State Income Tax Increase to Support Education (2012)	No
Proposition 39	Income Tax Increase for Multistate Businesses (2012)	No
Proposition 40	Referendum on the State Senate Redistricting Plan (2012)	Yes
Local measures

Incidentally, my opinions as stated above are shared by Ken & John on AM640.  To see the reasoning behind their opinions, click here.

Orange County November 6 Local Propositions

§  Measure M: Coast Community College District bond proposition

§  Measure N: Fountain Valley School District bond proposition

§  Measure O: La Habra City School District bond proposition

§  Measure P: Ocean View School District bond proposition

§  Measure Q: Rancho Santiago Community College District bond proposition

§  Measure R: Rowland Unified School District bond proposition

§  Measure S: Tustin Unified School District bond proposition

§  Measure T: City of Brea Accountability Act

§  Measure U: City of Brea Open Governance Act

§  Measure V: Adoption of a Costa Mesa City Charter

§  Measure W: Fullerton West Coyote Hills Development and Nature Preserve

§  Measure X: Fullerton Sales of Fireworks in the City

§  Measure Y: City of Garden Grove Hotel Tax

§  Measure Z: Huntington Beach Levy of Property Tax for Municipal Purposes

§  Measure AA: Huntington Beach Equal Taxation and Assessments for Sunset Beach

§  Measure BB: City of Irvine "Support Our Schools Initiative"

§  Measure CC: Laguna Beach Parcel Tax for Open Space

§  Measure DD: City of Los Alamitos Utility Users Tax

§  Measure EE: Newport Beach Charter Amendments (Including a Ban on Red Light Cameras)

§  Measure FF: City of Orange Referendum on Orange Park Acres

§  Measure GG: City of Santa Ana Mayoral Term Limits

§  Measure HH: City of Tustin Elimination of City Council Pay and Benefits

§  Huntington Beach revocation of public safety employee retirement tax

Regardless of how you vote, vote!

I received an email this morning from my favorite trading and economics web source which I found most enlightening.  They had provided a series of charts about our economy which was originally published by The Heritage Foundation [Messrs. William Beach and Patrick Tyrrell] entitled 2012 Index of Dependence on Government.  Click here to read the full Heritage Foundation report, or here  [then scroll down] to see only the charts as they appeared in the email from Incredible Charts and Colin Twiggs.  Long form or short, the data clearly confirms Romney’s contention that America is rapidly becoming a nation of government dependents.

Upon visiting the Heritage Foundation site, I found one chart in particular to me most informative.  I then did a bit of additional digging to amplify the chart by adding data about which political party controlled both the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives plus who the president was.  I’ll leave you to draw your own conclusions.  Here is the basic data form on party control of congress and seated president from 1945 to present in table form and then overlaid onto the Heritage Foundation chart.

The two periods of relatively more conservative public policy (the 1980s and 1995–2001) stand out clearly in [the chart above]. The slowdowns in spending increases during the Reagan years and after the 1994 congressional elections produced two periods of slightly negative change in the Index. These periods saw significant retreats from the Great Society goals [of the Johnson era], particularly in the nation’s approach to welfare, but the return of budget surpluses during the last years of the Clinton Administration led to significant spending increases for all of the components, particularly education and health care. The George W. Bush years saw more leaps in retirement, housing, health, and welfare spending, and since 2009, health care and welfare spending has blasted upward like a rocket on speed. Health care and welfare now stands at four and a half times the 1980 level (inflation-adjusted). With the implementation of Obamacare in 2012, the parameters of Chart 11 will most likely have to be expanded again to fit the higher Index number in the years to come.
Heritage Foundation - "2012 Index of Dependence on Government"

Traditional American freedoms or government dependence, the choice is ours in November.  Let’s hope we get it right!

If You Value Your Freedom Of Speech

The United States should “take the necessary measures to ensure insulting billions of people – one and a half billion people – and their beliefs does not happen, and people pay for what they do, and at the same time make sure that the reflections of the true Egyptian and Muslims is well [represented] in Western media,”.  So stated Egypt’s Prime Minister Hisham Qandil on Sept. 15.  Qandil’s statement also hinted at more violence if the Islamists’ demands were not met.

In case you need a translation, he is stating the Islamic demand that the U.S. should cave to their pressure and throw our constitution out the window, specifically our First Amendment rights concerning free speech.

