The Smallest Primary

CA has another one tomorrow (Tuesday 3 June). Nothing on it but a couple of competing Props. Also a local primary for Congressman but I'm not registered Repub so probably won't get to participate. No matter. I'll vote anyway, however I'm allowed. It's never, ever too much trouble to use a franchise countless people have died to win, or suffered for lack of having -- and in too much of the world can still only dream of.

So what are these Propositions, you ask, you imaginary reader who gives a shit? They are about changing the State Constitution to make property grabs under eminent domain more difficult. It speaks well for our society that they have to sell these things as limiting government power. But according to what I hope is an objective comparison, one of them is a total scam. Boo, hiss, and no on that one. The other, among other things, phases out the possibility of rent control. Yay! I'm voting for that!

What? Well, I like things simple -- you might say I require them to be simple -- and simply put, rent control is bad. It's good short-term for a few people here and there who can't afford housing in a given area. But essentially it allows local government to control small property owners' rent policies, and this low-key fascism has actually reduced the quantity and quality of affordable housing in areas where it's tried. Quite the opposite of the intention. Here's something to read but let's not argue about it, okay? I don't have time.

And again, IF they are on my ballot, I will not vote for Ose because he's a smarmy political scumbag, I will not vote for McClintock because he's an out of work carpetbagger scamming for a job, I will not vote for Jones because she's a straightforward Republican newbie and though I like the straightforward newbie part I don't like the down-the-line Republican part, and I will hence vote for Terbolizard because he's a San Fran native and goes to Burning Man and is a radical property rights activist who probably smokes pot, yee hah.