Until two days ago I had just ASS-umed the prop 8 would not pass because we are in California and California is the best. But apparently not everyone in Cali is the best, because I guess it is close. That is unbelievably sad. I donated a little bit yesterday because I figure Obama has enough and although it's hard to believe, some idiots make up their minds how to vote according to commercials. The prop 8 foes need more airtime to counteract that stupid commercial that if prop 8 fails teachers will be required to teach children how to be gay. Even though I reallyreallyreally don't want to, because I hate talking on the phone even to my friends, I'm going to their headquarters at 7th and K on thursday after work (now that I've written this I'll be forced to keep my word) to do phone banking. Here's the website where you can go to donate or volunteer. They called me right away when I entered my info and one of the things they want is for people to volunteer time on election day to make sure no one gets confused about what a "yes" and "no" vote mean. They said that some people are getting calls saying a "yes" vote protects gay marriage.
So there's a raw restaurant in Sac now? I'll have to check this out. Has anyone been?
45 comments:
I think phone banking is probably the best thing anyone can do right now to keep 8 from passing. All the TV time is bought up until the election, I would guess, though donating money wouldn't hurt.
From what I understand, eight's fate rests in the hands of black voters. They are the one demographic that tends to vote with the Democratic party on social issues, but are polling in favor of 8 at higher rates than any other demographic. Probably a correlation there with black church attendance in evangelical churches.
I think one of the biggest problems is how confusing the yes/no is to people and that could have a huge impact on the outcome. I've had to explain to multiple people that you want to vote no because they didn't know which was to allow gay marriage.
that's why they want people out there on election day, to remind sympathetic voters to cast their vote correctly.
To really learn what's up with prop 8, I suggest checking out craigslist rants & raves.
-miller
Proposition 8 is one of the most mean-spirited ballot initiatives I've ever seen. What's more, it's an attempt by religious zealots in Utah to circumvent a decision by the California Supreme Court by permanently changing our State Constitution. How dare they try to determine what's constitutional in someone else's state?
Another problem is that, as many have pointed out, the idea of defending "traditional" marriage is ignorant at best. Just think about what marriage has traditionally meant throughout history. Ugly, ugly, ugly. I've written an article specifically about this flawed argument in favor of Proposition 8 . Please take the time to read it if you can, and distribute the link to as many people as possible.
Even though I'm a straight man, I feel a duty to protect the rights of gay Californians. If this discriminatory measure passes, any number of other demographic groups could suffer the same fate.
Equal treatment under the law is a central principle of California's Constitution. If we really want fair treatment for all, we need to stick together and defeat this horribly unjust proposal. It's a no-brainer.
hk,
I actually think the confusion will work in our favor. People tend to vote no when they don't understand a ballot measure -- status quo -- and it may even be the case that people will vote no, thinking they are voting against gay marriage. The pollster Nick Silver has a long post about this.
On a side note, I saw somewhere that Diane Feinstein convinced Obama to shoot a TV spot against 8. Pundits were predicting he wasn't going to take the risk of getting involved with 8, and if I were advising him I would have told him to steer clear. I can't stand Feinstein. I actually voted for her Republican opponent some years ago (hey he was for legalizing pot). But man I got to give her props for convincing Obama. That's called using your power for good, and it warms my heart to see a Democrat doing that for a change.
I seriously want to volunteer on election day. In the past I've helped shuttle folks to the polls who couldn't make it otherwise. I should see if that program is happening again this year. If not I'll find something to do. Then later in the night I'm gonna get faded and dance, dance, dance the night away!!!
Unless, everything I care about loses in which case I'll still get faded and cry, cry, cry.
Corine and I were going to try to go phonebank tonight if anyone is down to come along.
I'm really nervous about this shit.
We should have a phone bank party!
my girlfriend did the phone banking thing (i chickened out, cause the phone scares me).
she said they were good coaches, and tell you exactly how to go about it. she said she made over 80 calls and only spoke to about 20 people. several were opposed to gay marriage and stated so, but not like in a confrontational way. she just said "thanks", hung up and called another.
I was wearing a No on Prop 8 sticker on Sunday when I stopped into my local store and the clerk asked me what it was about so I told him, and while the thought of gay marriage repulsed him, he had no idea it was currently legal?!? I pointed out to him that it couldn't be affecting him all that much then, his world hadn't exactly ended or anything, but he didn't seem to follow my line of reasoning.
He seems like a perfect example of someone who will vote No thinking that that means he is against the whole thing.
jamattack!
so I guess the confusion could work in our favor. after you had that pleasant little exchange did you punch him in the nuts?
