Letter: Proposition 50 protects democracy from partisan manipulation
To the editor:
– If California were a country, it would be the fourth-largest economy in the world, trailing only the United States itself, China, and Germany. If California were a country, it would exert immense influence around the world due to its prowess in the agricultural, technological, educational, and entertainment industries. California’s leadership in the area of individual rights would be viewed by the world with envy.
However, California is not a nation; it is one of 50 states in our great country, albeit one that provides a lot more revenue to the country’s coffers than it receives in Federal benefits. As such, we cannot pretend that we live in a vacuum, unaffected by what other states do.
Our state has been justifiably proud of its impartial redistricting process in the past, so it is understandable that many question the proposed changes and oppose the Proposition 50 ballot initiative to temporarily change the redistricting process in response to Texas’ shameless bowing to the will of President Trump’s statement that “We are entitled to 5 more seats” in Texas. President Trump is worried that the upcoming midterm elections will remove the iron grip he now has over the well-being of ALL the country’s citizens, including California’s 39 million people.
Assuming that we all agree that impartial and independent periodic realignment of congressional districts would be best for the country in the long run, it is critically important that the extreme gerrymandering process that Trump has set in motion must be negated. If there is ANY hope at all for a rational national political system to be put in place, the House of Representatives must be swung to the side of the Democratic Party. Then we would at least have a chance at national legislation that would ensure an impartial and fair process that would treat all citizens of the country equally.
One final thought: if you have ever cringed at even one of the many things that this president has done to undermine the wellbeing of the vast majority of our citizens while enriching the richest of the rich; if you have ever worried that he is trying to turn the United States into a glitzy dictatorship a la his single-handed, no-national-discussion transformation of our White House into a gilded ballroom for showing off to the elite elements of national and global society; if you have had even a second of concern about his actions to turn our nation’s proud military into a national police force more concerned about policing its own citizenry than providing true national security… then you MUST vote YES on Proposition 50 to give us a chance to save our country.
Dug Chisholm
Atascadero
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Absolutely not!!! No on proposition 50!
Doug, you are spot on. YES on Prop 50 to save our country from a craven despotic petty tyrant.
Have you really paid attention to what prop 50 will do to our state? This is an inconceivably frivolous concept that was conceived by someone who loves to fritter away our money! Vote NO! on prop 50!
This really isn’t about saving our state, it’s about someone trying to prove he’s capable of running/ruining our country
The ruling came from Biden’s DOJ but wasn’t completed til Tump took office.
You must have forgot about the failures in the state that have been put on us by the blue side of the state. Fish ahead of water NOT VOTED FOR. We did VOTE for the current redistricting method. We Voted for increased water storage.
We did NOT VOTE for poor forest management, Tearing down hydroelectric plants, $20.00 fast food pay, ridiculous fees. Inspection and permits on Farmer and contractors. We got devastating fires, higher electric bills, three story affordable housing. All the forementioned supported by the same people that want to yet change another law that we the people VOTED for. NO ON PROP 50
If we still want to have a democracy (of the people, by the people, and for the people); then we must take every action available to stop what is happening under the current administration. Prop 50 is one such action – it is very important that it passes. YES on 50.
Absolute yes on Prop 50! Most of your readers are clueless! Prop 50 creates a fair leverage for us to keep MAGA at bay and from destroying our democracy! These people are Nazis and America has always been full of Nazis; that’s why we watched Great Britain get bombed by the Nazis for 3 years! We only stepped up after Pearl Harbor was bombed! I count 4 Nazis trying to destroy our school system; the same ones who voted for vouchers want to burn the system down!
seriously?
Clearly ole Dug has the leftist mind virus commonly known as TDS. There is no cure. He and so many others will buy into ANYTHING good bad or otherwise that even has the appearance of going against the President. He’s been gaslit so bad he thinks it’s normal. Nothing but hate from the self-proclaimed party of love and peace. May God have mercy on his soul.
It’s pretty ironic, but not surprising that none of this pearl clutching and hand wringing in opposition to Measure 5 occurred when the 3-2 right wing majority on the SLO County BOS gerrymandered the District map in a clearly partisan way.
All these opinions in opposition coming from those who enjoy the enhanced home equity, plentiful employment and fantastic social and recreational opportunities that liberalism in California has provided. We’re a “maker” state that creates an oversized amount of GDP, sends more taxes to the Treasury than it gets back, sets trends in innovation, attracts more tourism than any other state, funds must of it’s own road repairs and maintenance, etc. etc.
Meanwhile, those excess taxes prop up most of the deep red, “taker” states that so many of the perpetually aggrieved whiners, cranks and complainers here think are better run and more attractive. I challenge any of you to go find your happy place and experience what lower wages, worse schools, healthcare, etc. look like.
