Politics, Law, & Social Issues

Voter ID decision resounds in state

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 01:45:53 PDT

This article thoroughly confuses me. Don't you have to be a U.S. citizen to vote? And at that point, wouldn't you have a Driver's License or other valid I.D.?
http://www.mercurynews.com//ci_9092322?IAD...mercurynews.com
According to the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters, you have to be a U.S. citizen. Don't people need ID's to do things like get a job, bank account, etc.?

http://www.sccvote.org/portal/site/rov/age...h=/v7/Registrar of Voters (DEP)/Register to Vote
...more

Earth Day 2008

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 06:51:13 PDT

Well, today's Earth Day, but it doesn't seem like it gets as much notice as in the past, but perhaps for good reasons. In the past, recycling seemed like a revelation and was controversial.
It's still being selected as a convenient date for high impact statements though. Time magazine just published a controversial cover that shows a digitally edited version of the flag raising at Iwo Jima.
It's being blasted as being in poor taste or disrespectful of the US Military....more

How Far Will Bay Area Home Prices Fall?

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 03:45:47 PDT

The Bay Area housing market has remained relatively resilient to the market wide downturn until the past few months. Since then, there's been a more noticeable retreat of home prices, but then comes news that a lot of people are out bargain hunting and then there's that new conforming Jumbo loan that's expected to bring down rates on loans up to $729,000 in high cost markets like the SF Bay Area.
According to Zillow.com, home prices in the Bay Area have more than doubled over what they were ten years...more

Prop 91 - New News No more support VOTE NO!

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 10:09:37 PST

Sorry this is so late, but prop 91 asks that money being raised by gas taxes be used for road improvements. That has already been locked in with actions taken in November(Prop 1a). Even the people who put the prop on the ballot have asked people to vote no so there is no conflict. The desired effect has already been achieved.
Reminder: Vote no 91

Today Is The Last Day to Register to Vote in Primaries

Tue, 22 Jan 2008 06:48:32 PST

If you plan on voting in the February 5th primaries, today is the last day you can register if you're not already registered. You can register to vote by mail, but it has to get in the mail by today. For more info, see the California Secretary of State's Voter Registration website.

Obama - Only positive comments and feedback

Sun, 20 Jan 2008 08:27:12 PST

Can someone please tell me what has Obama done that makes you believe he is a good candidate or what makes you believe he will be a good president. Granted the standard is pretty low, but we expect more from a democratic president (less deficit spending, less foreign hostilities, more equitable taxation, working with our allies, following the law, respecting the constitution, etc... ).
I don't have anything bad to say about him, I am sure he is a great guy, one of the new talents in the Democratic Party, but...more

Prop 94, 95, 96, 97 Where do you stand?

Sat, 19 Jan 2008 11:22:28 PST

Arnold promised us a balanced budget. The previous governor (Davis) got recalled for being $6 billion short of spending objectives and wanting to borrow. Arnold was gong to open the books and solve the problem. He realized his hands were tied with mandated spending levels that required him to borrow $9 billion /year. Now the projection is $10 billion /year in revenue short falls and Arnold is turning to Indian gaming for some relief (only amounts to $450 million /year on average= $9 billion for twenty years). They are proposals to raise tax money. What do you think?

Proposition 93 Term Limits

Sat, 19 Jan 2008 11:08:44 PST

Prop 93 is another attempt to change the term limit law in California. What do you think is the appropriate solution. Remember, this is for California only. We don't have term limits in Federal Government.

Are you registered to vote?

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 04:35:11 PST

If you're not registered to vote, you can do so here by the deadline of Tuesday, January 22nd. You can also use the site to see if you're registered to vote, since some people forget. I already received my absentee ballot so I'm pretty sure I'm registered.
Super Tuesday is February 5th. That's when most of the country votes in the Presidential primaries. Actually, this year is Super Duper Tuesday since it's the first time 24 states will vote on the same day. Ay carumba!
Be...more

The Presidential Race

Tue, 04 Dec 2007 09:55:36 PST

So what does everyone think of what's happening with the candidates so far?

