elpasospeak

Good grief!

Putting together my mail-in vote I noticed that there was another page of ballot propositions.

Proposition 8:  Right to housing:  Should everyone in Texas have the right to affordable and accessible housing and modern utilities including high speed Internet, free from any form of discrimination?

If the issue is discrimination I would vote yes.  I don’t believe that high speed Internet is a right.

Proposition 9:  Right to vote:   Should every eligible Texan have the right to vote, made easier by automatic voter registration, the option to vote by mail, a state election holiday, and no corporate campaign influence, foreign interference, or illegal gerrymandering?

A state election holiday?–how about Saturday?  No corporate campaign influence?–they need to take this up with the supreme court.

Proposition 10:  Right to a fair criminal justice system:  Should everyone in Texas have the right to a fair criminal justice system that treats people equally and puts an end to the mass incarceration of young people of color for minor offenses?

Duh!

Proposition 11:  Immigrant rights:  Should there be a just and fair comprehensive immigration reform solution that includes an earned path to citizenship for law abiding immigrants and their children, keeps families together, protects dreamers, and provides workforce solutions for businesses.

Law abiding?–which laws?

Proposition 12:  Right to fair taxation:  Should everyone in Texas have the right to a fair tax system, were all interests (business, corporations, and individuals) pay their share, so that state government meets its obligations?

Do they really mean “all”.  What obligations?

We deserve better

Brutus

Proposition 5:  National Jobs Program:  Should the democratic party promote a national jobs program, with high wage and labor standards,  to replace crumbling infrastructure and rebuildl hurricane damaged areas, paid for with local, state, and federal bonds financed through the federal reserve at low interest with long term maturities?

They don’t have the power to tell the federal reserve to do anything.

Proposition 6:  Right to clean air, safe water, and a healthy environment:  Should everyone in Texas have the right to clean air, safe water, and a healthy environment?

How clean, how safe, and how healthy?

Proposition 7:  Right to dignity & respect:  Should everyone in Texas have a right to a life of dignity and respect, free from discrimination and harassment anywhere, including businesses and public facilities, no matter how they identify, the color of their skin, who they love, socioeconomic status, or from where they come?

While I agree with the direction of this proposition I don’t know how you legislate personal behavior–that is unless you make violation of these principles a crime.

We deserve better

Brutus

Proposition 3.  Right to healthcare:  Should everyone in Texas have a right to healthcare, guaranteed by a universal quality medicare-for-all system?

Once again Texas voters might decide to create a statewide health payment system.  Voters in Texas cannot make medicare do anything since medicare is a federal program.

Proposition 4.  Right to economic security:  Should everyone in Texas have the right to economic security, where all workers have earned paid family and sick leave and a living wage that respects their hard work?

This proposition seems to be within the purview of the Texas voters.

We deserve better

Brutus

One of the advantages to getting my ballot by mail is that I got to look at the propositions and think about them before I voted for or against.

There are seven proposition on this ballot.

1. Right to a 21st century public education:  Should everyone in Texas have the right to quality public education from pre-k to 12th grade, and affordable college and career training without the burden of crushing student loan debt?
2. Student loan debt:  Should everyone in Texas have the right to refinance student loan debt with the federal reserve at a 0% interest rate, as relief for the crushing burden of debt and an investment in the next generation of Americans?

Like most things with politics these days  these questions are couched in absolutes.

For example you might agree that our children should have a right to a quality public education from pre-k to 12th grade (I believe they do today, now that I think about it).  You might even believe that they should get college and career training without having to take on student loans.

Then again you might not believe that “everyone in Texas” should get these things.  Examples might include retired people or citizens of other states and countries  that come to Texas just for the free education.

Proposition 2 does not make sense to me.  Texans cannot tell the federal reserve what to do.  Texans could set up a taxpayer supported student loan system offers an interest rate of 0% however.

We deserve better

Brutus