Go ask a few Nebraska ranchers how they like your prospects for the coming couple years. While you’re at at, ask them where all the national parks, beaches, mountains, amusement parks, concert venues, art museums, etc. In their state are.
Measure 5 wouldn’t be on the ballot if not for the extrajudicial measures being carried out by multiple right wing led states with horrible histories of targeted gerrymandering and voter suppression.
What is Measure 5?
Prop 50…. it’s called a typo.
Interesting that Republicans love Trump telling Republican governors to break with tradition and to re-gerrymander their states mid- cycle for the sole purpose of keeping Republican control of Congress, because the President is afraid that his policies have so negatively affected his constituents, that Republicans will be voted out of office in numbers large enough to cause them to lose majority control. The Republican governors thus submit to the marching orders. Unprecedented and SAD! But then California Republicans make up all kinds of diversionary arguments to oppose California, and I suppose other Democratic states, to do the same – and expect their diversionary objections to be taken seriously. Hilarious. “THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER!”
Absolutely not!!! No on proposition 50!
Doug, you are spot on. YES on Prop 50 to save our country from a craven despotic petty tyrant.
Have you really paid attention to what prop 50 will do to our state? This is an inconceivably frivolous concept that was conceived by someone who loves to fritter away our money! Vote NO! on prop 50!
This really isn’t about saving our state, it’s about someone trying to prove he’s capable of running/ruining our country
The ruling came from Biden’s DOJ but wasn’t completed til Tump took office.
You must have forgot about the failures in the state that have been put on us by the blue side of the state. Fish ahead of water NOT VOTED FOR. We did VOTE for the current redistricting method. We Voted for increased water storage.
We did NOT VOTE for poor forest management, Tearing down hydroelectric plants, $20.00 fast food pay, ridiculous fees. Inspection and permits on Farmer and contractors. We got devastating fires, higher electric bills, three story affordable housing. All the forementioned supported by the same people that want to yet change another law that we the people VOTED for. NO ON PROP 50
If we still want to have a democracy (of the people, by the people, and for the people); then we must take every action available to stop what is happening under the current administration. Prop 50 is one such action – it is very important that it passes. YES on 50.
Absolute yes on Prop 50! Most of your readers are clueless! Prop 50 creates a fair leverage for us to keep MAGA at bay and from destroying our democracy! These people are Nazis and America has always been full of Nazis; that’s why we watched Great Britain get bombed by the Nazis for 3 years! We only stepped up after Pearl Harbor was bombed! I count 4 Nazis trying to destroy our school system; the same ones who voted for vouchers want to burn the system down!
seriously?
Clearly ole Dug has the leftist mind virus commonly known as TDS. There is no cure. He and so many others will buy into ANYTHING good bad or otherwise that even has the appearance of going against the President. He’s been gaslit so bad he thinks it’s normal. Nothing but hate from the self-proclaimed party of love and peace. May God have mercy on his soul.
It’s pretty ironic, but not surprising that none of this pearl clutching and hand wringing in opposition to Measure 5 occurred when the 3-2 right wing majority on the SLO County BOS gerrymandered the District map in a clearly partisan way.
All these opinions in opposition coming from those who enjoy the enhanced home equity, plentiful employment and fantastic social and recreational opportunities that liberalism in California has provided. We’re a “maker” state that creates an oversized amount of GDP, sends more taxes to the Treasury than it gets back, sets trends in innovation, attracts more tourism than any other state, funds must of it’s own road repairs and maintenance, etc. etc.
Meanwhile, those excess taxes prop up most of the deep red, “taker” states that so many of the perpetually aggrieved whiners, cranks and complainers here think are better run and more attractive. I challenge any of you to go find your happy place and experience what lower wages, worse schools, healthcare, etc. look like.
Go ask a few Nebraska ranchers how they like your prospects for the coming couple years. While you’re at at, ask them where all the national parks, beaches, mountains, amusement parks, concert venues, art museums, etc. In their state are.
Measure 5 wouldn’t be on the ballot if not for the extrajudicial measures being carried out by multiple right wing led states with horrible histories of targeted gerrymandering and voter suppression.
What is Measure 5?
Prop 50…. it’s called a typo.
Interesting that Republicans love Trump telling Republican governors to break with tradition and to re-gerrymander their states mid- cycle for the sole purpose of keeping Republican control of Congress, because the President is afraid that his policies have so negatively affected his constituents, that Republicans will be voted out of office in numbers large enough to cause them to lose majority control. The Republican governors thus submit to the marching orders. Unprecedented and SAD! But then California Republicans make up all kinds of diversionary arguments to oppose California, and I suppose other Democratic states, to do the same – and expect their diversionary objections to be taken seriously. Hilarious. “THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER!”