Preparing for my civic duty

[owlmoose]

Wow, lots of new people from the friending meme! *waves to new people* Now I am going to scare you all away by writing about politics. ;)

So it's election time in California, and that means one thing: ballot initiatives. State, city, county, local. Since San Francisco is both a city and a county, at least I have one one layer of local ballot issues as opposed to many of my friends who have two, but still, it can get pretty out of control. The fact that I have "only" 18 to deal with this time around makes the ballot seem positively tiny. Still, it is a lot of things to read up on and figure out, and the fact that I'm sure the vast majority of my fellow Californians don't bother to do the same, but just vote based on TV ads and the titles of the propositions depresses me greatly. But I've ranted about the CA proposition system and how much I hate it before, so I'll spare you all that. This time. Fortunately, I had the chance to get together with friends today to talk through the ballot and share impressions and information, and I came away feeling pretty secure on how I'm going to vote on all the initiatives.

What I don't know is how to vote in local elections such as school board, and information and endorsements seem really hard to come by. And it's so important, because so much of politics is local. On a day-to-day basis, who sits on the school board probably has a much bigger impact on my life than who is president. And it can have larger ramifications, too: issues like teaching creationism in schools happens at a local level (not that I think we're in danger of a rash of creationists sneaking onto the school board in San Francisco), and many people start their political careers in positions like these. It's too bad that there isn't a better way to access the candidates' platforms, records, alliances, etc. Guess it's time to start digging.

Comments

[sarasa_cat]

...who sits on the school board probably has a much bigger impact on my life than who is president...

This.

It really is difficult. What has me confused right now are judges. I mean, judges are really important and they really have impacts on my life but they are listed as non-partisan and we don't really even have parties here at the local level so that adds an extra level of obfuscation. A part of me *almost* wishes that some of these positions were appointed by the city council. Almost.

Meanwhile, absolutely ZERO family members who are citizens of other countries (and not living in the US) have contacted me to make pleas about how to vote. The international love for Obama is now passé???

[owlmoose]

Maybe they figure you don't need the reminder? ;)

I find voting on judges *incredibly stressful*, and I actually rather would have them appointed. It goes back to my entire issue with direct democracy in communities that are really too big to support it: I vote for legislators, and it's their job to do things like write laws and vet judges. If I disagree with the laws they create or the judges they appoint, I can always vote in someone else.

[sarasa_cat]

Re: Reminders not needed-- Probably not. In other countries, the 2008 election was considered historic and well, remember that nobel peace prize? Since then, the historic shine has worn off. Also, the exodus out of the US has picked up over the past few years. I still have some expat friends and family here but most have left for good. America is ... a big ball of problems that is best walked away from. (even better when the company that offers to transfer you out pays the difference on all of the 'under water' value on your house.)

Direct democracy is such a problematic idea. It sounds good but, in practice, it creates all sorts of problems. I turned in last year's ballot with a couple of slots blank because I just couldn't make heads or tails of it. I felt bad turning in a partly completed ballot but ... erg. erg. erg. *headdesk*

[sarasa_cat]

BTW -- your icon!!!!!!!!

[owlmoose]

:) I don't have occasion to use it very often, but I'm happy to break it out when I do!

[phoebe_zeitgeist]

I don't know how you folks in real cities manage it. Here in my little pocket-sized New England city we have the same kinds of races to consider (well, not the judicial races, thank God; those aren't elected positions here), but we have the small-city social infrastructure to get the information we need on most of them before we vote. There's always somebody whose sister or son works with that candidate for the school board, who can tell you more than you ever wanted to know about their behavior in their day job. You know somebody who knows somebody who's the regional Democratic organizer, who'll tell you why the party insiders would rather have one candidate than another (sometimes it's a terrible reason, and you can ignore it; sometimes it's an excellent reason and you're glad you checked). Or you just know the big gossip in your extended family, the ones whose parents and grandparents have lived here since Hector was a pup, who knows precisely who is supporting every candidate on the ballot, allowing you to rely on the endorsements of better-informed people who you trust.

If it weren't for that, I don't know what I'd do with local races where I don't have any direct involvement with the candidates. Probably leave a lot of lines unvoted, because as you say, it's so difficult to find reliable information, or even to know enough about the issues involved to interpret the information you do find.

ETA:

On a day-to-day basis, who sits on the school board probably has a much bigger impact on my life than who is president.

Well, maybe not this year. Usually it's true, but usually we don't have a genuine radical running for the office who'd likely be supported by an equally radical House should be win.

[owlmoose]

Fair point: in principle, local government has more effect on my daily life than who is in charge of the whole country, but given the state of national politics right now....

In a way, though, that's how we got here: evangelicals and tea party types packed local government and were able to shift the GOP as a whole toward the right. I really want to know how progressives can start to wield their own influence this way.

[pseudo_tsuga]

Yes, in San Francisco especially it's really hard to figure it out because we don't have Democrat vs. Republican races which usually makes things clearer. It's just progressive vs moderate. I'm looking at theseendorsements plus the voting guide here and seeing which people sound the best.

[owlmoose]

I always look at the SFBG endorsements, although they are pretty far to my left on some issues. (Only in San Francisco can I look at a somewhat mainstream publication and say that they're to my left!) Especially for propositions, I like to look at what the Guardian says and what the Chronicle says, then triangulate somewhere in between. :)

Thanks for the SmartVoter reminder -- that is a great site.

[pseudo_tsuga]

Hmm, I meant to link to those endorsements too! I guess my html is rusty. I also triangulate in between especially since they loved Chris Daly and I.....do not.

[owlmoose]

I live in the district that was represented by Chris Daly. To say that I do not love him would be something of an understatement. A more accurate statement would probably involve something about a thousand burning suns. >.>