Proposition 80

It's time to start looking seriously at these initiatives that are coming up for the November 8 ballot. It's risky business having the people create the laws, but I wouldn't have it any other way...

Prop 80 "The Repeal of Electricity Deregulation and Blackout Prevention Act"

This initiative will give the PUC (public utilities commission) increased authority over electric service providers.

Electric Service Providers' rates and terms will become subject to PUC oversight, but there is no specific terms about what degree of control this will actually be.

It will also solidify certain PUC guidelines regarding Investor Owned Utilities and Electric Service Providers and the priority order with which cost effective renewable source electricity will hold preference for purchase over energy requiring fossil fuels.

These providers will be required to prove that they can handle all demands for power with some left over, and the initiative will accelerate the timing on a current requirement that 20 percent of electricity supplies must come from renewable sources from the year 2017 to 2010.

Proposition 78 and 79

Two competing drug discount initiatives that promise to make prescription drugs much cheaper for seniors and the impoverished and they will use drug discount cards that will be handled by a private vendor. They both rely on rebates from the drug companies for major amounts of thier funding, and the general fund will absorb the cost until the rebate check arrives. There is no specific time limit on how long that will take.

Proposition 77

"The Voter Empowerment Act." -sounds catchy.

This one's a doozy. It will take the ability to redistrict away from the State Assembly (which is good), and instead give this power to three "bipartisan" retired judges (not good). It proposes making a messed up situation even worse.

Proposition 76

The "California Live Within Our Means Act." This one over time will gradually reduce the amount of money that the state is required to provide for schools. This measure will also divert certain school funds to transportation, and will give Arnie the powers to make the state assembly his personal B _ _ _ _.

Proposition 75

"The Public Employees' Right to Approve Use of Union Dues for Political Campaign Purposes Act"

This one, if passed, will likely diffuse a union's ability to lobby as a special interest group.

Proposition 74 - the "Put the Kids First Act".

This initiative is another one of the Govenator's pet projects, and while it does seem to be reasonable to make teachers wait five years before granting them any hint of job security (Tenure is NOT a job for life), I believe instead that the true intent of this initiative is to bust the state employee's union. Judging from the wording, any benefit to "the kids" will likely only be collateral.

Proposition 73

This initiative: "The Parents' Right to Know and and Child protection Initiative") will require physicians who are to perform an abortion on a minor to notify said minor's parents at least 48 hours in advance or risk fines and civil actions.

Language in the initiative contains the phrase: "The termination with those means will, with reasonable likelihood, cause the death of the unborn child, a child conceived but not yet born" not fetus, unborn child.

My lawyer's bigger than your lawyer...

Alexander homes has apparently succeeded in intimidating the planning commission with legal threats, and yet another condo might be built in already condo-rich Murrieta. The neighboring property owners, lacking the cash that Alexander is apparently able to field, will just have to suck it up.

Critisism of the Sonrisa tract, and referring to it as an "eyesore", has made the neighboring estate-property owner's position quite clear, but it is now up to the council to either call their bluff, or sit back and watch the developers railroad anything they want past the city government.

It is interesting to note that the lawsuit is with regards to "retaliation" for political contributions made to the anti-recall effort by Alexander; in essence a retaliation to a retaliation.

Political signage

I have noticed that political signs advertising for the school board election have sprouted like ugly weeds among the landscaping in Old Town Murrieta.

I saw a code enforcement officer removing signs for garage sales yesterday, but she must have missed the ones in Old Town (that is unless they sprouted last night). To help her in her cause of protecting Murrieta from looking trashy, I am going to vote AGAINST anyone who's political signage is junking-up our fair town.

In Old Town I saw signs for CRIST and HANNY, but I didn't notice any signs from Thomasian. This is not a veiled endorsement of Thomasian for school board, because I have seens signage elsewhere. I am only going to not vote for people who trash up Old Town.

Old towners went through a lot to get that place fixed up, and any candidate who lacks the ability to appreciate that, must by inference also lack the ability to serve the public as a school board member, or any other position of public responsibility.