Special Election Ruins My Vacation

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Hi, everybody!

Statewide propositions appear only in even-numbered years, giving me a break during odd ones like 2025. So imagine my chagrin when the state Legislature called a special election for this November. How rude! Now I have to cancel my long-anticipated trip to Madera County to judge the hairy leg contest at the Tarantula Festival. Oh well.

The reason for our special election, of course, is the mid-decade redistricting frenzy demanded by President Donald “We Are Entitled” Trump. Eager to please, the GOP-dominated Texas Legislature redrew five Democratic-leaning congressional districts there to favor Republicans. In response, California’s Democratic-led Legislature repainted five of our red districts blue.

But while the Texas Legislature was empowered to act on its own, California voters must approve our state’s response. Consequently we’re all being asked to weigh in on Prop 50 on November 4th of this odd-numbered year. I’m personally offended that I’ve had to awaken my dormant site from its biennial slumber, but I’ll get over it and send in my ballot.

And you should vote too. This special election is a rare opportunity for you to influence the course of events in this country. If you’re unsure how to vote on Prop 50, take a gander at my rating. Sneak preview: I recommend “yes”.

Happy voting,
Pete Stahl

p.s.: Since 2020, I have stopped using Facebook to promote this site. I cannot reconcile my commitment to level-headed, factual analysis with Facebook’s corrosive behavior in politics. You can read about this behavior elsewhere; in brief, Facebook traps users in polarized bubbles, pushes discourse to the extremes, distributes misinformation and propaganda, and is the primary platform for foreign interference in U.S. elections. I cannot, in good conscience, participate in a medium that behaves so destructively and irresponsibly.