Category: politics

Last Flight of the Discovery

The important achievement of Apollo was demonstrating that humanity is not forever chained to this planet and our visions go rather further than that and our opportunities are unlimited. ~Neil Armstong

February 24, 2011, was the last flight of the Shuttle Discovery. Endeavor’s last flight is scheduled for April 19, and Atlantis has a tentative final launch for the summer. After that the Nation and People who once broke the bonds of gravity and went into the stars will be again tethered to their blue planet.

There is hope that private space programs will be able to pick up where the Shuttle program ended. Mostly, the ferrying of people and materials from Earth into space and to the International Space Station. NASA has plans for a program to replace the shuttle program but, as of now, it remains unfunded. In the current political climate in Washington, D.C. I do not see that changing anytime soon.

In a climate where such helpful programs as WIC and funding to public radio and television are being gutted, yet funds for two disastrous, decade long foreign wars has remained steady I have little hope for NASA.

I find this terribly depressing without being able to explain why…

Don’t read this! Go watch history being made!

With so many momentous things going on I think there are better things you could be reading about today.

Al Jazeera’s coverage of the happenings in Egypt – Al Jazeera has been seeing a lot of traffic since the trouble in Egypt started. They have correspondents on the ground (most of the cable news networks and some of the major networks no longer do,) and they’ve given far more coverage to the events than American media has.

Tunisian Revolution – The secular uprising in country of Tunisia is what started the large scale rioting and demand for right throughout the Middle East.

Jordanian Riots Cause Reform

Student Riots in Yemen – Have forced the country’s autocratic ruler to stop grooming his son to replace him.  Students have larger goals too forcing out the autocrat entirely.

By the time this goes up I’m sure other people will have taken the initiative do demand their governments recognize their natural rights as well.  I only wish our government was more supportive of such movements.  The United States was founded by people who were tired of seeing their natural rights denied, but our government often asks against the words found in our Declaration of Independents:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security.

For too long the United States government has actively worked to make a mockery of Mr. Jefferson’s word and their meaning. I encourage you to remind the President and your elected representatives of that fact in the hopes they will reconsider American policy towards Egypt and countries like it.

Baby Steps

Salt Lake City Temple

If you look back in the archives of the site you’ll find a heated discussion on several posts regarding the California Proposition 8.  While I opposed Prop. 8, and still do, and the LDS church’s involvement in it is what ultimately convinced me to have my name taken off their records I still held out the hope that the Church would come around on their LGBT stance, as they did with Blacks in the Church.

It seems that a small step toward fully accepting LGBT into the Church has been taken.  The Mormon church still thinks homosexual relationships and acting on homosexual thoughts is still a sin, but they no longer consider thoughts of such activities a matter for confession and therapy.  This seems like a tiny, inconsequential step, and in many ways it is.  But, it’s also a big shift from what has been standard church policy and not what I expected from a Church run by conservative, old, white men.

I’m hopeful that this is a first step and that as LGBT’s rights are recognized in the United States and across the world the LDS Church will continue to revise its procedures and statements until one day one of their prophets has the revelation that God loves LGBTs just as much as he loves the rest of us.  If it doesn’t then the hope and nostalgia I still carry for what was a very large part of my life will die as will my respect for an organization that does a great deal of good work in this world.

I’m hopeful it won’t come to that though.  They have taken this step and they’ll eventually take the others and the hateful bigots who hide amongst the many good people in the LDS church will have to find a new way to cover their hate.

You can call me a dreamer, that’s okay I’m in good company.

How I’m Voting: California Propositions

There are nine propositions on the ballot in California this fall ranging from such issues as legalized marijuana and climate change.  If you’re not a Californian, or simply one that doesn’t pay any attention to politics here’s the skinny:  California is one of 16 states that allows voters to put measures on the ballot that if approved by a majority of voters go directly into law.  It is one of the few forms of direct democracy available here in the United States, and like all things it has both positives and negatives.  That is a conversation for another day.  This post is how I will be voting on the proposition this November 2, if you wish, you can take it as my recommendations if you wish or you can ignore it, you can even leave nasty (or positive, I’d prefer positive) comments below.

