Boi From Troy

Californians are evenly divided on gay and lesban marriage, but overwhelmingly oppose taking the right away, according to the latest survey by the Public Policy Institute of California.

The results suggest that 54 percent of likely voters will say no to Proposition 8, the proposal to ban same-sex marriage, come November.

Jennifer Kerns, communications director for Prop. 8, said the survey is not surprising, considering the controversies lately over the language of the November ballot measure. She said the survey also suggests the issue is far more important to those who support the proposition than to those who don’t. That might make a big difference on election day, she said.

“Last time Californians voted on this issue, they were overwhelmingly in support” of banning marriage between members of the same sex, she said. “We expect the same this time around.”

The poll also shows that the gap between likely voters who support same-sex marriage and those who oppose it has nearly closed. In 2000, 55 percent of likely voters opposed same-sex marriage and 38 percent favored it; this year, 47 percent of voters oppose same-sex marriage and 47 percent favor it.

What Kerns fails to mention is that the last time gay marriage was on the ballot, there was a contested Republican Presidential Primary and nothing to bring Democratic voters to the polls.  In November, we will have a general election to battle, so the makeup of the electorate should be quite different.

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The LA Times‘ George Skelton is coming around to realize that the root cause of most troubles in Sacramento is the hyper-partisanship that comes from the current redistricting system.

Districts were shaped to be “safe” for either a Democrat or a Republican. As a result, the real election battles have been waged in the party primaries. And since low-turnout primaries normally are dominated by party purists, the contests usually have been won by candidates who run the furthest to the left or the right.

Republicans pledge not to raise taxes. Democrats promise a laundry list of social programs the state can’t afford.

Then they come to Sacramento and can’t compromise.

“With the redistricting the way it is done, Republicans can only win [primaries] if they’re way to the right and Democrats can only win if they are way to the left,” Schwarzenegger lamented to a Los Angeles news conference Wednesday, pitching for his budget proposal that includes a sales tax increase, billions in spending cuts and budgeting reform.

One big problem for the public is that there is no real accountability for legislators after the primary. No current lawmaker running for reelection faces any serious competition in November.

Of course, this is hardly news–but it does make the case to support Proposition 11 come November!

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Mitch Mustain left Arkansas for the chance to compete for the starting quarterback job at USC.  Now, he may be left sharing time with Garrett Green on the scout team, as redshirt Freshman Aaron Corp secured the second spot on the depth chart.

“If we played tonight, Aaron would go first,” offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian said. “But that doesn’t mean (the competition is) over. They both worked extremely hard.”

Sarkisian said Corp has improved dramatically since spring practice.

“They both played well and have a ways to go, but Aaron really progressed,” Sarkisian said. “He’s extremely mobile and has done a nice job with the deep ball. Is he perfect? No. He still needs to learn some things with game management.”

Asked about the fact Mustain went 8-0 at Arkansas with an extra year’s experience, Sarkisian said, “The thing to remember about Arkansas was that it was a different system.”

With three days to go until the game against Virginia, either Corp or Mark Sanchez had better be ready!

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The Los Angeles Times discovers the online outrage last week over Manhunt owner Jonathan Crutchley’s contribution to the McCain campaign, and realizes that tolerance in the gay community is often a one-way street.

For too long, many gay-rights activists have acted as if throwing temper tantrums will magically bring about their political agenda. But labeling everyone with whom they don’t agree a “bigot” does not help the worthy cause of gay equality.

The truth of the matter is that civil rights for gays can’t come about without the help of Republicans. And this means that gay people — and straight supporters of gay equality — need to stand with, not silence, people like Crutchley who are working to change the GOP from within.

Gays need only look to California, where a state Supreme Court loaded with Republican appointees legalized gay marriage and the Republican governor is one of the most powerful pro-gay publicly elected officials in the country, to understand the importance of making gay rights a bipartisan cause.

Gayness is a sexual orientation, not a political one. Aside from their sexuality, gay people are no different from heterosexuals. There are gay people of all races, income levels, occupations, body types and, yes, political beliefs. Gay liberals are always crowing about the importance of “diversity” and lauding its importance on matters of race and gender. Too bad diversity doesn’t count when it comes to politics.

