Tag: San Francisco

11/5/08

Fall 2008 Election Results

On the national scene, the Obama-Biden ticket won the Presidential election. Barack Obama will become the 44th President of the United States and the first African-American to do so.

The Democrats have also taken control of the House of Representatives and the Senate. So, these next few years will all be on the shoulders of the Democrats. If they falter, then in the next election, the power to control will swing in the Republican favor. Although, if the Republicans go with Sarah Palin as their ticket, then we might get an Independent as our next president. How cool would that be?

As of November 6, 2008 10:00am, 99% of the votes have been tabulated for California and 100% for San Francisco:
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11/4/08

Fall 2008 Election Predictions

Again, I was 8 for 10 in my June 2008 election predictions and 8 for 10 in the election before that, so I am feeling pretty good about my predictions for tonight’s November 4, 2008 election.

California Propositions

Prop 1A – Safe, Reliable High-Speed Passenger Train Bond Act.
Proposition 1A will start the process of building a high speed passenger train stretching from Sacramento to San Diego.
Vote: Yes
Prediction: No

Prop 2 – Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act.
Proposition 2 will force farms to allow enough room for certain animals to stand up, lay down, and turn 360 degrees without touching the enclosure.
Vote: No
Prediction: Yes
Continue reading →

10/20/08

SF: Prop V – Policy Against Terminating Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) Programs in Public High Schools

Shall it be City policy to encourage the School Board to reverse its decision to terminate JROTC and to continue to offer JROTC in San Francisco public high schools?

In a previous election, the JROTC program was given a termination date of this year. This proposition is on the ballot in hopes of reversing that decision so the JROTC program can remain as an option for students in high school.

Some say the JROTC teaches discipline and leadership skills to young people while others feel the program is just a recruitment drive by the military.

I have no preference either way.

10/20/08

SF: Prop U – Policy Against Funding the Deployment of Armed Forces in Iraq

Shall it be City policy that its elected representatives in the United States Senate and House of Representatives vote against any further funding for the deployment of United States Armed Forces in Iraq, except for funds to withdraw troops?

Not sure how this proposition affects the City directly. This one is pretty much up to your beliefs. Voting yes does not force our representatives to vote against funding the army. The proposition is just to make a statement against the war in Iraq.

10/19/08

SF: Prop T – Free and Low-Cost Substance Abuse Treatment Programs

Shall the City be required to provide enough free and low-cost substance abuse treatment services to meet demand and to maintain funding for such services?

The City has become a haven for druggies and potheads. I feel nauseated every time I get on the bus due to the amount of pot in the air. Is the program working? Will throwing more money at the program make it work better? I am at a lost.

There needs to be a way to inform kids when they are young that drugs are not cool. Maybe they should show a shocking video, much like how unsafe drivers are shown how people look like having flown off a motorcycle and slamming into a rail.

10/19/08

SF: Prop S – Policy Regarding Budget Set-Asides and Identification of Replacement Funds

Shall it be City policy that the voters will not approve any new set-aside of City revenue unless the set-aside identifies a new funding source, includes limits on annual increases, and automatically expires after 10 years?

The City definitely needs this proposition to pass. Voters routinely approve new projects in the ballot as long as it benefits someone. Improve transportation? Yes. Improve schools? Sure. Help the homeless? Absolutely. Fix the roads? You betcha. New bridge? Why not. Plant trees? Yup. New program to help cross-eyed people in the 23-25 age range with a limp? Hell yeah! Let’s throw a million their way!

All these new programs add up. The City is not made out of money. Sooner or later, the City’s budget will be tapped out. Future earmarks should show how they will be funded for voters to have a firm understanding of how their vote will affect the City’s budget in other areas.

Vote yes on Proposition S.

10/19/08

SF: Prop R – Renaming the Oceanside Water Treatment Plant

Shall the City change the name of the Oceanside Water Pollution Control Plant to the George W Bush Sewage Plant?

Someone is wasting tax dollars putting this proposition on the ballot. Everyone already knows President Bush has done a poor job in the Oval Office, but do we really need to resort to elementary school attacks? His performance will already be recorded in the annals of history.

Vote No on Proposition R and restrict access for whoever submitted this proposition from ever doing this again. Total waste of time and money and since time equals money, it costs twice as much.

10/19/08

SF: Prop Q – Modifying the Payroll Expense Tax

Shall the City specify that certain partnerships and other businesses are subject to the City’s payroll expense tax and expand the payroll expense tax exemption for small businesses so that businesses with annual payroll expenses of $250,000 or less would not have to pay the tax?

This proposition seems awfully similar to what Senator Obama is proposing in his tax plans. No tax for small businesses making $250,000 or less. Tax the shareholders and partners.

It is a plan to “spread the wealth” around if you will.

I will probably abstain from voting on this issue. Why can’t we just tax both? More money for the City’s coffers.

10/19/08

SF: Prop P – Changing the Composition of the San Francisco County Transportation Authority Board

Shall the City change the size and composition of the Transportation Authority Board and encourage the Authority to use City agencies and departments to perform staff functions, to obtain expert financial review before adopting Authority budgets, and to adopt the same ethics and public records laws that apply to City agencies?

When I first read this proposition, I thought this was just a power grab by politicians. But after further looking into the actual meat of the legal text, I still think this is a power grab by politicians.

However, something caught my eye. The mayor was one of the major backers of the NextBus service. I use the service in my daily life. It has saved me a ton of time in the mornings and after work. No longer do I have to stand and wait 30 minutes at a time. It is a awesome service. If the new board can come up with more beneficial ideas like NextBus then I do not see a problem of giving them the chance.

Yes, I am a greedy and selfish sob.

10/19/08

SF: Prop O – Replacing the Emergency Response Fee with an Access Line Tax and Revising the Telephone Users Tax

Shall the City replace the Emergency Response Fee with an Access Line Tax at the same rates and with the same exemptions, and revise the Telephone Users Tax?

That $2.75 fee seen in the phone bill for landlines is currently used to support the 911 service. But a court ruling found fees in general to be more of a tax than a fee. So now the only way the City can keep the fee in the bill is to make it into a tax. Although the revenue from the tax will not necessarily go towards supporting the 911 service. Instead, the revenue generated will go into the general fund where it can be distributed to other services. That sounds like a bad thing.

The proposition is also looking to revise the Telephone Users Tax to tax any future forms of communication whether it be VOIP or some other undiscovered form.

Vote no on Proposition O. Keep the fee until the court says otherwise and when the time comes, the voters can decide whether or not a tax is needed to fund the 911 service.

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