Proposition 19 – Legalizes marijuana under California but not Federal law.  Permits local governments to regulate and tax commerical production, distribution, and sale of marijuana – YES. I’ve long thought that the ‘war on drugs’ has done little to reduce drug use in this country and has instead rapidly militarized law enforcement.  Eliminating prohibition will eliminate the stigma from these drugs as well as allowing for proper oversight and regulation.  Funds that have been spent to imprison non-violent drug offenders can instead be used on rehabilitation of addicts.

Proposition 20 – Redistricting of Congressional Districts – NO. I’m not a fan of gerrymandering myself, but I don’t see how giving the power to draw districts to a committee that has no responsibility to the people will help.  Voters can, and do, punish their elected representation when they do things they don’t agree with.  The redistricting commission is not accountable to the public.  I’m not adverse to coming up with new ways to draw districts, I’d even support a commission if its members were electable officials, I don’t think this is the right answer.

Proposition 21 – Establishes $18 annual vehicle license surcharge to help fund state parks and wildlife programs.  Grants surcharged vehicles free admission to all state parks – YES. California has 278 state parks many of which are in desperate need of funding for maintenence and rehabilitation/conservation projects.  The recent fiscal difficulties has reduced already minimal funding of these parks.  California’s wildlife and parks are a state treasure and all Californians should help in paying for their upkeep.  This proposition eliminates entry/use fees for visiting State parks and allows all Californians who register their vehicles here to use while at the same time upkeeping them.

Proposition 22 – Prohibits the state from borrowing or taking funds used for transportation, redevelopment, or local government projects and services – No. One of the reasons it is so difficult for state legislators to forge a budget is because of how little control the legislature has over how moneys are spent.  Through the iniative system   the electorate has increasingly limited the ability of legislators to craft a budget without resorting to such gimmicks as “raiding” transportation or local government project funds.  California’s structural organization does need serious reform, especially unhitching municipal, city, and county funding from state funding.  Prop. 22 isn’t the answer though.  If this measure passes funding that would normally support education and health services will instead be used to balance the budget.

Proposition 23 – Suspends implementation of air pollution control law (AB 32) requiring major sources of emissions to report and reduce greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming, until unemployment drops to 5.5% or less for a full year – No. If you believe thay global climate change is a conspiracy or a lie than nothing I say here is going to change you.  The most I can do is recommend that you begin studying the literature on the subject (primary sources please) and decide for yourself.  There are lots of arguments back and forth, I’m not going to get into them there.  All I’m going to say is that someone has to start somewhere and historically that someone has been California…

Proposition 24 – Repeals recent legislation that would allow businesses to lower their tax liability – YES. Closes tax loopholes and maintains some level of balance in how taxes are paid in state.

Proposition 25 – Changes legislative vote requirements to pass budget and budget-related legislation from two-thirds to a simple majority.  Retains two-thirds vote requirement for taxes – YES. Will make the party with the majority in the two legislative houses truly responsible for the budgets the make and will end endless obstructionism by the minority party.  It will also force the minority party to actually create some form of platform that will win votes with the Californian people instead of holding the entire state hostage every year.

Proposition 26 – Requires that certain state and local fees be approved by two-thirs vote.  Fees include those that address adverse impacts on society or the environment cause by the fee-payer’s business – NO. Why would I want to create more gridlock in Sacramento?  Why would I give corporations a free pass to offload the costs of environmental destruction onto the citizens of California?  These fees pay for the damage these businesses do.  These aren’t hidden taxes this is paying for the costs of the damages created through business.

Proposition 27 – Eliminates state commisiion on redistrictin.  Consolidates authority for redistricting with elected representatives – YES. For the same reasons I’m voting NO on Prop. 20.

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