A bit of a disagreement between Rob Stutzman, a conservative political consultant, and Rick Jacobs of the Courage Campaign. Stutzman earlier praised the Initiative process as a way to prevent “blood from flowing in the streets” by letting voters vent. Jacobs takes umbrage, cites Proposition 8, and makes the case “direct democracy was never intended to pit the civil rights of one group against those of another. This is how you spark a revolution, not avoid one.”
John G. Matsusaka is the president of the Initiatives and Referendum Institute at the University of Southern California. Lock-in spending associated with ballot initiatives, according to Matsusaka, account for approximately $39.407 billion of the state’s nearly $110 billion budget, representing, at most, 33%.
Whether this is a large or small percentage is besides the point, he argues. The chief complaint with the initiative process is that it assaults the mechanisms of representative democracy by voters locking-in spending without the consent of the legislature. The Wall Street Journal reported on this very debate in an October 2009 article. Matsusaka plainly doesn’t find the argument convincing: he notes that $34 of the $39 billion locked-in come from a single ballot initiative, Proposition 98, which locked levels of K-12 funding which, he argues, would have likely remained similar regardless of Proposition 98.
Matsusaka shows polls comparing the attitudes of citizens of non-initiative states with those in initiative-states. The polls suggest citizens in initiative-states enjoy policies closer to their own opinions.
The New America Foundation, also known as “Joe Matthews”, launched this morning the 2010 Global Forum on Modern Direct Democracy. Thus far, about two hours in, we’ve seen some commentary on Californian’s support of the ballot initiative by race, voter competence (with regards to understanding initiative language…they’re better at it than you think), and the nail-biting quest to dethrone serpentine from its lofty perch as the official State-Rock.
Before you get into the engineering-a-savior-for-humankind business, you need to make sure you’ve got all your ingredients in place: unrivaled mental prowess, an incorruptible moral core, divine genetic stock and, of course, a miracle birth.
Lest humankind forget about his greatness, they will need some reminding. Statues must be erected, songs must be written, and both the urban and rural landscapes must feature messages, every few city blocks or country miles, that “he” is with you, always. And let’s not forget the children…Finally and most importantly, “his” “cause” must be so stupefyingly great that it’s worth dying for.
Several writers have been referring to North Korea as a theocracy for years. It’s all there: The “Dear Leader” (Kim Jong Il) was, according to N. Korean textbooks, born on the sacred peaks of Mount Paektu. Upon his arrival, a brilliant new star burst into the night sky and a swallow descended from heaven to greet the infant, whose greatness was announced to the world from a crevice in a giant iceberg. Then a double rainbow appeared. (Soviet records suggest the events surrounding Kim’s birth were slightly less glamorous: he was apparently born in Siberia, 1941, after his parents fled Korea to escape the Japanese).
And today, with a massive joint US-South Korean naval and air power exercise occurring in the Sea of Japan, North Korea’s official state-news agency announced that the North Korean people must prepare for a “sacred war”. Just saying.
I came across this hilarious image on the internet the other day. It deserves to go viral.Also, pick up one of my posters at my website, adriancovertart.com
In this country you have the freedom to believe-in anything you like. However, your beliefs, your values, your holy books, and yes, your prophet(s), will be examined, criticized, and sometimes ridiculed. If you can’t handle this, you can’t live here.
Today is “Everybody Draw Muhammad Day”, and tens of thousands of believers in freedom of speech are sharpening their pencils in solidarity with cartoonists everywhere who have been threatened, harmed, or even killed, in the name of free speech.
Finally, it is with a smile that I reflect on the reports coming in across the country of American Muslims responding to the flurry of artistry with what may perhaps be the best sign yet that American Muslims are every bit as assimilated and patriotic as everybody else. American Muslims have been participating by drawing boxing gloves on the images of said prophet’s hands and scribbling “Ali” nearby the label “Muhammad”.
Today, America’s Muslims show they are far above the barbarism demonstrated in Europe and the Middle East. Today, they are the biggest winners.
This much I’m sure of. In the future, the astonishing recordings from the “Digitally Remastered Beatles-in-Mono”, released September 9 (which happens to be my birthday) of last year, will simply be referred to as “The Beatles”. It is every Beatles song that you think you have heard, rather, which must be renamed.
Perhaps those poor quality stereo-remixes will become known as “Primitive Beatles”, or “The Beatles–sort of”, or better yet, “Not The Beatles”. If you are under 50 years old, The Beatles’ stereo recordings, in use everywhere since the 1980’s, are probably the only versions of the legendary bands’ songs you’ve ever heard.
I am in the middle of listening to A Day in the Life on Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, and this Beatles fanatic will attest: The sweetest music on Earth has never sounded sweeter.
California is facing a crisis. Our state’s broken governance system has left us with a $20 billion debt and facing down the possibility of bankruptcy. Repairing California requires real action and substantive reform, like calling for a state Constitutional Convention.
This is truly a grassroots, citizen-led movement to fix our state by calling for the first Constitutional Convention in California since 1878. After years of leaving our state beholden to special interest groups and the dysfunctional initiative process, California’s Constitution has become incapable of serving the people of our state.
In order to spread our campaign’s message and generate support for this people’s movement, we will be holding our first Leadership Forum this Wednesday.
Date: February 10
Time: 6:30pm to 8:30 pm
Location: Santa Clara County Convention Center, 5001 Great American Parkway, Santa Clara in Meeting Room #209.
Members of the Convention Movement will be on hand to speak about the process of calling a state Constitutional Convention as well as address some of the major issues that have contributed to California’s decline. This is a great opportunity to come and learn more about this truly historic campaign.
We are all undoubtedly aware that California needs help to become great again. And as Californians, we want to do whatever we can to accomplish this. Our movement will take a big step on Wednesday evening and we hope to see you there.
pacificvs.com 