A California Republican

Here in California there is nothing pressing that legislators should have been doing all year. So instead of working on a true budget, or various budget solutions and economic stimulus packages, the members of the prestigious California State Legislature have spent their time making up new laws. One of my friends from out of state comments that Californians must love having their freedoms restricted, because otherwise we wouldn’t be voting for these members of the legislature. Here are some of the wonderful laws that go into effect on January 1, 2009.

 SB 1567: decriminalizes the practice of attaching GPS devices to the windshield. Not that it matters, but did time really need to be spent on this? Was there such a big problem with attaching GPS devices to the dashboard? Should anything really be mounted on the windshield of a car - the windshield is the big glass thing you view the road through in order to prevent crashes. Do you really want someone on the road with their view blocked?

SB 697: Prohibits healthcare providers from the practice on balanced billing to do this practice on people enrolled in Healthy Families or Acces to Care for Infants and Mothers. I know this practice stinks - but is the healthcare lobby so strong that the rest of us have to suffer with this practice? So only people who cannot afford care on their own are free from this practice. Those of us who pay for it, or who’s jobs pay for it, are free to be billed as much as the provider thinks is the “balance” for services rendered. I am just saying - this stinks.

AB 262: Prohibits banks and credit card companies from giving gifts to students of CSU and UC schools who sign up for credit cards. Not that I think anyone should be given prizes for signing up for a credit card, but this was a waste of time. Not all students, only at CSU and UC schools. And here’s the kicker - this includes if the students sign-up at an off-campus event, like a baseball game. So now the companies are going to charge the rest of us more fees to cover the training for their employees that will teach them to ask each and every applicant if they are a student at the UC or CSU schools. Thanks for a waste of time.

SB 220: Requires bottled water companies to test water at the source and list the source on the bottle. Hum. Just think about the time and staff work that went into researching this, answering committee questionares, and making fact sheets. Talk about a waste.

Other fun laws include more regulations on pacifier and teething toy manufacturers, requiring banks and real estate agents to contact animal control if they know an animal has been abandoned at a house, and allowing chefs to by produce from a farmer. Oh yes - lets not forget banning texting while driving. As a side note - how is the cop going to know that you were texting and not dailing a phone number or using the internet 9which is still leagal while driving - although a very scary thought).

I am just saying - there are important issues in California but these are ridiculous laws. People need to be smarter than this.

If you need more information on any laws, you can find it at www.leginfo.ca.gov.

2008 is coming to a close. We don’t really have that much to show for it. There is a tanking economy, loss of value to the dollar, lowering home prices and such. Then there is the news that the US ranks above only third-world countries (and not all of those) in educating their children on basic principles such as reading and math. So there hasn’t been much good news this year - at least not reported in the news.

But there are some good things. This year, more than ever, there have been more people pulling themselves out of poverty in other countries. There have been elections in countries where no one every thought there would be elections. China actually let the world into their country - although only a part of it and under strict terms - but still they let people in and news out. There was renewed interest by all parties in the UN. The EU is not failing and shines as a cooperative form of government.

But for those of us who need a humorous take, visit this website: http://www.cagle.msnbc.com/news/2008Cagle/1.asp The cartoonist is hilarious, and comments on American political things - from a liberal perspective. But they are still worth a look and a good laugh.