Serving Bread

Just a reminder that if you want to participate in the fantasy elections, make sure you download the excel file and email it to me by Monday, 11:59pm (PST). There was a mistake in the calculations in the initial file I had uploaded. Please download the updated/fixed file.

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UPDATE 11/2: There was an error in calculations in the excel file. I’ve fixed it and uploaded the new file.

I am organizing a “Fantasy Election” game for the night of Tuesday, November 4. It works a lot like a fantasy sports league, but we’ll be making our best estimates on how the electoral college will come in this election season. All entries are due by Monday, November 3 at 11:59pm.

Here’s how to participate:

1. Download the excel spreadsheet. (Note that the file is in the latest format of Excel. I believe you can download an add-in from Microsoft to read the file on older versions of Excel.)
2. Fill out Column D and give your best guess for the popular vote count (cells G15, G16)
3. Email the completed spreadsheet back to me: eddy AT servingbread DOT net
4. Entry must arrive in my mailbox by 11:59pm on Monday November 3. NO EXCEPTIONS.
5. Once I receive your entry, I will direct you to a website that will be updated on the night of the election (and the next morning) where you will see how you fare against others.
6. Winner will be the person who gets closest to the electoral college count.
7. In case of a tie, tie-break will be determined by the person who scores closest to the winner’s electoral college.
8. The winner will get… well, “satisfaction of knowing you are a whiz political junkie.” But if you’re interested in seeing if the winner can get more, feel free to email me for a potential side game (ahem)
9. In case of a repeat of the 2000 elections, we’ll just have to wait until the five justices of the Supreme Court tell us what a hanging chad is or isn’t.

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If you are interested in my reasoning for the endorsements below, feel free to ask.

Measure A: “Shall the City of Los Angeles levy an annual $36 gang prevention tax, with discounts for low-income seniors, on each real property parcel?” NO

Measure B: “Shall existing voter-approved authorization for low rent housing be revised to remove impediments to federal and state funding and requirements not compatible with current housing needs, and authorize the development, construction or acquisition of low rent housing by public entities in the City of Los Angeles, maintaining the previously authorized voter-approved level of 3,500 units per Council District, subject to availability of funding and all City development requirements” YES

Measure R: “Shall Los Angeles County’s sales tax increase one-half cent for 30 years with independent audits, public review of expenditures, all locally controlled?” NO

Measure J: “Shall Los Angeles Community College District issue $3.5 billion in bonds at legal interest rates, requiring public review, oversight, audits, no money for administrators’ salaries and no tax rate increase?” NO

Measure Q: “To improve student health, safety and educational quality, shall the Los Angeles Unified School District: continue repair/upgrade of aging/deteriorating classrooms, restrooms; upgrade fire/earthquake safety; reduce asbestos, lead paint, air pollution, water quality hazards; build/upgrade specialized classrooms students need to meet job/college requirements; improve classroom Internet access by issuing $7 billion in bonds, at legal interest rates; with guaranteed annual audits, citizens’ oversight, no increase in maximum tax rate?” NO

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Proposition 11 institutes a somewhat complicated system of citizen commissioners to draw district lines. I agree with the proponents of this initiative that we desperately need a better system to draw district boundaries. Putting the authority of drawing boundaries in the hands of elected representatives creates conflict of interest.

This initiative is yet another one that amends the constitution. And perhaps, this proposition is the only one on the ballot that should be presented to voters as a constitutional amendment, since it’s intent is to reform how our government works (which is the purpose of a constitution).

But I am voting no on this proposition for several reasons, including that I find the system to be complicated and inefficient. The goal of this proposition is to create a 14 person commission to draw district lines. For a disctrict boundary to be enacted, “the commission would need at least nine yes votes, including at least three yes votes each from members registered with the two largest political parties and three yes votes from the other members.” Call me cynical, but do the backers of this measure really believe that a bureaucratic process that eventually requires nine people to agree to be a viable solution?

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