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ALPERN AT LARGE - It’s that old adage that applies to us all right now: “The first thing to do when you’re stuck in a hole is stop digging.”
And we’re stuck in a crime-laden, homeless-overridden, illegal-immigrants-favored-over-the-rest-of-us society that is California.
Sacramento and both the L.A. City and County seats of power have no intention of giving up power. They have been enabled by the "I-hate-Republicans-more-than-I-love-myself-or-my-children" mindset that’s made us into a ridiculous and mega-Left state with no sense of balance and compromise.
Finally, we’re not just promoting and empowering moderate Democrats as much as we’re giving oversized seats at the table to Left-wing dogma fanatics and their Left-wing, very-rich-because-they’re-smarter-and-better-than-the-rest-of-us lobbyists.
So as long as we’re rewarding those hurting us by giving them more power and more money, then we will have more pain.
Do we have enough self-respect, love for our children and our communities, and a dedication to civilized society for the Golden State, or are we going to fall into the diversions of national politics that have a lot less to do with our daily lives than either state or city/county law?
So it’s really simple this November:
VOTE NO ON JUST ABOUT EVERY PROPOSITION EXCEPT PROPOSITION 36!
Here we go:
1. Proposition 2: NO
A $10 billion bond measure for schools and colleges, while we live in an era of a lowering K-12 population as the number of children decreases in California?
Do we need to borrow more money instead of using our current state budget money effectively?
2. Proposition 3: This one is up to you, and should have virtually no financial impact
This repeals Proposition 8 and allows gay couples to marry. I thought this was made moot at the Supreme Court level, and we have many devoted, loving gay couples in our state. Is there an agenda here to try to get liberal voters to the polls with this Proposition? Vote your conscience.
3. Proposition 4: NO
A $10 billion bond measure to fight climate change, drinking water and groundwater programs, wildfire and forest programs, and sea-level rise?
A great idea in theory, but don’t our current taxes address this, and will Sacramento’s brilliant track record on the environment improve our health and stave off climate change?
Aren’t our taxes, developer requirements, and local utilities doing their jobs to pay for our infrastructure already?
4. Proposition 5: HELL, NO!
Lowering the threshold for passing bond measures, which will be paid off with interest by ourselves and our children?
The state until recently had a budgetary surplus, and now we’re broke...so shall we reward bad spenders with more money to do more bad spending?
VOTE NO ON PROPOSITION 5!
5. Proposition 6: NO
This proposition confuses jail/prisoner requirements to do work as “involuntary servitude,” and this form of punishment would be stricken from the state constitution.
Is the narrative that we’re enslaving prisoners as “involuntary servitude” true?
Do we not already have laws against cruel and unusual punishment?
Does work and rehab in prison hurt prisoners?
No to all of these questions, and therefore vote NO on Proposition 6!
6. Propositions 33 and 34: NO ON BOTH
Lots of hidden agendas, with landlords and tenants screaming how the other side is heartless and/or stupid and/or evil, and competing developers are up to their eyeballs in these two propositions.
Will either of these propositions result in more affordable housing and lower drug/medication costs?
More lost opportunities for jobs, affordable housing, and healthcare.
7. Proposition 36: YES
This is an easy one—return many of the theft and criminal misdemeanors that used to be felonies back to being felonies again.
Let George Soros and George Gascón wreck other cities and states, but they should leave California alone!
Our “noble experiment” has borne bitter fruit, so restore rules, law and order, and just flat-out common sense.
VOTE YES ON PROPOSITION 36!
8. County Measure A: NO
Good golly, haven’t we learned enough the hard way that the way our local city/county politicians spend money on the homeless hurts everyone (including the homeless!)?
VOTE NO ON L.A. COUNTY MEASURE 36!
Vote this November. Do your civic duty. Don’t let the high-and-mighty step on our lives and those of our children any longer. Because Governor Newsom, the state Legislature, and the city/county leaders aren’t doing their job. So let’s do ours.
(Kenneth S. Alpern, M.D., is a dermatologist who has served in clinics in Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside Counties, and is a proud husband and father. He was active for 20 years on the Mar Vista Community Council (MVCC) as a Board Member focused on Planning and Transportation, and helped lead the grassroots efforts of the Expo Line as well as connecting LAX to MetroRail. His latest project is his fictional online book entitled The Unforgotten Tales of Middle-Earth, and can be reached at [email protected]. The views expressed in this article are solely those of Dr. Alpern.)
