Friday, October 31, 2003
Speaking of fires ...
Schwarzenegger promised during his campaign that he would not seek to raise taxes in California unless there were a natural disaster. Well, looks like he's got one. (And I'm sure that some folks think that he hired someone to start the fires, just so he could raise taxes without breaking his campaign promise. You know, the same people who wear tinfoil hats to keep the government from reading their thoughts.)
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Strange Coincidence?
The Muslim holy month of Ramadan began Sunday, October 26, according to this website.
The Cedar, Paradise, Old and Simi fires in Southern California began late Saturday night, October 25, or early Sunday morning, October 26, according to the USFS. The causes for those fires are either "Human" or "Unknown."
Then there's this article. And this one.
Now, I'm not saying that the Southern California fires mentioned above (others started on 21 Oct, and/or from different causes) are the work of terrorists, but I and many of the folks I have spoken with would not be the least bit surprised if it were to come out that the fires were terrorist attacks. I'm sure the FBI is looking into the possibility. If they aren't they should be.
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The Cedar, Paradise, Old and Simi fires in Southern California began late Saturday night, October 25, or early Sunday morning, October 26, according to the USFS. The causes for those fires are either "Human" or "Unknown."
Then there's this article. And this one.
Now, I'm not saying that the Southern California fires mentioned above (others started on 21 Oct, and/or from different causes) are the work of terrorists, but I and many of the folks I have spoken with would not be the least bit surprised if it were to come out that the fires were terrorist attacks. I'm sure the FBI is looking into the possibility. If they aren't they should be.
Wednesday, October 15, 2003
More on Gerrymandering
Even the Democratic Leadership Council agrees with me in their analysys of Schwarzenegger's election victory that gerrymandering is a bad thing. Here's the relevant excerpt:
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But there are homegrown California problems as well, including a legislature that has gerrymandered itself into safe seats insulated from public opinion; a long series of legislative and voter initiatives that pre-ordain spending and revenue decisions; and most of all, two political parties that don't even pretend to be interested in rational problem-solving or compromise.
Thursday, October 09, 2003
Another Take on the Recall Election
Steven Den Beste has another of his eloquent and thoughtful analyses here on the lessons to be learned from the California recall election.
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Wednesday, October 08, 2003
Reflections on the Recall Election
For those who may have wondered from time to time exactly what constitutes the "Left Coast," the map here graphically defines the term.
While I was discussing the election with a friend this afternoon, the perennial subject of splitting California into two smaller states came up. Usually in that discussion the concept is to create North Cal and South Cal, with the border between the two being a line beginning near San Luis Obispo and passing near Bishop to the Nevada state line.
This election suggests a different concept. The obvious border between California and West California (or maybe Left California) would be the county lines of Mendocino, Sonoma, Marin, San Francisco, Alameda, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties, i.e., the "red zone" on the map.
An alternative definition of West California might include those counties that voted to retain Davis as governor, shown on this map. This would be unsatisfactory to me, however, because it leaves LA County as an island in the green sea. And I'm not at all sure that the folks up north would care to be associated with LA County. Besides, LA is sui generis.
My personal choice would be to include the counties that voted to retain Davis by at least 55%, which would include the counties listed above plus Napa and Contra Costa.
Hey, California politics are screwy anyway, so why not indulge in pipe dreams?
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While I was discussing the election with a friend this afternoon, the perennial subject of splitting California into two smaller states came up. Usually in that discussion the concept is to create North Cal and South Cal, with the border between the two being a line beginning near San Luis Obispo and passing near Bishop to the Nevada state line.
This election suggests a different concept. The obvious border between California and West California (or maybe Left California) would be the county lines of Mendocino, Sonoma, Marin, San Francisco, Alameda, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties, i.e., the "red zone" on the map.
An alternative definition of West California might include those counties that voted to retain Davis as governor, shown on this map. This would be unsatisfactory to me, however, because it leaves LA County as an island in the green sea. And I'm not at all sure that the folks up north would care to be associated with LA County. Besides, LA is sui generis.
My personal choice would be to include the counties that voted to retain Davis by at least 55%, which would include the counties listed above plus Napa and Contra Costa.
Hey, California politics are screwy anyway, so why not indulge in pipe dreams?
Tuesday, October 07, 2003
Voting
Dropped off my kid at school this morning and went to the polls. No muss, no fuss, no line. There did seem to be more cars parked outside than in some previoius elections, but other than that, pretty normal.
Irish Lass, on the other hand, had an adventurous time.
I don't know what California law is on whether wearing a candidate's campaign t-shirt is electioneering. Personally, I come down in favor of the individual's right of self-expression in the absence of any other behavior on the part of the voter to influence other voters. In that case, the proper action by the poll worker would have been to tell Irish Lass to cover up.
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Irish Lass, on the other hand, had an adventurous time.
I don't know what California law is on whether wearing a candidate's campaign t-shirt is electioneering. Personally, I come down in favor of the individual's right of self-expression in the absence of any other behavior on the part of the voter to influence other voters. In that case, the proper action by the poll worker would have been to tell Irish Lass to cover up.
Monday, October 06, 2003
Money for Iraq
I find it interesting that many of those who were screaming "It's all about oooooiiiiillllll!" as the real reason for the war against Saddam are are now advocating loudly and obnoxiously that US funding for reconstruction of Iraq be a loan, not a gift.
The effect of making reconstruction financing a loan is, of course, to make sure that the Iraq effort is "all about ooooiiiillll."
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The effect of making reconstruction financing a loan is, of course, to make sure that the Iraq effort is "all about ooooiiiillll."
Thursday, October 02, 2003
California Recall Election Update
As predicted, the media blitz against Arnold has begun. The only (mild) surprise is that a mainstream newspaper is doing Davis' dirty work, rather than some bogus "public interest" group with a name like "Citizens to Keep Gov. Davis."
Speaking of the content of the story, I guess we're supposed to believe that a President who receives fellatio in the Oval Office from a star-struck 20-year-old intern and then lies about it under oath is a great man, while an actor who cops a feel on a movie set in California and admits his bad behavior and apologizes for it is a menace to humanity. Must be some kind of economy of scale, or something.
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Speaking of the content of the story, I guess we're supposed to believe that a President who receives fellatio in the Oval Office from a star-struck 20-year-old intern and then lies about it under oath is a great man, while an actor who cops a feel on a movie set in California and admits his bad behavior and apologizes for it is a menace to humanity. Must be some kind of economy of scale, or something.
