It's time to pull out!

Paul in Cannon Beach · May 2004

Whatever your political affiliation, it's time to pull out!

It's time to reevaluate our involvement -

Every day there are news reports about more deaths. Every night on TV there are photos of death and destruction. Why are we still there?

We occupied this land, which we had to take by force, but it causes us nothing but trouble. Why are we still there?

Many of our children go there and never come back. Their government is unstable, and they have loopy leadership.

Many of their people are uncivilized.

The place is subject to natural disasters, from which we are supposed to bail them out.

There are more than 1000 religious sects, which we do not understand.

Their folkways, foods and fads are unfathomable to ordinary Americans.

We can't even secure the borders.

They are billions of dollars in debt and it will cost billions more to rebuild, which we can't afford.

It is becoming clear...

WE MUST PULL OUT OF CALIFORNIA!

p.s. My brother sent me this. He lives in Anaheim.

Parabeagle · May 2004

Oh, man, Paul! You had me hooked. I was all ready to give you a long post about why we need to hang on until June 30 and the transition of government and then I got to the last line. Boy, did I get sucked in! x:-)

ray a · May 2004

Paul, you got me too. I first thought from the title you saying goodbye to the forum. Then of course it sounded like Iraq and I was prepared, as Beagle, to give you an opposing viewpoint. But, I agree, pull out of California. All in favor, say "Aye".

deniseE · May 2004

Come November we will all have the opportunity to have a say in this matter.

Don D · May 2004

Can you send an advance copy of your state's ballot. Mine won't have California on it at all.

deniseE · May 2004

I meant to edit the "all" part....

But, with the way CA works...it might open up voting to the nation!!!

;;)

ray a · May 2004

Speaking of CA, they just today passed a bill banning all electronic voting in this fall's election. They will probably go back to the 18th century method of paper ballots. Wonder if they will allow only white male land owners to vote like in the 18th century?

lnelson · May 2004

Paul -
You had me going on this too. Apparently alot of ER's are doing what you suggested in your post. Hopefully things will change with "The Govenator" he is making good changes and is very knowledgable and doesn't act like a politican.
There is alot that needs to be done to restore CA to brighter days.

As far as the electronic ballots they are banned until they can have a better tracking system in case of computer failures.

Parabeagle · May 2004

If you fair folks in sunny CA had an affordable workers' compensation system, ERs wouldn't be flocking across the border with their businesses in tow to Oregon and.... wait... that's a good thing! Never mind. x;-)

lnelson · May 2004

No kidding ... it would be nice to be treated the same as the rest of the country in that respect.

Along with gas prices going up to 2.20/gal this week and rising for the cheap stuff.

But it is never boring around here. x:7

Leslie · May 2004

And because AZ gets a bunch of its gas from CA AND with the cost of the "summer blend," we're right behind you! x:o

Don D · May 2004

But, the lesson is, this is what happens when Democrats are in charge for 20 years.

Paul in Cannon Beach · May 2004

Sounds like you all had about the same reaction I did when I read the first half of the e-mail. I was getting steamed thinking, here we go again! Another naysayer with a short attention span who cant support any effort that takes longer than five minutes and uses up valuable tv news time that should be spent on more important things like the medical condition of Paris Hilton after falling on her tuckus from a horse or the final show of "Friends".

Glad I am not the only sucker.

Whatever · May 2004

India (which has a few hundred million more votes than California) is currently conducting a nationwide vote that is completely computerized.

ray a · May 2004

Sure, it can work. Clark County, NV has used electronic voting machines since at least the early 90's if not earlier. Lousianna has used electronic voting since the 80's (bunch of rednecks, what do they know?). NJ has used electronic voting for at least a decade. Ever read about voting scandals from those areas? Nope. Electronic voting has been around since 1977. It is not new. Unfortunately, one specific supplier in CA screwed up to the point they are being investigated for criminal activity and ruining it for everybody. The president of this same company swore to do whatever it took to reelect Bush, the dem's were not very happy with that. Not very smart.

marc · May 2004

It is easy in Nevada because the citizens are so used to playing the one-armed bandits. Electronic voting is just another slot machine.

Gillian3 · May 2004

Aye. Hopefully, the eastern and northern borders of our new country will have border patrol agents as well.

slogan · May 2004

While reading the headings this morning I was definitely suckered into this one. I was pleasantly surprised to read it though.

Geez, here in New Mexico we have a saying, "Don't Californicate New Mexico"! Even here we have electronic voting and have had for years. For all their pompous bloviating, you would think CA would move into the 21st century & would have had electonic balloting a long time ago. Heck we have a power plant here in the county that supplies more than 50% of California Edison's electricity at a cheap rate and they still can't pay for it. I think our money is better spent in Afghanistan and Iraq than on CA!

cebudragonlady · May 2004

If even 5% of those in California actually pulled up stakes and moved elsewhere, say about one and half million people - which of the other States could "afford" to take even some of us? Give me at least the same salary, pay the family's moving expenses, buy my house - and then I am on my way!

Chari

Don D · May 2004

Of course, anything Ray says about voting machines must be taken with the proverbial grain of salt since his company manufactures them. And to that point, it's not a particularly good sales/customer service technique to refer to one of your customers, publicly, as 'a bunch of rednecks'. Or is that just "New York Customer Service"? x:-)

ray a · May 2004

Not a problem, we just build, don't sell 'em. Anything I've said can be verified through outside journalistic sources. The redneck comment was sarcastic - obviously, those fine people in Louisianna must be pretty smart to make electronics work for them. Yet, others seem to have a problem.

It's time to pull out!

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