I really enjoyed voting early on Sunday. Here’s how I voted on California statewide races and propositions.
UPDATE: FYI, I voted a straight Republican ticket for statewide offices. The only offices I really cared about were Whitman for Governor, Strickland for Controller, and of course Fiorina for senate. Please do read the comments on this post to see where TAMs stand, especially on the Lt Governor race, where let me just say, there seem to be opinions that there are better choices than Abel Maldonado.
Major Offices:
Governor: Meg Whitman
Lt Governor: Abel Maldonado
Sec of State: Damon Dunn
Controller: Tony Strickland
Treasurer: Mimi Walters
Atty General: Steve Cooley
Insurance Comm: Mike Villines
US Senator: Carly Fiorina
19 Legalizes Marijuana: No
20 Redistricting: Yes
21 Vehicle License Surcharge. Hahaha!: No
22 Prohibits State from $ Shenanigans: Yes
23 Suspends a Nutty “Global Warming” Law: Yes
24 Repeals Legislation that Lowered Business Tax. Hahaha!: No
25 Changes Majority Needed to Pass Budget: No
26 Requires “Fees” Be Passed by 2/3rds Vote: Yes
27 Eliminates State Comm on Redistricting: No
I’m holding my nose and punching Abel Maldonado because Gavin Newsom is a fiscal disaster. Look at the deficit he is leaving San Francisco. Same with Villines. Disgusting but trust the alternative even less.
Kamala Harris doesn’t enforce the will of the people by taking the death penalty off the table all the time. Steve Cooley it is.
As far as the propositions, I went over them a month ago and 25 is among the biggest scams. Debra Bowen is awful permitting poorly written, misleading propositions. 2/3rd majority should always be retained, why not just make it “late budget, no pay” the law, not lower the threshhold?! Give me an on-time budget but with 2/3rds agreement. That false sweetener to tap into misguided voter anger makes me sick! Tammy, surprisingly, I’m with you on all the props!
Tammy thank you so much for posting.
My brother is a DemArmyOfficer who has basically lived abroad, or at least out of state, for most of his adult life. He has done every major war tour you could do and a few more exotic locales in the past twenty years. I think because he came of political age during Clinton — that this is when he turned liberal. So now, every election cycle, we get into an argument. Two years ago I begged him not to vote Obama, etc., in a two and a half hour phone call. He does not know my more recent positions very well but I thought his email back to me just now was worth posting. I had just reminded him that our dad met with and supported Ronald Reagan since the early seventies in my email to him and hoped he was not mad at me for being so GOP.
He wrote:
“No. Your political views are yours. I don’t agree with most of the GOP policy positions, and I’m sad they have you convinced they’re good, but I’m not mad.
I think GOP positions brief well, but don’t always (or naturally) work in practice. I also fundamentally disagree with what the GOP thinks the role of government is. To them, government is there to aid corporate America and its bottom-line. I think Democratic see the role as to ensure competition is fair, and takes into consideration things like the effect on wage earners, the environment and so on. Look, we can make a steak cost less by getting rid of meat inspectors, but is that what we really want? Just look at schools, airports, libraries, etc. If no one pays taxes, what will happen to them. In Europe, people pay high taxes. No one gets rich, no one goes poor. Communities are vibrant. Public services are fantastic. Health care is universal. How is the GOP vision of America superior??
I grew-up thinking Reagan was a hero and Carter was a dope. And I was happy when he beat Mondale in the landslide 1984 election (59%, 49 states + DC) that I missed voting-in by only a few months. But the country has moved on. Circumstances are different. Republicans and Tea Party voters, for all their good intentions, are making more problems worse than they’re solving. I don’t resent their love for America – I admire it. I just think the consequences of they want are not what we need.
Just running around saying “individual rights, less taxes, smaller government, USA #1″ all the time isn’t a platform to fix things. I don’t see how the Patriot Act, tax breaks for the top 2% of wage earners that will exacerbate the federal deficit if they’re not paid for by off-setting spending cuts, a government that grew bigger and more politicized under Bush than ever before in US history, and diminished standing in the eyes of most of the world, has helped us.
So be a GOP’er. I’m sure dad would be proud you’re so loyal. I also think he’d approve if you took the time to re-evaluate your opinion from time to time based on circumstances.”