Of course, this does not come as news to me or anyone who leaves or reads comments on this site–but here in California, the Republican campaign to defeat Proposition 8 has an opportunity to show that we’re all on the same page when it comes to defending our fundamental freedoms.

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So last night I was on the rooftop of Fiesta with a friend and noticed a charming young man  halfway across the patio.

I noticed that he kept looking over, so I kept looking back and smiling.

As my friend and I departed for Here, the young man’s friend flashed a “Victory” sign and I said hello.  They asked me,  “Are you Scott?”

Startled, I confirmed that they got it, and I had hoped that I had never met them before and forgotten.  That happens alot on the rooftop of Fiesta.

“We were talking about you because we just read the article about your group in one of the gay magazines,” he told me, referring to IN Magazine, which features my mug in the print edition.

Apparently people read these rags… I need to watch out what I say!

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Google alerts sent me an interesting read about the history of marriage in Christianity…

Contrary to myth, Christianity’s concept of marriage has not been set in stone since the days of Christ, but has constantly evolved as a concept and ritual.

Prof. John Boswell, the late Chairman of Yale University’s history department, discovered that in addition to heterosexual marriage ceremonies in ancient Christian church liturgical documents, there were also ceremonies called the “Office of Same-Sex Union” (10th and 11th century), and the “Order for Uniting Two Men” (11th and 12th century).

These church rites had all the symbols of a heterosexual marriage: the whole community gathered in a church, a blessing of the couple before the altar was conducted with their right hands joined, holy vows were exchanged, a priest officiatied in the taking of the Eucharist and a wedding feast for the guests was celebrated afterwards. These elements all appear in contemporary illustrations of the holy union of the Byzantine Warrior-Emperor, Basil the First (867-886 CE) and his companion John.

Such same gender Christian sanctified unions also took place in Ireland in the late 12thand/ early 13th century, as the chronicler Gerald of Wales (‘Geraldus Cambrensis’) recorded.

In fact, it wasn’t until the height of the dark ages–the 1300s–before marriage was re-defined in the same way that proponents of Proposition 8 seek to redefine marriage in California come November.

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US News has come out with its 2008 rankings of the nation’s top universities, and I have come to a troubling conclusion.

The average ranking of my two alma-maters equals…

UCLA.

*shudder*

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Following in the steps of Massachusetts and California, there were two new victories for gay and lesbian nuptuals this week.

According to the Associated Press, Hallmark, the “nation’s largest greeting card company is rolling out same-sex wedding cards — featuring two tuxedos, overlapping hearts or intertwined flowers, with best wishes inside.”

Meanwhile the Defense of Marriage Act may come under fire with this news: “The Coquille Indian Tribe on the southern Oregon coast, who are a federally recognised sovereign nation, are not bound by Oregon’s constitution, and so allow gay marriage amongst its members.” Will the Feds recognize their marriages, as they are required to by treaty?

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Can you believe it has been a whole year since Micky’s burned down?!?

They missed opening by Pride and looks like Labor Day will come and go with the same “75 days” sign outside the famed West Hollywood drinking establishment.  Could they open by Halloween?  New Year’s perhaps?

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Flying to Amsterdam and back last December, a broken footrest in business class scored me a $300 goodwill voucher.

As a “Type A” voucher, the $300 wasn’t good for much–only domestic flights.  Since most domestic travel I do is only within the State of California, I had to apply it to one of my East Coast jaunts.

So when it came time to plan my trip to Charlottesville for the USC-UVa game, I applied the voucher and paid $67 to cover the $367 Burbank to Washington Reagan fare.

But when my plans changed, the ticket would not.  Normally, I would have to pay a $150 fee and the residual value of the fare could be applied to a new ticket–not so in this case as the “fare paid” was only $67.  So with these vouchers it is “use it with no changes” or lose it.