Crazy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlItG4raicA&eurl=http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2008/10/28/proposition_8/
What a great Yelp review. Now I'm thinking about "transitioning". And from now on every time I type or speak the word
RAW, it's going to be in bolded caps. I wonder too, is it possible for a RAW enthusiast to write anything, however brief, without using the word "vibrant"?
JD
I have an aversion to the very idea of raw food, but I'll try anything once.
I like plenty of food that happens to be RAW. and I'm sure there's great RAW food that proudly and self consciously declares itself RAW. But the RAW philosophy is demonstrably hogwash.
JD
Hey-
What's the difference between Sarah Palin and Kevin Johnson?
When someone figures it out please tell me.
-omf
well, one difference is that with palin there is a good alternative to her ticket: obama. With KJ, of course I am not voting for him, but it's hard for me to get that worked up because I'm not stoked on Heather Fargo either. I know she's got good qualities and deserves to be mayor far more than KJ does, but she doesn't share my vision for Sac. Namely, making Heckasac the official blog of Sacramento and paying me a city salary.
I got three different full-color (that's the key part) fliers slamming her yesterday. It was all about the $650,000 to count trees. Is that figure accurate?
My friend Sarah and I went to the No on 8 rally on Saturday. There were maybe 40-60 people on all four corners of Howe & Arden with posters. I was a little nervous that some zealots would try to swerve and hit us, but the mood of the passing drivers was really positive. People honking and cheering. It was inspiring!! The only downright lame thing to happen was someone yelled, "Burn in Hell!!" and threw out a mix cd of The Game and 50 cent which hit Sarah in the arm.
It just seems like a simple case of separation of church and state. duh! That is why the Yes on 8 campaign chose to focus on the "corruption" of children and not make it a civil rights issue.
Kevin Johnson here.
You may not know this, but I've been reading your blog for a little while now.
How would you feel about writing the official blog for Sacramento?
I couldn't pay much, and this can all be worked out by my people, but $3 per word sounds fair to me.
Vote KJ.
-Kevin Johnson
I'm rich! I'm rich!
vote Kevin Johnson!
Where is that raw place?! I've been walking through the Caltrans breezeway twice now and I haven't even seen a sign for it.
Niki
You mean the RAW place?
-miller
I'm writing to promote the idea of Kevin Johnson for mayor based on one thing only: his support of public safety. Yes, the $650,000 figure to count trees is correct. There is no denying that Kevin has his drawbacks, and I find his wishywashiness on gay marriage and his views on other social issues downright repugnant. Tim, I understand your comparison to Palin on those points. But purely from the standpoint of public safety, Heather Fargo has done a horrible job keeping pace with the growth of Sacramento. Our levels of police and fire protection are the lowest in the state for cities of our size. The fire department is actually SMALLER and providing less service than it did in 1985, despite the fact that the calls for service have almost doubled in the last 20 years. (from roughly 35,000 to over 68,000 per year) We run out of antiquated stations on old run-down equipment, and almost every single fire company in the city is running several more calls per shift than the NFPA national recommended levels, often as many as 100% more. The cops are also stretched incredibly thin. While quality of life issues like libraries, parks, community centers, and after-school programs are certainly important, even in tough economic times (especially in tough economic times) they shouldn't be funded at the expense of public safety. It's hard to enjoy a park when your house has burned down, or you're getting mugged in the park. Hold your nose and vote for Kevin.
Anonymous Firefighter Guy
I just don't believe Johnson can magically make money appear any more than Fargo can. The services are underfunded because there's no money. Prop 13 gutted our local tax system- the only way there will be any more money is to raise taxes and there is NO way Johnson is doing that. Fargo actually proposed doing that-- that takes GUTS. Did you listen to the debates? KJ didn't even seem to understand the meanings of the buzzwords he was throwing around.
And at bottom, I don't trust him.
I'm extremely uncomfortable with his stance on gay marriage, his support of parental notification, and his repeated behavior problems with underage girls. That he's currently under Federal investigation for questionable St Hope practices is the icing on the cake. If this guy wasn't an NBA star no one would be giving him a serious thought.
And then there's this- note that both Darrell Steinberg and Dave Jones support Fargo. And both the local Republican reps support Johnson. Funny that.
Fargo has problems, no doubt, but she's busted ass for sacto and done a much much much better job than her predecessor, the much-vaunted Joe Serna ever did. the problems lie much more in Sac's crappy 'weak mayor' system, not with her governance. ironically this system is the only thing that makes me worry less about how much KJ can screw Sacramento up. And that's IF he isn't indicted by the Feds before he even takes office.
