California Initiatives

[Sayhey]

With 55% of the vote counted, but only 8% of LA counted, all of Schwarzenegger's initiatives are being defeated. Great news! Along with the Virginia and New Jersey Governors races this looks to be a very good night for Democrats.

[zimv20]

what are the initiatives?

edit: nevermind, sayhey, i found them (http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-propositions-sg,0,5554767.storygallery?coll=la-home-politics).

[IJ Reilly]

what are the initiatives?

I expect you'll probably get a more detailed response from Sayhey, but essentially they were full frontal attacks on all of the groups which fought against Schwarzenegger's agenda: restrictions on union political activity, an increase in the number of years required for teachers to obtain tenure, taking redistricting away from the legislature, and placing more budgetary power in the hands of the governor. He called them "reforms," but fortunately the voters saw through that charade. Schwarzenegger is history. He will not be back.

[zimv20]

prop 80 seems like a good idea. something i'm missing?

[IJ Reilly]

prop 80 seems like a good idea. something i'm missing?

Too complicated. This one needs to be fixed by the legislature.

[Sayhey]

prop 80 seems like a good idea. something i'm missing?

IJ's right, but its also important to note prop. 80 wasn't part of Schwarzenegger's "reform" initiatives. His initiatives are props 73 through 77 and it looks like all will go down to defeat. Last I looked, with 84% of the precincts reporting, and the Democratic stronghold of LA county only reporting 41% of their precincts, all measures were being defeated. A huge defeat of Arnold's attempt to bypass the Democratically controlled legislature and go to the voters for more power. Up to date returns can be viewed at the Sec. of State's (http://vote2005.ss.ca.gov/Returns/prop/00.htm) website.

[solvs]

Too bad I'm not in CA yet (moving back next month), but I'm glad people are voting the way they are. When the next election rolls around, once again I'm sure I'll be voting against Arnold, rather than for the Dems, but hopefully they at least won't suck. I'm pretty sure the Terminator is going to be Terminated either way. What a joke that was.

[Stella]

Propositions 78 & 79 seems like the best idea. With a vast amount of americans unable to afford health care it seems something that Californians would really grateful for.

[IJ Reilly]

A lot of people just ran the ballot with no votes, so perhaps some respectable ideas got thrown away with the bad ones. Resentment over the governor's vanity election ran pretty deep -- it cost the state a lot of money at a time when we can hardly afford it. But the really big losers yesterday were those who were hoping that Schwarzenegger would be the Next Big Thing in politics. Now his bust seems destined for a place of honor next to Pete Wilson in the Failed Governors Hall of Fame.

[devilot]

Up to date returns can be viewed at the Sec. of State's (http://vote2005.ss.ca.gov/Returns/prop/00.htm) website.Thank you for posting that... I was curious about the results. I voted yesterday after going around to three different polling stations (my precinct didn't have enough registered voters to get our own polling place so I ran around trying to find the correct place and finally gave up, filled out the absentee ballot, and turned it in). :p

[3rdpath]

I don't blame anyone for voting NO on everything...this special election was just another Arnold grandstanding moment. I hope everyone who voted this egomaniac into office takes some responsibility for this waste of precious taxdollars....yea, right...

I'm still plenty pissed about the car registration refund I received...a measly couple of hundred dollars for me meant our schools and public services were having severe funding problems.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised at how cheaply people's votes can be bought, it's obviously not just happening here in California.

[janey]

Propositions 78 & 79 seems like the best idea. With a vast amount of americans unable to afford health care it seems something that Californians would really grateful for.
78 and 79 are very different from each other (despite the misleadingly similar names and all).
78 was voluntary (and didn't really need a proposition) and had this thing where if both 78 and 79 got majority 'yes' votes, 78 would trump 79 if it had more yes votes than 79.

79 was the actual mandatory prescription drug discount program, covered more people than 78, and was STILL voted down.

Hence, my wondering, WHAT THE HELL?

Oh well. at least 73 didn't pass.

[jefhatfield]

prop 74...Public school teachers waiting period for permanent status/dismissal initiative...this one lost

prop 75...Public employee union dues/restrictions on political contributions/employee consent requirement intitiative statute...this one apperared to have a lead early on, but after the votes counted, this one barely lost

prop 76...state spending and funding limits intiative constitutional amendment...this one lost

prop 77...redistricting initiative constitutional amendment...this one lost


i voted yes on prop 74 and no on the other three so basically i was happy with the overall outcome

the governor spent 50 million on this "special" election, that is california taxpayers money, and the calls to impeach him don't sound so left field anymore

when he first came into power, i wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt and i wasn't an early complainer who considered the governor a failure...this special election was his big chance to show that he could get some agreement with the california people, but the far left was correct in their assumption that arnold was out of touch with the california people...now most of the state knows he is out of touch

today, gray davis, the governor the state of california kicked out, does not look so bad