California Roundup: Carly On Fire, Weed On Demand, Greedy Old Ginks, and More

* "Republican Convention A Big Success!" reports Jon Fleischman. Flash includes at least one extended metaphor ("There is resolve in working to ensure that the GOP tide that is clearly sweeping the nation crash straight into California and sweep a lot of Democrats into the ocean") and a video clip of "Carly on fire" (something I and most other HP users have long wanted to see).

* "[Latinos] don't vote against Republicans based on issues, they vote against the Republicans because they think the Republicans don't like them." State GOP convention leaders kibosh pro-Arizona resolution. Meg Whitman opens an East L.A. office. Fiorina meets with "Amigos de Carly." It's all part of Republicans' new push to rediscover their shared "social conservatism" with Latinos. "The notion of throwing a piñata party or a sticker that says Viva the candidate's last name or a taco fiesta and expecting the Hispanic vote to vote for the party does not work," Republican Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado tells the L.A. Times. All-pink Quinceanera parties, on the other hand, are still welcome.

* Who wants to get high? The Oakland Tribune sorts out who's for and who's against Proposition 19. One surprise (to me): Against -- fabled medical pot activist Dennis Peron, who thinks the bill's limits on personal supplies, prison terms for underage smoking, and taxation guidelines are unfair to weed.

* "The amount of these pensions is patently ridiculous." The San Diego Union-Tribune gives a cheer to its 20 highest-paid retired city workers. Maybe you're one of those haters who didn't realize a librarian could make $143,577 a year even when she's working, let alone when she's retired. If so, say a prayer for the sitting judge who won't discuss his $144,099 pension with the media because, um, "the pensions have been before the court." Here's the roster [pdf].

* "Isn't that comparison an insult to the patriots who took real risks to found this country?" As noted here last week, a stop-running-businesses-out-of-California ad campaign by Joel Fox and the Small Business Action Committee has generated some controversy over the anonymity of its backers. Joe Mathews cries foul on the nameless. The Fantastic Mr. Fox responds.

Comments

[John]

I will repost this in the proper thread.

http://news.discovery.com/eart.....erdue.html

"In other news, it looks like the Big One is closer to hitting LA than previously thought.

University of California at Irvine and Arizona State University scientists examined the geological record stretching back 700 years along the fault line 160 kilometers (100 miles) northwest of Los Angeles.

They found that strong earthquakes -- between 6.5 and 7.9 magnitude -- shook the area every 45-144 years, instead of the previously established 250-400 years.

Since the last big 7.9 magnitude earthquake struck southern California in 1857, or 153 years ago, scientists believe the next "Big One" could happen at any time."

http://news.discovery.com/eart.....erdue.html

When it happens, it will be like Katrina with celebrities.

[Warty]

learn to swim learn to swim learn to swim learn to swim learn to swim learn to swim learn to swim learn to swim learn to swim learn to swim learn to swim learn to swim

[Barely Suppressed Rage]

Fuck retro anything, fuck your tattoo...

Fret for your pilot and fret for your latte.

[S]

I'll see you down in Arizona Bay

[Quiet Desperation]

Have you covered the more than half billion dollar school?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/201.....al_schools

[sage]

Yes. Yes, they have.

[wylie]

I blame the "previously" button for cutting the main page down to the last 15mins of posts.

[sage]

say a prayer for the sitting judge who won't discuss his $144,099 pension with the media

Is this guy double dipping then?

[New World Dan]

He doesn't need to defend his pension. He shouldn't have to answer questions about it (so long as everything was legal). They should be interviewing the idiots that put these stupid pensions in place. Got a $144k pension? Congrats, you beat the system. You certainly wouldn't have gotten one if I were in charge.

[prolefeed]

The fact that the last 10 pensions on the list of top 20 pensions are all clustered within a few thousand dollars of each other indicates there may be a loooooooong list of $100K+ pensions.

[Paul]

Don't hate the playah...

[?]

Peron -- A guiding force behind California's medical marijuana law who says he was fired by Prop. 19 co-author Richard Lee's Oaksterdam University because of his opposition to the measure, Peron, of San Francisco, feels the measure is too tough on marijuana.

When things like this happen, I always hope that the tiny but possibly decisive fraction of people who oppose prohibition will figure out that pot propositions are about driving a certain kind of voter to the polls because of what else they'll do while they're there, not about legalizin' it, and stop getting played.

I'm stupid to hope this.

[prolefeed]

tiny but possibly decisive fraction of people who oppose prohibition

last i checked, "about half" didn't mean "tiny".

and these propositions gets both sides of the debate to turn out. i suspect it may be more of a wash than you portray it as.

