TFM VOTER GUIDE PART #1: SUPER TUESDAY

Tomorrow is the day when all (and by all, we mean "a non-zero percentage of voters") head out to the various polling places of California to do our part to shift around whatever pieces of the governmental machine we can, at least the ones the corporations don't firmly control and such and such.

Let's do the propositions first:

(For your informative pleasure, here's the voter guide, directly from Sec State Shelley)

Proposition 55: The school money thingy. Given that I intend to vote against a certain ballot initiative later on the ballot, I shall vote for this one in tandem, just so I know that if the Gropinator intends to play chicken with the legislature, at least some new money will be going towards fixing our schools. TFM votes Yes.

Proposition 56: The 55 percent solution. Would I feel differently about this initiative if there were Republican majorities in the Assembly and Senate? Uhh, come back to me on that one. One thing the proposition would stop, or at least slow, is the cycle of blame promoted by our plucky conservative minority. They block pretty much any new spending or any new tax (despite our budget deficits) by keeping there from being a 2/3 majority. Budget gridlock follows, and then ol' Gropey gets to pretend to be above the fray, and criticize the legislature -- the Democratic legislature -- for being inefficient. And tax scare-tactics promoted by the groups opposing this initiative don't particularly grab me, given what has happened to my tuition under Ahhnuld, god forbid I go into grad school anytime soon. TFM votes yes.

Proposition 57: The big $15 billion enchilada. I'm pretty convinced that Schwarzy is not a right-wing ideologue of the Bush nature (an ironic comment to make, given Bush's handling of the deficit). After all, he's a movie star, and movie stars want to be loved. Cutting education, health care, police officers, etc, is not the way to be loved. With that in mind, I have a serious urge to call the Governor's bluff on this one. Politically, it puts him in a tough position, having to either cut spending (and piss off the left and much of the middle) or raise taxes (pissing off the McClintock right and maybe some of the middle, though they didn't revolt against Pete Wilson).

From a short-term policy standpoint, on the other hand, it will keep California relatively solvent, and those spending cuts we'd otherwise be daring Arnold to make wont happen. Then again, next year we'd come back with the same problems, if not more. And hey, everyone talks about character in our leaders these days, this would be a nice test for the Grope-ster. If Warren Buffet still has Arnold's ear, things could be okay. TFM will probably vote no, but will be happy whatever you do. Also consider that Arnold wants to deliver California to Bush in November. With that in mind, a yes-vote isn't that bad, because it highlights the varying ways that an executive can deal with a budget deficit. It will make Dubya impotent by comparison. Then again, I'm not worried about Cali going for Bush anyway.

The bottom line, of course, is that at some point, whether now or a year from now or after that, some spending will have to be cut, and some taxes will have to be raised. Prop 57 is a holiday from that reality, and the choice is either to vote for it because you want a holiday, or against it because we need to get the "tough love" over with.

Proposition 58: Balance this! Just as with 57, its sister proposition, 58 pits the Schwarzenegger center-right against the McClintock far right. I like fiscal discipline in general, but I've never been big on balanced budget amendments. TFM will probably vote no.

I'll be back with my presidential voter guide later in the day.