Without judging the merits of Proposition 3, I have to wonder about the credibility of its supporters when they state that “PROPOSITION 3 DOES NOT RAISE TAXES.” If the State of California sells $980 million in general obligation bonds for capital improvement projects at children’s hospitals, the money to pay back the bonds must come from somewhere. Sure, the proposition isn’t technically a sales tax, income tax or property tax, but someone is on the hook for the money, and I think it is all of us.
Tag: election
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California Proposition 8 and Traditional Marriage
With the general election just 3 weeks away, now is as good a time as any to start focusing on all the ballot box issues. In California, Proposition 8, which eliminates the right of same-sex couples to marry, is a bit curious. Its supporters claim that “Proposition 8 is about traditional marriage.” Indeed, I saw an advertisement in a regional Chinese newspaper for a rally in support of traditional marriage. However, cultural differences being what they are, the advertisement explicitly stated that the traditional marriage they were referring to involved one male and one female, as opposed to the traditional marriage found in Raise the Red Lantern. God forbid that some royalists show up at the rally urging Californians to follow the ways of late Ching Emperor.
In all seriousness, I just don’t understand how Proposition 8 protects marriage. It may protect the definition of marriage. However, for people that are contemplating marriage or who are married, it offers no assistance or support whatsoever. Proposition 8 supporters offer that “the best situation for a child is to be raised by a married mother and father.” Great! But, how is banning gays and lesbians from getting married going to help working parents raise their kids. Uh. If Proposition 8 was really about protecting marriage and raising kids, it would offer tax relief to married couples with children.
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KMT: The Pro-China Opposition Party?
Christian Science Monitor: Opposition Win May Bring Taiwan Closer to China. The resurgence of Taiwan’s opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT), which picked up a majority in Saturday’s parliamentary vote, could usher in a significant thaw in cross-Taiwan Strait relations with China, especially if it goes on to win the presidency in March.
It’s all relative, I guess. If someone had asked me to name the pro-China opposition party in Taiwan, I don’t think I would have guessed the Kuomingtang. For some reason, the American media does not apply the term “opposition party” to American political parties. Despite President George W. Bush’s contentious term in office, we still refer to the “other” party as Democrats or the Democratic Party. Certainly, not the Democratic opposition party.
As for being pro-China, I think that is a misleading description. Sure, they may not harbor strong Taiwan independence sentiments, but as far as accepting a seat as a mere province of the People’s Republic of China, I’ll believe it when I see it. One possible road map to eventual unification is the Hong Kong model. We are 10 years past 1997 and Hong Kong is as vibrant and successful as ever. However, Hong Kong and Taiwan do possess vital differences in population and history. Hong Kong has a population of close to 7 million people, while Taiwan has over 3 times as many. Additionally, Taiwan has a history of true democracy and self-rule which Hong Kong lacks, both in the present day and under British rule.
Basically, since neither China nor Taiwan is looking for a bail out, both parties are negotiating from a position of strength. You don’t give something up, especially your freedom and right to self-determination, unless you can get something as or more valuable in return. So, as I see it, the real question isn’t whether the President of Taiwan favors unification with China, but whether the Chinese Premier so desires unification that he (or she) is willing to surrender one-party rule. That’s the price of being pro-Taiwan.