Well, if you came here you must be pretty bored. But here's how I voted in some of the races in California's first open primaries, held on June 2, 1998.


Governor: Gray Davis:
It was really a toss-up between Davis and Jane Harman, both have experience, and I agree with many of their ideas. I eventually chose Davis because he's the current lieutenant governor.

Treasurer: Jan Goldsmith:
Why I voted this way: I hate Curt Pringle. Or anybody named after a potato chip for that matter. Well, I don't like this guy's politics, so I voted for the other Republican candidate running. I'm registered as a Democrat, but thanks to the new open primaries, I can screw around with who the Republicans nominate. For those of you who don't remember, Pringle was implicated in all sorts of campaign fraud after Willie Brown ended his term as Assembly Speaker. He rigged the Democratic party elections so that several candidates would split the field, and none would have the majority required to beat him. Also, when a moderate Republican (whose name I can't remember) was chosen to be Assembly Speaker through bipartisan support (although mostly Democratic support), he managed to have her district hold an election to replace her. She was replaced, so she couldn't become Assembly Speaker. So, I voted against Pringle by voting for the other Republican candidate.

Proposition 226: Political Contributions by Employees, Union Members, Foreign Entities, Initiative Statute: No:
This is an attempt to take away political power from the unions. Supposedly, it would also affect corporations but only if the money spent by the corporation for political purposes comes from garnishing it's workers' pay. One of the purposes unions serve is political. They are a large organization that can spend more money and present a more organized front than individual workers. This proposition is an attempt to stifle the workers' voices! The workers are being repressed! Workers of the world unite!

Proposition 227: English Language in Public Schools, Initiative Statute: No:
I believe that people living in this country should know English, both spoken and written. However, this proposition would dismantle all bilingual education in this state. New students would have to learn material in English, probably with very little knowledge of the language. The legislation recently passed a bill that would eliminate the current bilingual education system and require bilingual education for 1 to 3 years. However, this bill was vetoed by our current governer, Pete Wilson, so he could support this proposition. I favored the bill that passed legislation, and voted against this proposition. Incidentally, I think more crucial to our education is literacy. It is a great problem that I feel is more urgent than bilingual education. Without the ability to read, a person cannot become educated. Without being educated, a person cannot reach their full potential, working in a good job, or vote in a knowledgeable manner.

Of course, it is very important for every citizen to participate in the political process. And for each citizen to truly participate, they must be educated on the political subjects. Some of the information in this page may be incorrect, as I am writing this off the top of my head. And some of it is certainly biased, so it should in no way be taken as hard facts. Remember to vote in November!

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