Pulling the props out of the closet

With so much on the state ballot this November--a $7 billion deficit, a massive overhaul of regional transportation, billions in secondary legislation--it seems all too reminiscent of 2004 that gay marriage is once again the make-it-or-break-it proposition. But three weeks before the election, the supporters of Proposition 8 have spawned an egregious commercial that has flipped the polls in their favor. In a state so riddled with other problems, the California electorate is once again shifting its ballots into the wrong focus.

The controversial Prop 8 would amend the state legislature passed nearly 6 months ago that currently recognizes gay marriage under the law and would amend the definition to read "only those between a man and a woman." As of Oct. 14, the Financial Times reported that a poll taken over the course of the summer found 47 percent of respondents favored the measure, with 42 percent opposed and 10 percent undecided.

The results of the poll have caused a ripple of anxiety across the state, especially considering the generally positive reception toward the initial ruling. Turn on your California television at any given time and you'll be witness to the cause of the overhaul in support: one of the "Yes on Prop 8" advertisements flooding every channel. “They have raised a tremendous amount of money, and as a result they have significantly out-bought us on TV,” Steve Schmidt, a spokeseman for “No on 8” told the Times. “Every time somebody sees one of our ads, they’ve seen two of theirs.”

The ad tells you several things, all of which are untrue: the passing of Prop 8 would allow people to be sued for their personal beliefs; it would prompt churches to lose their tax exemption; and it would allow for gay marriage to be taught in public schools. "It's no longer about tolerance; acceptance of gay marriage is now mandatory," the voice over reads. [See video below]



So, now that acceptance has become an obligation of us all, let's take a look at what else we may be forced to accept should we neglect discussing the rest of November's ballot: a $9.95 billion bond for the construction of a high-speed train connecting San Francisco and Los Angeles; $980 million in bonds for children's hospitals; a mandatory parental notification before minors obtain abortions; shorter parole for nonviolent drug offenders; the prosecution of 14-year-olds involved in gang-related felonies as adults; an allocation of $5 billion of state funds towards alternative fuel research and technology; and $900 million in bonds that would assist veterans in the purchase of farms and homes.

Fiscally, the most prominent of the ballot’s propositions is 1A, which would authorize the transfer of close to $10 billion in funds merely as a down-payment for a Japanese-engineered “bullet train” that would connect the Bay Area with the South Bay. If that number seems too heavy for the levees to hold, then imagine the $45 billion proponents of the project say the train would ultimately call for. Or better yet, how about the $80 billion Libertarian think tank Reason Foundation found was the most accurate estimate to date.

All of this while Gov. Schwarzenegger recently applied for a $7 billion emergency loan because the state is, as the Los Angeles Times wrote on Oct. 3, "close to running out of cash to fund day-to-day government operations and is unable to access routine short-term loans that it typically relies on to remain solvent." The requested funds would need to be in the bank no later than Oct. 28, the designated drop date for a $3 billion payment to over 1,000 school districts across the state. "California faces the potential of a perfect storm created by the financial crisis' effect on liquidity, lower-than-anticipated revenues currently coming into the state, and our late budget," Matt David, Schwarzenegger's communication director, told the Times.

So, while the credit crunch hinders our state pocketbook, we are ignoring billions of dollars in possible legislation we don't even have the loans to make possible. With November's ballot on the line, the state of California could be looking at a period of financial recession in its own house.

Funny time for us to be seeing who's coming out of the closets.