JUST SAYIN’-Last week’s election results were a mixed bag across the nation and here in California.
The saddest, most unfortunate part was the disinterest by far too many eligible voters who failed to show up at the polls—many of whom didn’t even know there was an election on November 4th!
I don’t know how it is possible with all the television and radio ads, let alone the mailers and phone calls, that an incredible number of citizens were unaware of the urgency behind a knowledgeable voter turn-out. I don’t know why people have become so cynical about the process that they have chosen to take a leave-of-absence from democracy.
The ramifications of not voting have become more and more obvious—increasingly, election results are demonstrating that every vote counts. Look at the differences in voting support here and across the country where the outcomes are so narrow that people and propositions are winning or losing by only a few hundred votes. It is disingenuous for anyone to be astounded with these outcomes. It is our responsibility not only to vote but to encourage every one of our colleagues, neighbors, relatives, and anyone else with whom we come into contact to vote and do their own outreach as well.
Certainly, whether you like the President or not, is not a reason to vote or not. His likeability rating this election season seemed to take a much too prominent role in how campaigning was executed.
People too easily chose to believe the worst about a candidate or issue, to accept the lowest common denominator for reasoning out their choices. Democrats, like Alison Lundergan Grimes, deserve to lose when they cannot bring themselves to say, Yes, I voted for Barack Obama because he represents the Democratic Platform and values that I support. To punctuate this point, the father of former Congressmember, Patrick Murphy, advised his son, “If you don’t stand for something, you stand for nothing!”
Republicans lose when they pander to a very parochial constituency—think of the past campaigns of Christine O’Donnell (“I am not a witch”) or Richard Mourdock (God intended a rape victim to get pregnant). As Sarah Palin once ironically said, “How’d that work for ya?!”
Unfortunately, hypocritical, dishonest, duplicitous arguments often bring a loss to those we should support (so why not stand up and be counted for the issues in which one truly believes?!) and a win to those who have deliberately deceived us.
As for political issues, I always taught my students that one must look at who pays for the commercials—because that tells a lot about sponsors’ motives. One example is the failure of Proposition 45 (justify rates) to get the support of the majority electorate. It was a bill that would have held health insurance companies accountable for demanding higher premiums for their customers while, at the same time, reducing coverage.
As I have mentioned before, the Insurance Commissioner (as mandated by the voters) has previously been given the ability to regulate and enforce reasonable rates for house, apartment, and vehicle insurance but not for health insurance. Passage would have eliminated spiraling health-care costs. Failure means that companies, like Anthem Blue Cross, can and will raise their rates (Anthem plans a 10% hike when a 2.1% was considered justifiable).
On the other hand, I am pleased that five states (and numerous municipalities) voted to increase the minimum wage which gives a clear and present signal to Congress to address the President’s request to increase the minimum wage to at least $10.10 an hour (although $15 would create a livable wage).
{module [862]}
{module [662]}
The approval of California’s Proposition 47 will bring criminal sentencing in line with the magnitude of the crime perpetrated. Many victimless crimes will become misdemeanors rather than felonies and thus will not label a person forever after as a criminal with limited rights. Such people can pay for their misdeeds and still be able to return to a community that will welcome them, where they can obtain meaningful employment, and where they can vote as a genuine stakeholder in their neighborhoods.
To clear up a misconception held by many people ( including many judges and numerous voting- rights advocates for the formerly incarcerated):
- in California, ex-felons can vote after completion of the sentence and parole
- in some other states, voting rights can be re-instated after completion of the sentence, parole, and probation or after incarceration only
- in some states, like Maine and Vermont, prisoners can even vote in prison through absentee ballots
- in some states, voting can be reinstated after a certain crime-free interval of time since sentencing
- in some states, those convicted of certain misdemeanors cannot vote while in jail but can after release or only after receiving an executive pardon (based upon certain variables)
- in certain states, the formerly incarcerated can lose their right to vote permanently, based upon the severity of the crime committed
Moving on, we cannot wait the two years before the 2016 election cycle to energize citizens and get them involved in the political system—at the very least through voting. Naturalized citizens are almost always very eager to cast their vote for the first time in their new country. They value this right—something often not having been available to them in their mother country. Look also at the joy of those in other nations who have been given the franchise and hold up their purple finger with enthusiasm and pride after they have cast that precious vote.
We need also to cherish this privilege to cast our vote. We, as citizens, should feel obligated to become knowledgeable and promise ourselves never again to be deceived by unscrupulous sound-bytes. We can never again vote against our own best interests. We must become enlightened and must not wait for the advertisements that mercilessly barrage us weeks before the next voting cycle. We must vote the entire ballot which includes not only selecting our representatives but also the many measures that will impact our lives in a very immediate manner—who will be our sheriff, our education administrator, our insurance commissioner? how will we give support for open space and environmental protections and for passing measures that will rectify previous wrongs imposed on so many communities? The issues are endless.
If you are happy or upset by recent election results, your vote or lack thereof was in part responsible. If you want to make democracy work (and not allow yourselves to be jaded by disappointments), plan to be a contributing part of the system.
California makes it so easy to vote. Sign up once as a permanent absentee voter and have the choice to mail in your ballot or still bring it in to vote in person. California has not put up any obstacles to voter registration that so many other states are doing (Alex Padilla, our next Secretary of State, has committed to protecting our franchise rights!). Attend town hall meetings, Google information, read newspapers and news magazines—there are so many credible ways to become informed. Share your opinions with others. Brain storm, become excited and enthusiastic because your vote can make all the difference! Remember, President Kennedy won by an equivalent of only one vote per precinct.
What about making Election Day a Federal holiday, a situation which would provide for most people the opportunity to vote without being penalized by having to take a day off from work or being docked pay? What about automatically sending every eligible voter a vote-by-mail form (the way Colorado, Washington state, and Oregon do now)? Such all-mail voting (or a variation of this method) is currently being considered by a number of other states. Certainly, such changes to the process, without question, would produce better “turn-out” than what we see now!
Every election has far-reaching ramifications: Who will be appointed to a life-long seat on the Supreme Court? Who will oppose fracking and other polluting technologies to prevent ground water, air, and soil contamination? Who will create a reasonable pathway to citizenship for the undocumented (so many of whom have already become valuable contributors to our society)? Who will improve our school systems and also prevent bullying there? How will the LGBT community be protected? Who will bring back currently outsourced jobs? Who will embrace viable energy and environmental practices? Who will protect our healthcare advancements?
It really is up to us to send to our representatives a strong signal about the kind of society in which want yearn to live.
Just sayin’.
(Rosemary Jenkins is a Democratic activist and chair of the Northeast Valley Green Alliance. Jenkins has written A Quick-and=Easy Reference to Correct Grammar and Composition, Leticia in Her Wedding Dress and Other Poems, and Vignettes for Understanding Literary and Related Concepts. She also writes for CityWatch.)
-cw
CityWatch
Vol 12 Issue 91
Pub: Nov 11, 2014
Sidebar
CityWatch Los Angeles
Politics. Perspective. Participation.
10
Fri, May