3/2 Election: Cal & SF Props, Absentee Voting

The Presidential Primary in California is March 2, 2004, with Absentee (Vote by Mail) starting February 2, 2004, Groundhog Day. For those of you who hibernate from politics in the winter, now is the time to come out of your burrow and vote absentee, or at least sign up to do the same, and avoid those crowded polls on a Tuesday.

If you are not signed up to vote by mail, call your Registrar of Voters TODAY and get the form to fill out, or send a letter or postcard to your Registrar requesting this form or use the form on the back cover of your San Francisco (or other County if you reside elsewhere) County voter handbook, or download one from here:
http://web.sfgov.org/site/uploadedfiles/election/forms/ABSENTEE%20APPLICATION(1).pdf

Other contact information for the San Francisco Registrar may be found at:
http://www.sfgov.org/site/election_page.asp?id=5914#cityhall

MAIL YOUR ABSENTTE VOTER APPLICATION IMMEDIATELY. When you receive your absenttee ballot, complete it and MAIL YOUR BALLOT IMMEDIATELY.

You can also simply vote absentee at San Francisco City Hall, starting February 2, as follows:
Monday through Friday: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Weekend: February 21, 22, 28 & 29: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Election Day: Tuesday, March 2, 2004: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

If you are not registered to vote at your current address, you can register now for this election, until February 17, 2004. DO NOT DELAY, REGISTER TO VOTE TODAY AND SIGN UP TO VOTE ABSENTEE AT THE SAME TIME.

PEOPLE
The socialist candidates are the best option, and in California, those are on the Peace & Freedom Party ticket. See:
http://www.peaceandfreedom2004.org/

The Green Party also has some good candidates.

If you do not find an acceptable socialist or Green Party candidate for a given position, skip that position. Never vote for Democrats or Republicans for any position as their parties are by definition anti-workingclass.

PROPOSITIONS
CALIFORNIA Propositions: Yes on 56, No on all the rest.

California has 4 propositions this election, a nice short ballot. They are Nos. 55 through 58.

The Peace & Freedom Party website above has a good analysis of each proposition.
You can read the full description of the propositions at:
http://www.ss.ca.gov/elections/elections_j.htm\
and
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/bilinfo.html

Bonds are a reactionary, debt-increasing way to finance anything and anti-workingclass by definition . The sooner people vote No on bonds, the sooner they will stop appearing on the ballot and the Legislature will be forced to tax the rich (those who make over $200,000 per year ,and in California, there are lots of people who make much more than that) with the progressive income tax. The Legislature has been cutting the taxes on the rich and making us pay more income and sales taxes, the latter of which is viciously anti-workingclass. Bonds and property taxes are also not a good way to pay the bills; taxing the rich always is.

SAN FRANCISCO Propositions: No on B, G and J, Yes on C, D, E and I. Need more information on A, F and H.

There are 10 San Francisco propositions, somewhat short for San Francisco! They are Props A through J.

The San Francisco Tenants Union is STRONGLY OPPOSED to Proposition J, Election Fraud Anti-Tenant Mayor Newsom's phony housing initiative. From their website at: http://www.sftu.org/hot.html,
"Prop J (Vote No!) Is Subsidized Housing For the Wealthy"

To that I would add, if affordable housing is not built for people who make $5 to $15 per hour, then it is not affordable at all. Housing that costs $1000 per month or more to rent, or requires that one buy the unit is not affordable to the workingclass, those of us who sell our labor for less than $70,000 per year, usually much less. If you do not make enough to itemize deductions on your income tax form, then you cannot afford to buy, which means you have to make over $125,000 per year, at least, to buy any property and use it as the tax shelter you would need for that kind of income.

Once again on this election's ballot, in San Francisco, the issue is housing, and in California, the issue is eliminating proverty and paying for schools, housing and medical care instead of prisons by taxing the rich with the progressive income tax.