[Rhayader]

Even if that's true, I find it hard to consider a vote against continued prohibition tantamount to "getting played".

In fact, that description seems to fit the allowance of continued criminalization much more accurately.

[Episiarch]

That picture is great. It needs Charlie Murphy, though.

[sage]

"A joint? For me? I didn't get you anything!"

[Rick James]

Charlie Rangel!

[Abdul]

"The notion of throwing a pi?ata party or a sticker that says Viva the candidate's last name or a taco fiesta and expecting the Hispanic vote to vote for the party does not work,"

There was a white candidate for judge in Philadelphia who used to print his campaing signs in the traditional African colors (red, green, and black) in order to win over the black vote. He never lost.

[Spencer Smith]

Um... is that really just a librarian? That's not the director of the city's libraries, or a library administrator somewhere? Branch manager even? I am a librarian in the wrong state- though I imagine my private sector librarian's salary fares much better in Texas than that entire pension would in Cali- cost of living wise.

[R C OrganicGuy]

fabled medical pot activist Dennis Peron, who thinks the bill's limits on personal supplies, prison terms for underage smoking, and taxation guidelines are unfair to weed.

See, also, Good, Perfect enemy of.

So, are these new restrictions better or worse than current law?

I'd really hate to think that an "activist" opposes a compromise measure because it might reduce the demand for the activist's services.

[wylie]

I'd really hate to think that an "activist" opposes a compromise measure because it might reduce the demand for the activist's services.

Which is funny, because the compromise measure still leaves plenty for the activists to fight for. It's just not as fun if the fight is watered down, i guess.

[Rhayader]

Thank you. Objections from Peron and other "free the weed" types can't do a single thing to escape the fact that voting no on 19 is a vote for continued criminal prohibition.

[Al Gore]

And a vote for Ralph Nader is a vote for George W. Bush!

[cynical]

It depends. If you're trying to get rid of a terrible system, compromising to get rid of some bad parts is a win, but it might also mean that moderates no longer have any interest in pushing further for your cause, whereas if you prevent any sort of compromise, those moderates might decide you're the better extreme. It's a gamble, of course, but that doesn't mean it never pays off.

[Paul]

One surprise (to me): Against -- fabled medical pot activist Dennis Peron, who thinks the bill's limits on personal supplies, prison terms for underage smoking, and taxation guidelines are unfair to weed.

Not surprising (to me). This Peron fellow seems pretty smart. It appears he sees what's waiting for everyone at the end of the legalization tunnel: A whole lot of government intrusiveness that would give even the most ardent Medical Weed proponent a total bummer head trip.

[Tim Cavanaugh]

I feel you, Paul. My case against legalization legalization is that I still want to commit a crime.

[Rhayader]

Right, because criminalizing the entire industry doesn't constitute "government intrusiveness".

"It's all part of Republicans' new push to rediscover their shared "social conservatism" with Latinos."

What shared social conservatism? 57% of Latino Catholics support gay marriage, that's the highest percentage of any religious group.

Source:

http://www.publicreligion.org/research/?id=318

"A majority of Latino Catholics (57%) say they would vote to allow gay and lesbian couple to marry"

[Paul]

Latinos are a "religious group"?

[Old Man With Candy]

Extremely. Whenever you read about people lining up for miles to see the face of the Blessed Virgin in a pepperoni pizza, you know that Spanish will be spoken.

[Tim Cavanaugh]

I bristle at your anti-Filipino bias, OMWC.

[Benito]

The Republicans are so funny, when the economy is good you say let's all celebrate "Cinco de Mayo, my brothers" but when the economy is down "it's all your fault, you damn immigrant". When most Americans (with Latin America roots) go to the polls this November we will remember that the GOP has gone on a nationwide rant in proposing and passing several anti-immigration legislation and have continue to blame us for the flat economy or worse. We will remember who stands with us and who stands against us, so trying to stop it now is somewhat funny, but go ahead, you will not change our minds. Is does not help that the GOP has recently attacked the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Your hate made you do it, in November; you will reap what you have sown.

[S]

Libertarians != Republicans

[Rhayader]

Shhh, you'll shatter his world view.

[jasno]

Thank Athura Mazda for Peron and all he's done for the legalization movement.

However, fuck him in the eye-hole for opposing prop 19.

Prop 19 does nothing to limit the freedoms we currently enjoy under the medical marijuana laws of California.

Without a doubt, the passage of Prop 19 would be the 'shot heard round the world' with regards to drug prohibition. The notion that the world's fifth(still?) largest economy legalized marijuana would send a clear signal to the world that it is time to proceed with drug law liberalization.