I wrote him back that now that Europe realizes how expensive their own military defense is going to be without the US footing the bill, their socialistic daydream is about to pop; plus reminded him of Merkel’s recent declarations that multiculturalism is a FAIL. He is a loving brother and a very good officer, he’s just a dem.
May we put up our choices for statewide races in our own TAM states? I’m ready.
It’s hard to believe California Voters are sleeping at the wheel. Why on God’s Green Earth would anyone vote to keep Boxer and Brown in office? It’s outrageous! They deserve what they get!
Thank God for you Tam and true American Patriots that are awake and ready to take our country back.
Have a lovely day. :)
I am one who could use medical mary jane in my state! Whether it’s legal or not in Californication doesn’t matter to me but I sure wish FLORIDA would come around to the GOOD use in medicine for it! I’m tired of people trashing it’s good use! Taking yet ONE more pill for pain & another for nausea and another for depression is just NOT an option I’d like to take! I already take heart/thyroid/blood & cholesterol pills!! UGH! We’re not all DOPES (my IQ is quite the same if not higher) just saying – generalizations are never correct!
Tammy, I’m with you on all but Lt. Governor – I wrote in Karen English. I just could not force myself to vote for that RINO traitor. If Maldonado was honest he’d just change parties.
SamJoe, don’t blame Sec. of State Bowen for the poorly written ballot measures (and no, in spite of the same last name she is NOT a relative). The Sec. of State has to place items on the ballot as written (after passing examination by the AG) AND the AG’s office writes the title and short description for the ballot. Jerry Brown has been very adept at writing titles & “shorts” that reflect his own views instead of playing it straight (AND he’s been sued numerous times over this issue).
If you folks are into prayer a few extra for this state would help -the polls are not loking good on the Propositions & for some of the offices.
Okay, so it’s our AG that stinks. The same old skunk now running for Governor, round 2.
Makes my vote for Whitman (not thrilled) all the more secure.
What a delightful post, Tammy! Looks like you got ‘em all right. ;-)
Looks like my ballot to the letter, Tammy. Maldonaldo is a definite nose-holder vote but working and living in and around San Francisco makes me know Newsom well. Harris is softer than a marshmallow on crime so that was a no-brainer.
I agree, but I just voted the straight Republican ticket. The only ones I really care about are Whitman and Strickland and Fiorina of course. And the props.
I’m at the point where most times I vote a Republican ticket. Like you, I’m a decline to state voter now and will be for the foreseeable future. If the Democrats are for something, it’s usually a good indication that I’ll be against it now. I never dreamed that would happen, but it sure has.
I hope that this is not an inappropriate post, but I just emailed Carly Fiorina a note of encouragement and well wishes as she was admitted to the hospital for an infection related to reconstructive surgery after her battle with breast cancer. Again, I hope I’m not out of line, but thought I would suggest that others do the same, as a long and hard-fought campaign can sure take its toll and a little encouragement can go a long way: http://www.carlyfiorina.com/
No way in hell I’m voting for that lying turncoat, Abel Maldonado.
I’ll be voting for Libertarian, Pamela Brown
Pamela Brown is solid from what I’ve heard. The more I read about her, the more my support for her grows.
That said, let’s use math and logic. Consider the number of votes Maldonado received in the primary.
It’s not the primaries anymore. A vote for Pamela Brown is a vote for Gavin Newsom. If you’re okay with Newsom being a heartbeat away from becoming Governor, have at it. Really, that’s precisely what you’re doing by voting for Pamela Brown.
Or you can get your hands dirty and come down from your high and mighty throne.
Don’t Nader this Lt. Gov. spot, Californians.
Well, you’ve sure convince me …LOL
Get bent.
No fighting :(
Please.
Sorry Tammy.
I guess my voting philosophy is to vote principles in the primary and then be realistic in the general election. It’s why I voted for McCain in ’08. He wasn’t choice #1,#2,#3 or #4 but he was better than the alternative.
Once we’re down to the general election, it’s about strategy and trying to win. We should always take a principled stand but often that means choosing between the lesser of two evils, not sitting it out. Voting for Pamela Brown is sitting it out. Period. I guess Gavin Newsom being a heartbeat away from the Governor’s seat is a reality that’s perfectly fine with the principled folks.
Eh, to each his own.