So … let’s back up a bit and look at some of the history leading up to that demand.  At the very least, I urge you to view the following video.  If you are pressed for time, at least view the 23 minute 30 second portion which starts at 12:44 [that's 12 minutes 44 seconds into the video] by using the slider in the video to position to that point.
  Below are several hyperlinks, arranged in chronological order, that will provide an unbiased [unless you are a committed supporter of Islam] view of historic events leading up to where we are today.

Why the U.S. Should Oppose "Defamation of Religions" Resolutions at the United Nations - 11/10/2008

Clinton Remarks at the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) High-Level Meeting on Combating Religious Intolerance - 07/15/2011

The Administration Takes on ‘Islamophobia’ - 09/01/2011

Religious Tolerance Resolution Backed by Obama Administration Aligns With Islamic Bloc’s Interests  - 12/16/2011

Nancy Pelosi Seeks To Rewrite First Amendment - 04/23/2012

Pulling The Islamic Veil Over American Free Speech 09/13/2012

They're Starting To Ask: Is It Time For Hillary To Go? - 09/18/2012

Obama's [& Hillary's] 'Cairo Doctrine' In Shambles After Libya Attack - 09/20/2012

Free speech at risk as U.S. synchronizes with Islam - 09/21/2012

Think this doesn’t concern you?  Think again!

Think this isn’t a war regardless of what Obama and the current administration would have you believe?  Think again!!

So … what are you going to do about it?

Political Proselytizing In Our Schools



Proselytizing is the act of attempting to convert people to another opinion.  While commonly thought to apply only to the subject of religious belief, the fact is that it equally applies to entrenched liberal educators that use their classrooms to force your kids what to think.  It’s time to stop it.  If the liberals of this nation can legislate God out of the classroom, it’s high time to legislate political views, preferences and proselytizing out of the classroom as well.

The most recently documented event recently occurred in Florida where college math professor Sharon Sweet, a tenured professor at Brevard Community College, has been suspended for allegedly forcing students to sign a pledge to vote for President Obama. Not surprisingly, this might violate Florida election laws:

Section 104.31, of Title IX in chapter 104, states that “no officer or employee of the state... shall... use his or her official authority or influence for the purpose of interfering with an election or nomination of officer or influencing another person’s vote or affecting the result thereof.”

in addition to violating the Brevard Community College policy on harassment.

Linda Miedema, Vice President Academic Affairs and Chief Learning Officer, in a written response to an email to the college expressing concern about the incident responded by stating that “ … an investigation was initiated. Any inappropriate activities will be curtailed and the faculty will be dealt with according to college policy.”  In addition she stated “The college is taking appropriate actions. We do not want any student to feel coerced.”

Her response should have been amplified with the following: “Such conduct on the part of our teaching staff will not be tolerated under any circumstances.”  Let’s hope the investigation is quick, thorough and reaches the appropriate conclusion. 

Take a moment and consider the cost of college these days. For that we get professors who are openly liberal shills.  Is it any surprise that young voters today are vehemently liberal and contemptuous of our Constitution, our nation’s history and our traditions?

Think this is an isolated incident?  Think again.  View and hear Teacher suspended after telling student he can be arrested for criticizing Obama

Yesterday, I had an opportunity to watch "2016".  I'm glad I did!  Today I found an article on the documentary in the IBD which is well worth reading.

An IBD editorial
Perspective

Why President Obama Hates America

By PAUL SPERRY

Posted 09/05/2012 05:46 PM ET



WATCH TRAILER

As the poster above says, "LOVE HIM / HATE HIM - YOU DON'T KNOW HIM".  

If the film 2016: Obama’s America preaches to the choir—as critical reviews of the movie contend—then the choir of Americans curious about Barack Obama is indeed a large one.

In spite of the prediction by Variety that 2016 would vanish without a trace, the documentary about President Obama is by the latest count No. 3 at the box office, running in 1,800 theaters nationwide. It is on track to overtake Al Gore and several Michael Moore movies. Other, cruder epithets have also been thrown at 2016, but no one has been able to challenge the facts of the documentary. “Choir preaching” is in fact the criticism most reviewers from The Washington Post to The Philadelphia Inquirer have leveled at 2016.

