I Got Your Petty & Vindictive Right Here, Buddy!

Special Election Day.

Here in California we're being asked to voice our opinions on several measures that will help us balance our state's budget and get us out of our current financial crisis. As per usual, I waited until the last minute to read the arguments for and against the propositions before going to vote this evening.

The California Secretary of State always has details of ballot measures posted online so we can read a bit more in depth about what's going on than what is sent in mail. Usually I have a pretty good idea which way I'm going to vote after reading the impartial analysis of the measure. Just for fun, I read the arguments for and against on the next page.

And that's where I lost my goat.

Maybe it's just my week for my goat to keep getting got, but I really don't take kindly to being called "petty, vindictive and childish" because I don't think legislators should get a raise during economic crises such as this one.

Maybe it's just me, but if the State can't afford pay little things like income tax refunds, then they can't afford to give folks raises. That's not childish. That's smart money management. You don't go out and buy a new car if the other one works fine and you're having trouble paying your light bill. Well, some folks do, but they're silly, too.

The proposition might have given me more pause if it would take money away from legislators. After all, we all need something to live on. But I think they can manage to hold out a bit longer at their current pay level with no hardship whatsoever.

The argument that the average salary of $116,000 is only middle class is really insulting to those of us who are nowhere near that level, but somehow manage to get by just fine. What a jackass. If they need more money, do what the rest of us do and get a 2nd job.

Or hey, here's a novel concept, manage that $116,000 better so you can get everything you need without too much stress. Honestly, if you can't handle a salary at that level, then what makes you think you can handle the State's budget? Oh wait. You can't. That's why we're in this mess to begin with.

So I guess it's a good thing he didn't call me snarky. I'd have to accept that move on. I digress.

Back to the pros and cons arguments on the Secretary of State website. It seems to me that the guy who wrote the argument against shutting these raises down missed the day they taught persuasive writing. I can't for the life of me figure any other reason for his beginning with such an inflammatory statement that is going to do nothing but alienate people and close their minds to any valid arguments he may have actually had.

Of course I couldn't find any because my reflex is to poke holes in anything the man says. If he were to tell me that the sky was blue, I'd look for a way to prove it was red just to spite him.

I'm sure you've figured out how I voted on this Prop by now. To be honest, I only clicked on the argument page to see if someone could convince me to vote the other way, but my mind had already been pretty much made up before I got there.

It's just that Pete Stahl and his name calling ticked me off. And now I'm letting it go.

A Look at Alan Keyes

Analyzing Alan
A look at presidential candidate Alan Keyes.
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Pollster.com Map

So I'm trying not to keep tabs on the polls. I really am, but I just find these colorful maps so fascinating. Especially since they keep turning blue. At the end of the day, I know the polls mean very little, but it's like a car accident. I just can't turn away.

For everyone else who can't turn away, either:


Enjoy!

Getting Involved

Links to Political Articles:

Barack Obama's Blueprint for Change: Ethics
Applying the issues to everyday life.
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Barack Obama's Blueprint for Change: Health Care
Applying the issues to everyday life.
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The election is bringing out the worst in people from the top to the bottom.

McCain Shows His Childish, Immature Side at Last Night's Debate
Time to grow up.
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People Magazine Puts the Real McCain Family on Display
A picture worth a thousand words...
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With a little twist:



The Racist Women of the Florida GOP
The Florida Federation of Republican Women vs. Oprah Winfrey
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Disturbing Images from the Republican National Convention

By now, we've all heard the stories of the protesters clashing with law enforcement outside the Republican National Convention in Minnesota. We've seen the video of the police officer spraying the crowd with a substance rumored to be mace. But those aren't the images I'm concerned about.

I'm concerned about the images inside the convention hall itself. Take a look at any of the videos from the convention and you'll notice a disturbing trend. Have you noticed how everyone looks disturbingly alike? The convention is overwhelmingly populated by old, white people. What is that about?

Aren't they supposed to be representing America? Well the last I checked, American is made up more colors than white. It's made up by more ages than elderly. It's made up of off the rack shoppers as well as the ones who have their tailor on speed dial. So why in the world are people so eager to get behind a party and that party's representative when the people in the party so obviously don't represent America?

I really wish someone could explain this to me. I certainly don't get it. Then again, I sincerely hope I never will.

I don't want to understand people who are so comfortable taking care of others who look like them while their neighbor who is slightly darker perishes. I don't want to understand people who can so easily talk about God or quote scripture when they blatantly disregard His command to love one another. No. That is something that I never want to understand.

A Nation of Whiners...

...that's what America is according to John McCain's adviser Phil Gramm. This whole mess is absolutely sickening to me. My goodness. Are you people really that out of touch with the American economy? But wait...that's my bad for not already knowing that you are.

Of course America has no reason to whine about the rising cost of gas and food when you're looking at the prices from behind the million dollar stacks you stole from the American people in the Enron fiasco. $5 a gallon? No problem. Filling up your Humvee today will just barely make a dent in Joe Schmoo's retirement fund that's now sitting in your bank account.

Okay. So these people are crooks. They've always been crooks. They'll always be crooks. What's breaking my heart are all the Americans lining up to give them their vote. As if the last 8 years weren't bad enough. But I guess I shouldn't be surprised. After all, Jesus did say we were sheep. Just like sheep, we fall stupidly in line behind the shepherd who manages to distract us with what Bobby Goat has going on with Billy instead of staying focused on the shotgun the shepherd is loading.