I can't believe the irony that we're probably going to be getting a progressive in the White House and a guy who says he wants to turn Sacramento into Phoenix in City Hall.
-omf
There is also a raw restaurant opening by the co-op, right?
These videos were produced by some folks who similarly thought there was no way 8 would pass. Leave it to the tubes to bring the funny along with some great No on 8 messages:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpxqXQAiyT0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOnOA4wwC9c
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiFONnWGMIs
Hopefully the Obama vote will drive the No on 8 vote, seeing as California is pretty much a cakewalk for him at this point.
As for the mayoral race, beckler: funny how you got Fargo slam pieces as I've been getting a series of some KJ-slamming mailers from the Fargo campaign. Also noticed that yes, Steinberg, Jones AND Doris Matsui back Fargo. And oh yeah, it wasn't "counting trees", it was a study of overall tree health. y'know, stuff that can help prevent Anonymous Firefighter Guy and the paramedics from showing up when one falls on ya. If people believe that it was for "counting trees" they probably also believe that Obama is a socialist.
I'm bummed that I can't find the Obama against 8 ad. I recall reading on Andrew Sullivan's blog that she had talked Obama into making one, but maybe I'm wrong. But Feinstein herself has a new ad out. here it is.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7LdC1RxvZg
can't wait to vote yes...
I voted for Bill the Locksmith as a write-in for mayor (only with his real last name).
i like trees
Now I'm confused about who to vote for! I must admit the firefighter endorsement mailer (and the post from AFF) are swaying my opinion. The cops endorsing her didn't do much for be but firefighters?!? But I don't think I can vote for anyone who has publicly said that they want Sac to be like Phoenix. I'm too scared he can make even a little of that come true. And not being gay-friendly is a killer. I like our city gay-friendly, I don't want an official spokesperson who is not down with that.
Uh, anybody who thinks libraries are "quality of life" services should go visit one (especially the Central Branch on I Street) during hard economic times like this one. Unless you think providing assistance to laid off people who are job hunting, kids whose schools can't afford have afterschool/homework help programs, outreach for people from Loaves and Fishes/Mustard Seed school, and the indigent elderly are all "nice to have" services.
Well, yeah, but cuts have to come from somewhere, right? Where can they come from? I'm really asking, I have no idea.
Libraries and librarians shouldn't be counted on to be providing all the social services the city can't provide in the first place. They are not meant to be homeless shelters, daycares, or to act as social workers. The fact that they have to do all these things is the real problem. We live in the capitol city of a state that is one of the top 5? largest economies in the world and our libraries can't afford to be open on Mondays?!? It's truely shameful. But I still don't think libraries should be expected to be a catchall for all of our cities failings to provide for it's citizens.
btw, I am a librarian, and I have worked at the Central library.
jamattack!
Did you see this?
someone published a list of everyone contributing to the Yes on 8 fuckers.
http://spreadsheets.google.com/pubkey=pe2023SzWXxE8wYX5qWeoIw
so sad
leatherby's is on there.
1. Can we all agree that there are five or six ESSENTIAL services that a city provides? Water, sewer, garbage, police, and fire. Maybe add street lights, recycling and green waste removal to the list. As the son of a career librarian and as one who spent practically my entire childhood in the McKinley library, I don't call a library a "quality of life" service lightly. But it's all a sliding scale. From $750,000 to hang a metal river map on the side of the Alhambra and J water tower (fucking ridiculous) to keeping libraries open 7 days a week (fucking awesome, if it were possible), everything else the city spends money on is discretionary. The money to fund the essentials is there if much of the waste is eliminated. KJ is promising a top-to-bottom audit of everything the city spends money on, something Fargo hasn't been able to do. Cut the pork and the benefits! Take-home vehicles and bottomless gas tanks for many of our cities top employees (including our fire department chiefs!) is a good start. International good-will trips, junkets to Portland to "See how they do it up there", city hall staffers that do about 2 hours of actual work in an 8 hour day, five or six utility workers leaning on brooms while one guy is working in the trench....the list goes on and on.
2. Yes, lefties like Steinberg and Jones support Fargo, and righties like The Metro Chamber and others support KJ. But you don't get much more hardcore left than the Central Labor Council, and the Sac Bee is pretty left for a mainstream rag. They both support KJ. The fact is, the endorsements in this race are crossing all of the party lines in both directions.
