If I Were Voting in California Today

In the end Arnold is a right wing populist but I do think he is honest. Here's a critique of his ballot measures.

If I were voting today:

-- Proposition 74 would increase from 2 to 5 years the time it takes for public school teachers to get tenure and job security. This measure would devastate public schools by dramatically increasing teacher turnover and severely weakening the power of the teachers' union to protect its members. As a major attack on a union whose leadership showers Democratic legislators with contributions (for very little in return), Schwarzenegger calculated that he could intimidate other unions to boot.

YES-I'm a proud union member and a public school teacher and I support tenure. I support due process for all workers. But what is needed in many school systems is a process to attract and retain GOOD teachers. It starts with small class size and decent pay and benefits. But one of the major problems I see is that there are very few decent administrators. This means that a significant minority of teachers do what they want, which is very little. I am not calling for a boss driven system but one that holds both administration and teachers accountable for teaching students SOMETHING. Maybe a longer time for gaining tenure will discourage the dead weight.

-- Proposition 75 targets all public-sector unions, requiring them to get written approval from each member to use dues money for political purposes. Like the attack on teachers, this measure aims to cripple the union movement's capacity for political campaigning. No similar restriction would be imposed on corporate donors.

NO-unions and other organzations should have the right to do what they want with their dues. I think there are some first amendment issues here. But would any worker in any corporation be able to get some of thier money back from a corporation or government institution that did something that they disagreed with? Of course not. That is why this is just an anti-union tactic plain and simple.

-- Proposition 76 would simultaneously grant the governor executive powers to cut the budget by declaring a "fiscal emergency" and reduce the constitutionally guaranteed percentage of the state budget dedicated to public education.

NO-Executives in goverment have WAY to much power already. This is a power grab plain and simple.

-- Proposition 77 would give three retired judges the power to redraw legislative districts in California. Arnold wants to follow the Texas example and eliminate as many safe Democratic Party seats as possible, tipping state government in favor of suburban Republican voters.

YES-Gerrymandering by partisans has made this country a two party dictatorship. This is a half measure that has the potential, if the right people were appointed, to eliminate the non competetive nature of our political system.