November 6, 2012. This is election day. Monterey is burning up with election fever this sunny 80 degrees Presidential Election Day 2012 on the central coast of California. Yesterday even set an all-time high temperature record for the date at 87 degrees and the third hottest day of 2012.
Cannery Row, Monterey, California
This post is not about hotels. It is about voting in California.
Most of my readers are Americans. Most of you are not from California.
This is not a partisan piece. I want to defeat both parties at the ballot box.
Voting is so different across the United States. On TV and radio I see and hear stories of long lines of people waiting hours to vote in some locations.
My pattern of voting is to request a ballot sent to my home, mark my ballot and walk it down to the polling station in Monterey to cast my vote.
Monterey, California polling station at Lake El Estero.
In 2008 I did this on my way out of town on a three week roadtrip to Vancouver, British Columbia Loyalty Traveler is on the road to Canada. I was beaten down by the hard rains on that Pacific Northwest trip.
California Dreaming at the Ballot Box
This is what a California voter ballot looks like for Monterey County 2012.
Official ballot for Presidential General Election, County of Monterey Nov 6, 2012
Six Presidential Candidate Choices on my ballot in Monterey County, California.
Roseanne Barr for president? Californians remember her screwing up the Star Spangled Banner at the Padres game. I always liked Cindy Sheehan. As a public elementary school teacher for a decade, I know a determined mom is a substantial force. We need more anti-war activists in the U.S.A.
I would have liked hearing Jill Stein of the Green Party, Rocky Anderson of Justice Party and Gary Johnson of the Libertarian Party participate in national debates for Presidential candidates. There are alternative candidates to the big two parties. But Rocky Anderson isn’t even on the California ballot.
I voted Green Party Jill Stein. I have voted third-party in most presidential elections since 1980 when I voted as a resident of Vermont for Barry Commoner representing the Citizens Party.
- United States Senator
- United States Representative District 20
- State Senator District 17
- State Assembly District 29
There are no third party options for our U.S. and State Representatives on the ballot. Each of these choices is either voting for a Democratic or Republican candidate.
Our local representatives at the County and City level are nonpartisan offices.
- County Supervisor
- Monterey City Mayor
- Monterey City Council Member
California Constitutional Amendments and Voter Initiatives
Voters can create new laws in California through the initiatives.
Proposition 30 and 31 are California Constitutional Amendments
Proposition 30 raises sales tax in California by 1/4 cent for four years and increases tax rates on persons making $250,000 year for seven years. Expected to raise $6 billion annually.
The schools of California lose about 10% of their funding for 2012-13 school year if Proposition 30 does not pass.
Proposition 31 mandates a two-year state budget. Impact is to reduce California sales tax revenue by $200 million annually.
California Voter Initiative Statutes 32-39 cover a variety of issues.
- 32 – Restricts how unions can collect funds from their members for political purposes.
- 33 – Auto insurance rates can be higher for drivers without previous insurance and lower for long-time insured.
- 34 – Repeals death penalty in California. (Since we do not actually kill people on death row in California, the measure will save about $130 million on reduced expenses maintaining death row inmate facilities and programs.)
- 35 – Tougher penalties for human trafficking. (How can I not be for that?)
- 36 – Three strikes law will be revised to impose life sentence only for serious and violent felonies. Savings estimate $70 million annually and higher.
- 37 – Genetically engineered foods labeling. Requires food sold to consumers containing plants or animals with genetic material change to be labeled. Estimated cost is $1 million to the state. (It is the food we eat. Should we have the right to know what it is? This is an issue that is taken seriously in many European countries and parts of the world.)
- 38 – Tax based on sliding scale to fund Education and Early Childhood. Another issue for K-12 school funds. $10 billion in revenue. (As I understand it, only 30 or 38 would be enacted for proposition with most votes and a majority.)
- 39 – Business tax for multistate businesses based on sales in California. New revenue estimated at $1 billion annually.
- 40 – State Senate Redistricting Referendum to approve the plan of Citizens Redistricting Commission. If rejected the redistricting goes back to planning stage and costs $1 million to the state.
That is it for Monterey, California. Bring money to the state to keep public services funded, slim down the prisons and label our food.
And I know right now my voted candidate is not going to be the winner of the 2012 Presidential election when I wake up tomorrow. Oh, well.
Life’s a beach here on the Monterey Peninsula.
That’s my bird’s eye view on this Presidential Election Day 2012 in Monterey, California.
Seagull at InterContinental The Clement, Cannery Row, Monterey.
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