Hunting / Technology Question

Thu, 25 Oct 2007 02:28:41 PDT

Active Hunting Systems -- as mentioned in an article in USA Today several days ago -- sells a digital camera with motion and cellphone technology, to be used by hunters to remotely track deer, bear or other big game.
This device is placed where a hunter might expect game to be, the motion sensor, if or when triggered -- would take a picture and send as a email attachment via the cellphone.
The hunter would then know if the game that they...more

Daylight Savings Time

Sun, 07 Oct 2007 10:48:11 PDT

The time to change time is coming up.
The government has altered when we change from Daylight Savings Time back to Standard Time. It is now in November:
----
Beginning in 2007, most of the United States begins Daylight Saving Time at 2:00 a.m. on the second Sunday in March and reverts to standard time on the first Sunday in November.
----
I like the extra sunlight at night, and I think it is...more

Nuclear Power

Wed, 26 Sep 2007 04:57:07 PDT

I think it is time to get some nuclear power plants built and on line.
I think what "we" used to be afraid of is no longer to be feared -- and the nonuse of nuclear is worse.
I heard on KGO radio from Bill Wattenburg that 30 years of nuclear waste for a family of four will fit in a shoe box, a rather small amount I think. He also says that the burning of coal (which is how most of...more

CA Ranks 38 out of 50 one Environmental Stat

Mon, 23 Apr 2007 12:32:16 PDT

So much for being the "green state." According to a the 18 Seconds website put up by Yahoo that tracks state by state levels of adoptions of Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFL), CA ranks 38th out of 48 (no data for Alaska and Haiwaii).
Lighting is said to account for 20% of the electric bill in the average household and it's a key area that's being targeted to reduce energy consumption. A couple of governments have already announced plans to phase out all incandescent light bulbs. One of them was Australia....more

Being Neighborly

Sat, 20 Jan 2007 04:12:31 PST

As many of you will have heard in the news, 15 year-old Shawn Hornbeck was abducted at the age of 11, and lived with his alleged kidnapper in Kirkwood, Missouri for 4 years before being recently uncovered by the police as a result of another investigation into a second kidnapping. This article in The New York Times raises some interesting questions about the role of the community in all of this:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/21/us/21kidnap.html
Hornbeck and his kidnapper (and the second newly-kidnapped child) lived in an apartment building in the suburbs. Apparently, people didn't...more

The November 7th Midterm Elections

Wed, 08 Nov 2006 08:37:52 PST

Well, the Midterm elections yesterday appear to have become a spectator sport... interntionally as well as domestically. Did you vote on Nov 7th? Why or why not?
Locally speaking, I noticed something interesting. The results for City Council seats in various towns showed a curious pattern. I'll show the results for Campbell, Monte Sereno, and Willow Glen as an example. See the next post for comments.

US Population Passes 300 Million Today

Tue, 17 Oct 2006 06:31:04 PDT

Lookout China and India, here we come. The US became the third country to surpass a population count of over 300 million this morning at 7:46 am EDT. We're growing at a rate of one person every 11 seconds by birth or immigration.

Pictures of North Korea

Mon, 09 Oct 2006 03:27:12 PDT

North Korea is all over the news today. I'm sure everyone knows why. It made me curious about what the country looks like. All I know about it are bleak portraits painted by essays of people who have visited there. I didn't think there were that many photos out there of North Korea, but then I ran into this site of this Russian photographer. He's got pages and pages of pics of North Korea and it didn't look anything like I thought it might. Granted, I'm sure he only was allowed to shoot the picturesque stuff, but it was still...more

Why We Have Smog Test-Only Centers

Mon, 12 Jun 2006 05:14:23 PDT

Mr. Roadshow is a hero in my book!
http://mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews...ow/14798565.htm
Roadshow: Smog test-only centers are hassle, but sometimes worth the effort
By Gary Richards
Mercury News Staff Columnist
From the article:
"The [smog] tests are the same. Yet the hassle is worth it for some drivers. If you are sent to a test-only site and your car...more

Finding voter information online!

Mon, 05 Jun 2006 11:21:06 PDT

Well, yet another voting day is upon us, folks! Yes, that's right: Tuesday, June 6, 2006 is Election Day. There are a couple of important state propositions on the ballot, party primaries, and some judges and local government officials to elect. There are also a number of local propositions on ballots.
Feeling overwhelmed? Feel inadequately informed? Still haven't made up your mind about everything yet? Here are a list of places to go for information so you can make an informed decision:
League...more