Depending on whether you love him or hate him it's unlikely you'll change your mind after seeing the documentary.  Most folks, particularly the "hopey changey" ones, don't like to admit to anyone that there's any possibility they may have been wrong and presenting them with facts and logic isn't going to change their views.  That was the problem back in 2008 too.  They didn't like Bush or his policies and it was "get even time" for the results of the 2004 election.  Vetting Obama was unnecessary and irrelevant.

The trouble is, it hasn't panned out quite the way they bargained for.  America's unemployment continues above 8%, we're no closer to energy independence now then when Obama took office yet he shovels taxpayer dollars at other countries with encouragement to "drill baby - drill"; "we'll be your best customer".  Doesn't sound very "green" to me.  Our military and weapons systems are at historical lows and headed lower if you can believe what he told Medvedev and our national debt just passed north of 16 trillion [that's with a T] and no limit in sight.  Judging from his political appointments, the actions of the Dept. of Justice, his assault on the states in the courts and his disregard for our Constitution, it's pretty clear he has in mind to deliver on the change he promised if given the opportunity.

So ... how are ya feelin' about that "hopey changey" stuff now.  Probably still not willing to at least look at some facts and consider what the future might look like if "2016" is right, huh? The trouble is, What if you're wrong?

You Owe It To Your Family & Country To See "2016"

The Obama Dream - That the sins of American colonialism be set right and America be downsized.

Are you ready for that?

Tell Me Again Whose Fault It Is!

I think most of us know this but it is a good reminder with all the INVALUABLE information coming out of the present administration!

This tells the story, why Bush was so bad at the end of his term. Don't just skim over this, it's not very long, read it slowly and let it sink in. If in doubt, check it out.

The day the democrats took over was not January 22nd 2009; it was actually January 3rd 2007 the day the Democrats took over the House of Representatives and the Senate, at the very start of the 110th Congress. The Democrat Party controlled a majority in both chambers for the first time since the end of the 103rd Congress in 1995.

For those who are listening to the liberals propagating the fallacy that everything is "Bush's Fault", think about this: January 3rd, 2007 was the day the Democrats took over the Senate and the Congress.

At the time:

The DOW Jones closed at 12,621.77
The GDP for the previous quarter was 3.5%.
The Unemployment rate was 4.6%
George Bush's Economic policies SET A RECORD of 52 STRAIGHT MONTHS of JOB GROWTH.

Remember the day...January 3rd, 2007 was the day that Barney Frank took over the House Financial Services Committee and Chris Dodd took over the Senate Banking Committee. The economic meltdown that happened 15 months later was in what part of the economy?
BANKING AND FINANCIAL SERVICES!

Unemployment... to this CRISIS by (among MANY other things) dumping 5-6 TRILLION Dollars of toxic loans on the economy from YOUR Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac FIASCOES!

Bush asked Congress 17 TIMES to stop Fannie & Freddie – starting in 2001 because it was financially risky for the US economy. And who took the THIRD highest pay-off from Fannie Mae AND Freddie Mac? OBAMA! And who fought against reform of Fannie and Freddie? OBAMA! and the Democrat Congress.

So when someone tries to blame Bush, REMEMBER JANUARY 3rd,2007.... THE DAY THE DEMOCRATS TOOK OVER!

Budgets do not come from the White House. They come from Congress. The party that controlled Congress since January 2007 is the Democrat Party. Furthermore, the Democrats controlled the budget process for 2008 & 2009 as well as 2010 & 2011. In that first year,the Democrats had to contend with George Bush, who caused them to compromise on spending, when he somewhat belatedly got tough on spending increases.

For 2009 though, Nancy Pelosi & Harry Reid bypassed George Bush entirely, passing continuing resolutions to keep government running until Barack Obama could take office. At that time, they passed a massive omnibus spending bill to complete the 2009 budgets.

And where was Barack Obama during this time? He was a member of the very Congress that passed all of those massive spending bills, and he signed the omnibus bill as President to complete 2009.

If the Democrats inherited any deficit, it was the 2007 deficit, the last of the Republican budgets. That deficit was the lowest in five years,and the fourth straight decline in deficit spending. After that, Democrats in Congress took control of spending, and that includes Barack Obama,who voted for the budgets.

If Obama inherited anything, he inherited it from himself. In a nutshell, what Obama is saying is I inherited a deficit that I voted for and then I voted to expand that deficit four-fold since January 20th.