Upcoming Propositions...the Democrats Push

By Dolph Adomian

   In May, the California State government is holding a special election to address several propositions. 1A-1F have been presented to the public where Californian voters will decide the fate of their outcome.   
With prop 1A, advocates hope to secure a much more stable budget by maintaining the recent tax increases for longer than expected and perhaps even raising them further in the future.  However, with the increased revenue, more of it would be allotted to "rainy day" reserves to help when another crisis arises.  The opposition argues that this will create an easy system to raise taxes further.  Also the "rainy day" reserves could be mismanaged and used for pork-barrel spending as is typical in a bureaucracy.  They also state that too much power of taxation would be granted to the Governor, who might act irrationally if another situation arrives.
Prop 1B addresses the school system and means to essentially pay back schools as conditions improve.  They argue that the future of students is vital to the health of the State and that this funding is necessary.  The con speakers make the claim that such funding cannot be made at this moment with debts all across the board and taxes on the rise already unsettling the voters.
Prop 1C is in reference to the State's connection with the Lottery.  Generally the Lotto pays educational institutions in recognition of the government.  If this bill is passed it will make it so that the Lotto lends money directly to the State to use for paying off debts.  Education funding will be made up for by the State giving more money to the schools.  The opposition says this bill is unnecessary and will cost too much to implement changes that have almost no value.
Prop 1D, if passed, would temporarily shift unspent money to the State's purse to use for funding Children's Healthcare.  The opposition says the switch will take money already being used for schools and healthcare and put it in the hands of bureaucrats who will mismanage the funds.
Prop 1E is a 1-time redirection of funds from mental health reserves to the general state fund where it can be used to close a 42 billion dollar budget gap.  This would not be a permanent change, only for a short period to alleviate the unbalanced budget.  The opponent’s claim that the money allotted to these programs have saved enough money through their success.
Finally, Prop 1F offers no pay raises for politicians in periods of recession.  This is to better the economy while also essentially punishing the politicians who caused the arrival to the crisis.  The con side claims that this will not cause legislators to change their stances for a petty punishment and several low-level politicians who were not responsible for any said crisis, and who may be deserving of a raise, will be punished with the others. 
Across the board, Democrats are supporting every proposition claiming that it will help put an end to the budget crisis and create cushions for future bad years.  Although there are of course discrepancies within the party’s stance about some of the minor bills, they generally support the increased revenue to the state and hope to create larger "rainy day" reserves.  These reserves are meant to be stored during 'good' years to be used to fund for vital programs during 'bad' years.  Democrats promise that to better the state these bills must be passed.
However this stance has met determined resistance by Republican leaders.  The Republican Party witnesses these bills as a tax and spending increase in disguise.  Several of the supposed ‘tax caps’ proposed are higher than taxes are at the moment and could lead to even higher taxes.  It has also been outlined that the increased taxing period will be longer should these bills pass.  The Republicans are passionately opposed to any more tax increases to Californians that might encourage overspending.  Although the writers of the budget propositions claim that spending will not increase and that more money will be placed in reserves, Republicans view this as a sham to generate more money for a Democratic agenda and condemn what they call “a play on words to voters”.  A major fear is that the money supposedly only allotted to reserves will be corruptly used, as is often found in government, and used in completely wasteful operations.  The Republicans remain skeptic of these bills and hope to sway voters to kill them all.
Moderates, including Schwarzenegger, are split on several bills; some hope to pass them, while others wish to see their end.  The fate of these bills rests in the hands of Californian voters and whichever side pumps more money into their campaign.  On May 19, we could see several possible solutions arise from the resolve of these bills.

      

Prom Night

By Nikki O'choa

Often made magical by movies and other forms of media, prom is set in the high school student’s mind as an important date. The fear of not having a memorable prom is a fantasmic nightmare. So much so that for some, trying to avoid that unpleasant dream manifests into a nightmare all its own. Listening to graduates’ stories of how high school was the best 4 years of their lives causes the unsettling notion to arise for some that their high school memories are a complete joke. Either that, or life after high school significantly sucks. It’s a sad thing to have to fake a smile for aunts and uncles whenever asked about how high school is going. Fresh with the daydream of different events showcasing beautifully how unsatisfying high school life is, radical ideas of having the most fun possible at prom come into play as compensation. As this idea arises, hellish side effects may set in soon after. Conditions caused by having a bit too much of a memorable prom may include, but not exclusive to: morning-after pills for the ladies, hangovers, extreme embarrassment, tickets, hassles from the law, suspension, and expulsion. None doubt the class idiot’s ability to find himself or herself stranded in a dumpster in Tiajuana, and it’s quite conceivable that other, stranger events have occurred after and at high school prom. Not knowing where you are at 6 in the morning is problematic but at least it’s a prom night to remember. 
While it is important to have fun, it’s important to be smart about it. Remember to follow all the rules when around an authoritative figure. Advise your best friend not to quaff down the bottle of vodka they snuck past security by stowing it in the secret compartment in the sole of their shoe. Such loyalty and friendship is honorable. Be sure to steer clear from a  Myspace proverb,  "A good friend will tell you when its time to put the drink down, a best friend is rhythmically chanting chug while placing their own cup under the overflow drizzle of beer that's dripping down from your chin." It is wise to note that the most important aspect of having a memorable prom night is actually being able to remember it. So have fun, and do it in a clean, respectable, acceptable manner that stays within legal bounds, and don't step a foot outside the realm of rules.