Day: May 18, 2009

Voting Tomorrow In The 94611

While you won’t be able to personally solve the State of California’s budgetary woes, at least you have a chance to be heard a little bit tomorrow.  You can decide whether to shuffle the state budget around…or not.

If you are registered and haven’t voted by mail, then this is your friendly push to vote on Tuesday, May 19th.  Now I’m not going to tell you what to do, but here are some handy links so you have no last minute excuses to forget your civic duty.

Not sure if you are eligible? There’s one way to find out, by checking your registration status.  If you are present and accounted for, then go ahead and identify your polling location for tomorrow.  We live in the modern era and you can do these things with your mouse-clicks.

Great Seal of California

Enter the no-spin zone. You probably have heard opinions about the six propositions already,  but we encourage you to enter the no-spin zone for a few minutes before heading to the polls.  Try out these video and text summaries of each proposition first:

To find out more about each proposition, read this Easy Voter Guide, prepared by the League of Women Voters.  Or else link to this Quick Reference Guide To Props, which was created by the State of California.

Want even more?   Dive into these Proposition Analyses or Full Voter Information Guide links.  Or worst case, check out  Google Search or Google News results and fend for yourself.

It will only take a few minutes at the polls tomorrow, and you have nothing to lose.  Have we created enough guilt and sense of responsibility for you to cast a ballot now?

Original Propaganda For East Bay Parks

Since the East Bay Regional Park District celebrates its 75th anniversary this year, various historical artifacts are getting dusted off.  Until today, we had not noticed this great piece of propaganda – which encourages locals to vote for the creation of the parks.

Regional Park Proposal

When you look at the boosterism, it makes the East Bay look positively serene.  Except for that guy declaring “a job,” the Depression ills have been sidelined here.

According to the Park District, California Governor James Rolph authorized the district’s formation in 1933 subject to the approval of district residents.   This cartoon and other efforts helped mobilize voters from San Leandro to Albany, and the parks were approved by a landslide – 2.5 to 1 – on November 4, 1934.

Did the Park District deliver what it promised?  This campaign promised easier access, fishing, hiking, swimming, camping and a deer sighting or two.  The district delivered on those scores for sure.  Our prescient conservation efforts are remarkable, even though many of you (us) quibble with tree-cutting and trail policies today.

Alameda and Contra Costa voters still gives thumbs-up when additional ballot measures appear to support the parks – most recently last year.  Something must have worked out well, after all.