3. The most difficult thing to do in an election sometimes is to ignore a politicians personal beliefs if they don't affect policies that that politician is allowed to vote on. In other words: Voting for a US president that can pack the Supreme Court? It's a good idea to find one that is pro-choice, believes in the separation of church and state, and understands the constitutional right of "Equal protection under the law”. Voting for a mayor? Consider only those policies and beliefs that the candidate can effectively implement at the city level. Does it suck that KJ thinks that the doctor of a teenage girl should tell her parents before she gets an abortion? Yes, it’s one of many distasteful things about him. Can he do anything about it, other than cast his one vote at the ballot box as a California voter? No. (Besides, I cancelled his vote with mine about a week ago.) Does it suck that he thinks marriage is between one man and one woman? Yes, it’s fucking retarded. Would he ever try and implement any policy at the city level that would reflect his views? Absofuckinglutely not. He could never get away with it, even if he tried. And if he ever aspires to higher office, where his social views might affect his policy-making, don’t vote for him. In fact, fund his opposition. I know that this line of thinking isn’t popular, and we would all like all of our candidates to have values and morals that most closely reflect our own. But sometimes you have to take the most practical viewpoint.
4. As far as making Sacramento more like Phoenix, bullshit. I think one thing that most readers of Heckasac, (and in fact many Sacramentans) are tired of is the identity crisis that seems to motivate the actions of most local politicians and many civic leaders. This whole “Cowtown” stain has left everybody grasping and flailing to try and makeover this city into something it’s not. The current council is obsessed with making us like Portland. In the past we’ve been sold on the need to emulate Berkeley, Redding, San Antonio, Santa Barbara and so on and so on. While comparables are often useful in determining things like wages, codes, staffing levels, transportation systems and the like, we don’t have to go about it with such a sense of shame and desperation.
AFG (not AFF)
You're very persuasive.
ug. i never thought i would find myself defending that god awful piece of crap on the side of the water tower and yet here i am. while yes i hate that stupid water tower sculpture as much as anyone and think that the city can be pretty naive in the way they select public artists and give money away i am encouraged that the city wants to grow it's pubic art program.
a strong public art fund is one of the many things that makes being an artist in europe more viable than it is in the states. not to mention encourages support of the arts by folks other than art nerds. when public art is good and not the innocuous crap we usually see here in the states it can be provocative, and meaningful. when the work is really good folks make a specific trip just see it thus driving commerce to a region. i myself i've made more than one pilgrimage just to see public work. some international public works of note include Bourgeious' spiders and McCarthy's Santa with Buttplug. yes, I'm being serious about that last one.
anyway, i'm sort of blathering but i do get frustrated when people knock public art as superfluous. it can be crap certainly but funding art is no less important than a lot of other public services in building a strong society.
anytime you have a public debate about politics personal causes will get brought out so i would also like to say that by defending public art i'm not diminishing the importance of any of the things that were mentioned above.
as an aside pretty much every devoted artist i know makes excessive use of the library. myself included. in a well rounded society art and literacy should reinforce one another. or at least one would hope.
anyhoo, there's my two cents and now i'm off to Seattle.
the city wants to grow it's pubic art program!!! Awesome!
JD
let's leave all the big picture issues (gay rights, abortion notification) and look at what the candidates' visions are.
Fargo has worked to make Sacramento a more bikable, walkable city, and stopped the police dept from shutting down Second Saturday when they perceived it to be getting out of hand.
KJ allows his properties in Oak Park to turn into derelict eyesores, and says he wants to make Sacramento more like Phoenix.
This is a very simple choice. A vote for Johnson is a vote for sprawl, big box stores and chains. the guy is on th ewrong side of pretty much every issue.
-omf
OMF just said what I wanted to say. You shoulda been there when a KJ worker knocked on my door the other day. I was almost overcome by the feeling that I wanted to hammer the dude on the whole kid-touching thing.
scary yes on prop 8 stuff
http://www.thecall.com/
btw, the yes campaign has out-raised the no campaign so don't sit back thinking it's in the bag. because it really, really isn't.
I don't know who AFG is on this blog, but I've been giving some serious thought to what you wrote about seperating my disagreement over social issues with safety and other city issues when deciding who I want as mayor. I was also really swayed by seeing charvey on tv last night in a pro KJ ad. But the more I think about it, the more it still doesn't seem right to vote for someone who doesnt share my personal beliefs on anything. No I don't think he can banish gay marriage as the mayor, I realize that office doesn't carry that power. However, I do think it would be naive to believe it doesn't carry any power. At the very least he would have the ear of more powerful people, and his views would be taken more seriously by the general public because he would be in a position of authority. Comments made during appearances and speeches given as mayor could have a very big impact on public opinion. I just can't in good concious give a man of his values a platform to speak from.
So. Too juicy not to post. Just checked SF Gate's site on Prop 8 contributions and it appears that Michael Teel gave money to the Yes on 8 Campaign.
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