The reservations agent found this out the same way I did, then advised me not to cancel the ticket, and watch the flights closely on the day of my departure.  One cancellation or slight delay of an outbound flight and I can claim that the airline caused me to miss my trip, this refunding the fare paid and reissuing my voucher credit.

Call me cynical, but with Flow Control at SFO, I am guessing that just might happen.

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After a brief midsummer bump, consumer spending is on the decline, always a signal of a drop in economic confidence by your average American. The economic stimulus checks of 2008 apparently did not provide the same benefits of the 2001 payments which, until the World Trade Center attack, pulled the country out of the Post-Tech Bubble Recession.

Of course, the U.S is still not in a recession. American exports are surging and the dollar is strong. The price of oil is falling, so inflation should be less of a worry. So what gives? Why are consumers not buying in to the economic rebound?

The American consumer is under a lot of stress. Wage inflation is not keeping up with actual inflation, so as people’s paychecks remain constant, their cost-of-living continues to rise. And the amount of pressure they’re under - when it comes to paying taxes to Uncle Sam - remains constant.

Continue reading, “Arousing the Economy“… 

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You want to know how to get me to hang up immediately on a fundraising call?

Start off by thanking me for my previous support of John McCain.  Never have.  Never will.

Though I might suck it up and vote for him in November, they ain’t giving a dime.  Every cent I give this year is going to beat Proposition 8.

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Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will be attending the Democratic National Convention, but he won’t be on the podium.

[A]s of Monday, Villaraigosa wasn’t among the big-name Latino politicians scheduled to speak at the convention. The lineup consisted of former Denver Mayor Federico Peña, Colorado Sen. Ken Salazar and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson.

Villaraigosa’s biggest moment of the week could come when he speaks to the California delegation at a breakfast Thursday, along with San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom.

The Los Angeles mayor’s office played down any notion of Villaraigosa being snubbed or disappointed.

“The mayor is a team player and will do whatever is necessary to bring home a win in November,” spokesman Matt Szabo said.

Larry Gerston, a political scientist at San Jose State University, said he thought Villaraigosa was passed by simply because California is expected to be an easy win for Obama.

I see California is already being taken for granted!  I wonder whether Gavin Newsom–with whom Obama refuses to be photographed–will get his moment on the stage in Denver………..

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Although they won’t consider a playoff for their football programs, college presidents across the country are signing off on a logical initiative–lowering the drinking age from 21 to 18.

The statement the presidents have signed avoids calling explicitly for a lower drinking age. Rather, it seeks “an informed and dispassionate debate” over the issue and the federal highway law that made 21 the de facto national drinking age by denying money to any state that bucks the law.

But the statement makes clear the signers think the current law isn’t working, citing a “culture of dangerous, clandestine binge-drinking,” and noting that while adults under 21 can vote and enlist in the military, they “are told they are not mature enough to have a beer.” Furthermore, “by choosing to use fake IDs, students make ethical compromises that erode respect for the law.”

By keeping the age at 21, we are creating a nation of criminals who have a lower respect for the law in general later in life.  Let’s hope they succeed–and we have mass transit between USC, UCLA and West Hollywood.

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One week after refusing to allow an audit of his office by the City Controller, Los Angeles City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo is under investigation by an entity that is not covered by the City Charter–the FBI.

Delgadillo, who is the city’s chief legal adviser and who has jurisdiction over the prosecution of all criminal misdemeanors in the city, has resisted allowing the city controller to audit $128 million in payouts from a workers’ compensation program supervised by his office, according to news reports.

The investigation is being run out of San Francisco because conflict of interest concerns might arise if the case were assigned to the U.S. attorney in Los Angeles, which sometimes works cases with the city attorney.

City attorney’s spokesman Nick Velasquez said Delgadillo knew nothing of an FBI investigation. “Any allegation of any wrongdoing is nothing more than trash,” he said. He blamed Delgadillo’s political opponents for pushing the story.

Funny, though that but a year ago, Delgadillo admitted to wrongdoing–letting his wife use City vehicles and using City staff for personal errands and babysitting, among other things–so I have to wonder how the allegations amount to “trash”…

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