Elections 2010

Now that the elections are finally over, perhaps the candidates can remove their signs that are littering the sidewalks and other public properties?

Stealth campaign?

Election season is well underway in Alameda, but inquiring mind wants to know if Beverly Johnson is running a stealth campaign or is she really serious about running for Council? For starters, she doesn’t have a campaign web site nor has she cared to reply to the campaign questionnaires. Perhaps a classic case of DYKWIA!

1 in 2 Alamedans don’t care!

OK … so I made that up. But how else would you describe the fact that nearly 50% of Alameda voters didn’t bother to send in their ballots? This was perhaps the easiest election to vote. There was just a single ballot initiative, all you had to do was connect the appropriate arrow, sign your name and drop off the postage paid envelope. What could be more easier? I find it hard to believe that our daily schedules are so tightly choreographed that many of us don’t even have the time to vote.

It is astonishing that we would let somebody else make decisions on our behalf — especially on  a pocketbook issue that directly affects your way of life.

Alameda Stirred Up on Tax Plan

We made it to the NYT … hopefully, for not the wrong reasons!

But when Mrs. Turcinovic put up a red sign last month that said “No on E” — a parcel tax measure to support local schools — it brought her nothing but trouble. More than a dozen parents and teachers who support the measure have stopped at the store to harangue her, Mrs. Turcinovic said. One man told Mrs. Turcinovic’s husband, who does not speak English, that the Turcinovics, who are Bosnian immigrants, could not understand the meaning of the sign and that they should go back to their own country.

Lauren raises some very pertinent questions for the other side as well.

Regardless of how one feels about Measure E, perhaps both sides will tone down the rhetoric and recognize that we will have to live together in this town … even after the June 22nd election.

Measure E: PSA

This isn’t a recommendation on how you should vote … I don’t consider it any of my business to advise others on how they should vote 🙂

I found a note on my doorstep today advising me to: sign, put my address and date the back of the envelope. Perhaps this was meant to err on the side of caution … but you only need to sign the back of the envelope. The address is already filled in and there is no requirement to write in the date — if you are filing out your own ballot.

For the June 8th statewide election, you can even look up the status of your mail ballot. There is no tracking mechanism (yet) for the Measure E special election.

A Change Is Gonna Come

Coincidence or prophetic? 🙂 KCSM played this on Sunday … as part of their American Jazz countdown. Additional information on the song from wikipedia.

Yes on Prop 2

In an ideal world, we would all be vegetarians, but ground realities dictate otherwise. You would think that at the very least, the “meat eaters” would insist that animals be treated humanely before they are slaughtered … so I fail to understand the kerfuffle and the hand wringing over Proposition 2.

As the NYT Editorial states:

The goal of the California Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act — Proposition 2 on the state’s November ballot — sounds extremely modest. It would ban the confinement of animals in a way that keeps them from being able to stand, sit, lie down, turn around and extend their limbs. The fact that such fundamental decencies have to be forced upon factory farming says a lot about its horrors.

Wouldn’t the opponents of Prop 2 raise a stink if they were denied such fundamental decency? To think that this is even being debated speaks a lot about our society.

To a California voter still undecided on Proposition 2, we say simply, imagine being confined in the voting booth for life. Would you vote for the right to be able to sit down and turn around and raise your arms?

Alameda’s flip-flopper?

I received an election flyer from Doug deHaan touting the renovation of Alameda Theater as one of his accomplishments (in addition to the renovation of Park St and Webster St and the renovation of Towne Center)! But didn’t he run for Mayor in 2006 on a “slow growth” ticket? Looks like he was against redevelopment before he was for it.

On a related note, he has an ad in the Alameda Sun that has a partial list of supporters and lists a Gail deHaan as a supporter. Phew, glad we got that sorted out … 🙂

Bulls, Bears, Donkeys and Elephants

This isn’t directly related to Alameda (or maybe it is) … 🙂

As of Friday, a $10,000 investment in the S.& P. stock market index would have grown to $11,733 if invested under Republican presidents only, although that would be $51,211 if we exclude Herbert Hoover’s presidency during the Great Depression. Invested under Democratic presidents only, $10,000 would have grown to $300,671 at a compound rate of 8.9 percent over nearly 40 years.

Another reason to vote for the Democrats!

Obama Jinxed by Alameda Daily News?

Was Obama jinxed by Don Roberts’ recommendation?

Monday, February 4, 2008

Alameda Daily News Endorses Barack Obama

Barack Obama is intelligent, articulate, innovative and has the best leadership qualities of all of the candidates for the President of the United States of America. He offers America the best chance for bi-partisan leadership. America will be a better place with President Obama. Please vote for Barack Obama for President.

Don Roberts is now in the very distinguished company of The Kennedys (Ted Inc), Maria Shriver, Oprah Winfrey and John Kerry! Who would’ve thunk this was possible … 😉

/snark