Balancing priorities

Some community problems could only happen in California and one of these is the struggle in Santa Monica between the fitness seekers and the sleep seekers. Exercising on the median is now illegal because residents in nearby houses object to 6:00 AM whistles and exhortations as fitness leaders exhort their followers to work harder on their abs and heart rates. In a country which has a major problem with obesity, you might think everyone would encourage the inspiring sight of enthusiasts exercising before going to work in the morning, but no, for many people sleep comes first. Or perhaps it is the guilty consciences that make people object to being reminded that others are moving while they are slumbering. It seems there should be a compromise found. Whistles may be out, but how about little tooters that sound like a morning bird call. Who can object to birds getting up early in the morning? Californians ought to examine their priorities and their high standards of fitness. Anyone who has driven across the country must have noticed that the fitness level in California soars above that of the Midwest and South. Let's not lose our advantage for the sake of a few more minutes of shuteye.

A big job for the Elections Department

This year brought San Franciscans more elections than any previous year that we remember, culminating in the November 4 event that presented a bulky ballot and brought out huge crowds. The Department of Elections has documented some of their work, mentioning many of the unsung workers who managed to put everything together and carry it through. Every step of the way from getting an accurate text of ballot measures and spelling candidates' names correctly required hard careful work by someone. And on the day of the election, poll workers, inspectors, technicians, and all the people who oversaw the process and safeguarded our votes deserve a vote of thanks. Whether you are happy about the results or not, this was a difficult operation to pull off. Its success gives us all something to celebrate this Thanksgiving Day.

Making progress?

You know that male liberation is moving ahead when a columnist like Jon Carroll can devote a column to the skills of dishwashing, long the sole province of the women in the family. In his column Carroll describes the contest in a recent movie between the groom and the father-of-the-bride about who is better at loading the dishwasher. Who would have thought that male generational struggles could be decided on such a point? Can anyone picture Spencer Tracey engaged in such a battle when he was the national father-of-the-bride? The most dramatic change men have brought to the dishwashing field is making it a competitive sport. Dishwashing as warfare? Men still have a long way to go before they discover what women have known for centuries--that washing-up is a great arena for bonding and that it goes faster when one person checks the spots and the other does the loading, or washing. A proven recipe for peace. Give them another century or two and men may still catch up with women's work.

Unintended consequences?

More and more voters have been casting their ballots by mail in recent years. In some precincts in California, voting by mail was the only option. Now a study of the differences in voting preference between vote-by-mail and Election Day voting in the California primary has showed that the method of voting may change elections. Vote-by-mail ballots tend to be voted in two big clumps. Some people vote as soon as they get the ballot, others wait until almost Election Day to vote. In the February primary, those who voted earliest often cast a ballot for John Edwards, who later dropped out of the race. The same was true for Rudy Guliani. Where would those votes have gone if the voters had known Edwards and Guliani were leaving? No one knows for sure. If the time comes when most people vote by mail the timing of election campaigning, publicity, and debate schedules may be changed to catch the people who vote early. Or perhaps ballots should not be sent out so early? There are some vexing questions to consider before the next presidential election rolls around.

Where is the tech world heading?

In all the excitement of Election Day most people were watching the votes for President, for city government and the propositions on the ballot. It is easy for the changes in Congress to slip by unnoticed until new legislation alerts us to many changes in our everyday lives. One of the directions the new Congress is likely to take is to move toward greater government involvement with the high tech world that is such an important part of life in Northern California. We all know that all television programs will be sent to us in digital format starting in February. This changeover, as well as increasing interest in Net Neutrality and intellectual property rights will have an impact on all of us. CNet, one the major sources for news of the high tech world has given an overview of changes in Congress that will affect how the government handles these issues. Most of us may not know the legislators involved, but it is important to pay attention to what goes on. If we are committed to the free flow of information, transparency in government activities, and fair rights for producers and consumers of intellectual property, their work will be important to us. We might as well start now to become acquainted with the new players.

Taking action soon?

Now that President Elect Obama is looking at the policies of the last eight years and deciding what has to be changed, it's probably a good time to urge him to take action as soon as possible on the issue of torture. This is something that has tarnished America's reputation more perhaps than anything else in recent years. Those of you who can make it to the East Bay might consider joinging a demonstration to be held on Wed., Nov. 12 in Berkeley:

You must have heard that President Elect Obama’s transition team released information about the Executive Orders under consideration for his first few days in office. Banning torture was not mentioned – YET! Start the new presidency off right: add your voice to the millions calling for our President Elect to issue an executive order banning the use of torture at http://www.stopUStorture.org!

Now is the time to come together as a community at a Town Hall this Wednesday, November 12 at 6:00 (late arrivals are welcome). The meeting will be held in the Plymouth Assembly room. Enter on Durant at Dana near the UC Berkeley campus. We will watch a short video, hear from a panel of speakers and engage in dialogue and discussion about the post-9/11 US torture program. It will be an opportunity to assess where we are now and begin to chart a course to the future together, as a community --will you be the one to end torture?

Election afterglow

Here in California, as in several other places, the election is not quite over. Counting is still going on for city offices. Propositions are being contested and may yet be reversed. But no one disputes that we have chosen a President Elect who will take office in January 2009. The hopes and dreams of millions of people have been riding on this election, and the feelings of many are summed up by Frank Rich in his N.Y. Times column this morning. Americans can feel good about themselves because they have shown that all the predictions about hidden racism and prejudice against "elites" have been wrong. When it comes down to the vote, most Americans pay attention to the qualities of the candidates and vote for the person they think will do the best job for the country. No wonder there has been a glow in this country all week long. It feels good to have faith in your fellow Americans.

Why don't Americans vote?

Tuesday's stunning election victory for Barack Obama has aroused more interest both here and abroad than any recent American election result. In the midst of all the celebration about the enthusiasm and high voter turnout, however, it's worth looking at the statistics on voter turnout for the last 50 years. Even in hotly contested presidential elections, the usual turnout hovers around 50 percent of the voting age population. Only twice in living memory has it risen above 60 percent--in 1960 and 2008. How is it that so many Americans don't take the trouble to vote? Is it because we have elections on Tuesday, which is usually a working day? Is it because we chose November for elections, a time of year when many people are getting ready for a long winter or for the holiday season? Is it because for so many years we have made it difficult for many people to vote? This is something that thoughtful Americans should take some time to ponder. Our presidential elections are momentous for the entire world. We really are shaping the future, and we should work hard to remove the barriers for participation.

Does my vote count?

With the election only two days away, many people throughout the country have voted already. In San Francisco on Saturday there were long lines of people spilling out of City Hall waiting to vote. Casting a vote is always worthwhile, because it gives each of us a stake in our government, but when this election is over it may be time to take yet another look at the Electoral Colege. People in California can easily become discouraged by looking at how little impact their vote has compared with voters in some other states. As the N.Y. Times points out in text and graphics, California shrinks to a pygmy compared with Wyoming which is stretched out of all proportion by the impact of one vote on the final count. The League of Women Voters has long held the position that the Electoral College should be reformed. It's worth taking another look at it after this long, hard-fought election is over.