Flutterby™! : California Governor 2003-10-07 02:02:54.782175+00

California Governor

2003-10-07 02:02:54.782175+00 by Dan Lyke 9 comments

It is with heavy heart that I have to endores No on Recall, Yes on Bustamante in the California Gubernatorial election tomorrow. Although I won't think too poorly of you for a "No on recall" and a vote for Larry Flynt. Given that the Davis/Bustamante team seem to have demonstrated complete incompetence with their running of the election, if the recall fails Ahhnuld will win, and it's important that the votes show a preference against the recall. So in these cases even a vote for someone who can't possibly win helps send the right message.

#Comment Re: California Governor made: 2003-10-07 03:58:50.714264+00 by: crasch

#Comment Re: California Governor made: 2003-10-07 14:19:29.834713+00 by: petronius

#Comment Re: California Governor made: 2003-10-07 14:53:23.723981+00 by: ziffle

Does this mean that you are in favor of a 30 Billion dollar deficit and if you can't have that you want Mexico to take back California for the hispanics, the superior race?

#Comment Re: California Governor made: 2003-10-07 15:39:19.628614+00 by: Dan Lyke [edit history]

Crash: because that's the best way to derail future recall efforts. This shit was wrong when the Democrats tried to pull it on Reagan, and it's wrong now.

Ziffle: Given California's tendency to govern by proposition (ie: we're a democracy, not a republic), the choice of Governor has little to do with the economics of the state. Between propositions and federal mandates, the legislature and the governor have control over some tiny portion of spending. The only thing they can do is raise taxes, and the only time they can do that is when there's a fiscal crisis. Blame the citizens. So the only thing the governor can really do is restrict my freedoms. Ahnuld might be okay on that, but he's just a figurehead for the Republicans, and here in California those freaks are scary. They're the anti-abortion pro-drug war pro-government intervention in human relationships (ie: marriage) pro-morals legislation wackos.

It's also well documented at this point that states with Republican controlled legislating bodies increase spending faster than those with Democrat control. So the only thing the Grand Old Party has going for it is ome nostalgia for the '60s when they actually may have been a party of fiscal restraint.

As for the hispanics versus the caucasians, it's the white guys standing on the corner with the "will work for food" signs and the Mexican illegals who stand on the corner trying to flag down trucks so that they can work for food. I'm much happier to have people who want to work than people who think they're entitled to a free ride in my community.

Before I retire I'm fairly sure I'll have to be conversant in both Spanish and Cantonese. That's the way the market will fall out, and trying to suppress that trend by legal means will just make the fall harder when it happens.

#Comment Re: California Governor made: 2003-10-07 15:51:36.98829+00 by: ziffle

Dan: If you put it that I way I agree -- at the present moment it appears Davis is the big spender and the Repubs' will save the day - I 'want' to believe Auhnold can do it better - but in a mixed economy it is very difficult what the right thing to do is, so I did not understand why (since you did not explain) you took a firm stance for so evil a combination.

#Comment Re: California Governor made: 2003-10-07 16:03:00.343276+00 by: Dan Lyke

I've thought a bit about the whole Cantonese versus Mandarin thing, and as I look around I'm realizing that it's the Mandarin speaking regions that are waiting for the government to do stuff, but it's Guangdong province that's entering the world economy with or without the approval of Beijing (or whatever the official transliterated spelling is). I'll bet on those who don't believe in the government first.

#Comment Re: California Governor made: 2003-10-07 16:49:34.938062+00 by: Diane Reese [edit history]

For what I consider to be a completely spot-on analysis of Ahhhnult and his cult of egoism, er, I mean, why he wants to be Governator (lard help us), please consider dropping your qualms about registering for that free NYTimes access online and visit: http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/06/opinion/06HERB.html If you would like to read it but are not willing to sign up with the Times, get in touch and I'll send you the text.

#Comment Re: California Governor made: 2003-10-07 19:08:33.75031+00 by: other_todd

Side digression from the China watcher: Dan, you're right about Canton and the south coast in general; the Chinese government tried to lock the barn doors in Hong Kong after the handoff and it becomes increasingly clear that the horse had already been stolen, from their point of view. They can't kill capitalism there. But do not discount Shanghai. It wants very badly to be one of the world's top technology and information-economy growth hotspots. Only the Chinese government's stepping on it repeatedly holds it down. One day they won't be able to step on it hard enough.

Moot anyway. In THIS country Cantonese is the clear winner. I'd be learning that, and not putonghua, if I didn't aspire to travel to Beijing and Shanghai and such.

P.S. "Beijing" is politically correct in diplomatic usage and if you are appeasing mainland Chinese. Don't use it in Taiwan, where it is a political statement. They like "Peiping" (I'd give the history but this is too long and irrelevant already). "Peking" is the one that's now sorta imperialist and old-fashioned (like my use of "Canton.")

#Comment Re: California Governor made: 2003-10-08 14:20:45.890802+00 by: petronius

You say tomato, I say tomahto..... Which spelling of China's capital is closer to how the inhabitants pronounce it? My understanding was that the pinyin system was supposed to be a more accurate transliteration into the Roman alphabet than the older Wade-Giles system.