"GOP healthcare plan isn't about helping the uninsured"

Found this great article today (where it was entitled, "GOP plan is a bogus effort"; the article is titled differently in the Times online edition) on the front page of the L.A. Times Business section, of all places.

Republican Rep. John Boehner spoke yesterday of the "sanctity of life" when opposing the anti-abortion funding amendment to the health bill. That's all fine and good, but for Boehner, and his Republican and certain Independent and Democratic allies, the sanctity of life stops at the fetus; after a person is born, its straight to hell.

Gov. Schwarzenegger & California Republican Lawmakers Are Unpatriotic; In Addition, They Hate America And Everything It Stands For

With the final decision in California today to send out IOUs instead of checks to everyone from state workers to students receiving financial aid, I wonder to myself, where is Gov. Schwarzenegger's sense of personal sacrifice? Why isn't he giving up his salary to help the state get out of debt.

A few days ago I received a comment from "Anonymous" to one of my blog postings which read, in part,

"Schwarznegger (sic) inherited a huge deficet (sic). He was making progress - without raising taxes - until the recession hit. But I know, this is making you angry."

I think the commenter is assuming that I think raising taxes is a bad thing. My response to him, which I'll paraphrase here, is if you truly loved your country, wouldn't you want to support it monetarily? Wouldn't you want to pay your dues? Surely you don't expect to live in the greatest country in the world, reaping the benefits you reap, and not give something back?

It is irresponsible for Gov. Schwarzenegger and his Republican friends to try to balance the state budget by gutting essential programs but not by raising taxes. Not even trying to compromise with Democrats. Not only is it irresponsible, its unpatriotic.

Kudos to the Democrats for having the backbone to not cave in to the Republicans and their spiteful and selfish demands. Republican lawmakers see an opportunity to pass legislation they would never in normal circumstances have any chance of passing, and being the opportunistic cowards they are, they are taking this opportunity at the worst time, the middle of the worst financial crisis in California in over a decade.

If California Republican lawmakers don't want to support their government why don't they try moving somewhere else! Let our state get back on track!

The Democrats Need A Darrell Issa

The Democrats need a Democratic member from one of the U.S. House Of Representatives California Districts to invest over $1.6 million in a recall campaign of Gov. Schwarzenegger, get upset when the Democratic leadership tells him that in reward for his good work he won't be able to run for Governor as he had planned, watch in horror as the Democrats install movie star Ben Affleck as Governor, and then hold a press conference in which he asserts he really just wanted to continue representing his district and trying to find a solution to California's financial crisis all along, and he's just happy to get that Republican fool Arnold out of office.

I wonder if Nancy Pelosi is up for the task?

Credit Cards And...Guns?

Will somebody please explain to me what being able to carry handguns in national parks and federal wildlife areas has to do with national credit card reform?

As the L.A. Times reports, Democrats and Republicans were able to come together on reforming questionable credit card practices such as unfair interest rate hikes (and other things too). But tacked on to the very end of the article was this paragraph (italics mine):

"As part of a compromise, the Senate legislation includes an amendment offered by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) that would allow visitors to national parks and federal wildlife areas to carry handguns if permitted by state law."

What does this mean? That Republicans won't support credit card reform unless there is some gun reform thrown in there too?

How legitimate then is Republican support for credit card reform in the first place?

Why is it that Republicans won't support a bill in Congress unless as part of that bill someone is getting hurt in some way, getting their job taken away, getting their access to healthcare taken away, getting access to a decent education taken away, or is getting shot by a .45 in a national park while birdwatching?

Josh Haden's Guide To The California Statewide Special and Consolidated Elections, May 19, 2009

Note to Gov. Schwarzenegger:

You can't go around blaming the people for problems you helped create and not expect the people to get angry.

If the measures you support (1A - 1F) don't pass, don't blame the voters for an even more "dire" state of the state.

The voters don't trust you!!

California is at least as bad off now if not worse than when you replaced Gray Davis. All of the problems we are experiencing now happened under your watch.

You need to take responsibility and step down!

What is this b.s. about 1F?

There needs to be a measure on this ballot saying that, as a step towards balancing the budget, and as a way of admitting responsibility for the current crisis, and as a gesture towards showing the people they honestly want to change things, all California lawmakers must cut their salaries down to $1 a year for the next four years. I'm sure that would save California a lot of money.

Thus, for the State Measures, my strong recommendations are:

1A: No
1B: No
1C: No
1D: No
1E: No
1F: No

I know, for once I agree with the California Republican Party, but I don't think for the same reasons. The California Democratic Party support 1B, 1C, and 1F (on the rest they officially have "no position". Hmmm... Weren't these measures written by Schwarzenegger and the Democratic Party in the first place?)

For Los Angeles City Attorney, I endorse Carmen "Nuch" Trutanich. Not that I think he's any better than Jack Weiss, I just think Weiss is a little too friendly with Villaraigosa for my taste. 

For the Los Angeles Community College District I endorse incumbents Angela J. Reddock and Nancy Pearlman. They seem OK to me.

My recommendations hold true for my district only. Other districts will have other and additional measures/candidates to vote for.

LAist has posted a guide to the myriad of endorsements for this election, including L.A. Times, Young Progressive Majority, and others. Kudos as always to Zach Behrens and LAist.