This Friday is our nation’s birthday — Independence Day. What a great tradition, a day of the year set aside to remember our nation’s birth, and to thank God for the blessings of freedom and liberty that exist in America due to the sacrifice (many with their lives) of our founding fathers.
It is particularly disturbing that on the very week of America’s birthday, here in California the liberty of our drivers has now been eroded with the latest edict from our ever-growing Nanny State. Yes, politicians in Sacramento, intent to legislate on every aspect of the lives of their constituents have now banned the use of cell-phones by drivers of automobiles (unless we use the hands-free gizmo we always forget to have with us). If this legislation were an award winning movie, it would be entitled, "We think you are too stupid to make decisions for yourself," and the award for best actor would clearly go to liberal Democrat legislator Joe Simitian, who authored this terrible legislation, centered around the idea that there truly must be a law about everything.
Unfortunately, there are some "best supporting actor" awards that belong to Republicans, which is a shame. That this legislation would not have become law but for Republican votes is a sad statement — it erodes the distinction between the two parties — Democrats for big government, Republicans for individual liberty and responsibility. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed this bill into law, and Republican State Senator Sam Aanestad gets co-billing in the "nanny stater" column… Five Democrats in the Senate opposed this bill, which meant it was dead if Republicans voted no, or didn’t vote. Aanestad provided that one vote. As for the Assembly, feel free to send these GOPers your bill for your hands-free device (though the bill would have passed the Assembly without any Republican votes) – Lynn Duacher, Bill Emmerson, Bonnie Garcia, Shirley Horton, and Kieth Richman.
**There is more – click the link**
July 1st, 2008 at 12:00 am
Happy fourth of July, Jon. And here you go again, right off the rails – seriously to the right. Have you ever been driving on the boulevard behind someone who is driving slower and slower and you think to yourself dang, another drunk driver. And you go around that auto and what do you see? The person is talking on their cell phone. Or your on the freeway and the car in front of you is weaving from side to side in the lane and you think to yourself dang, another drunk driver. And you go around that auto and what do you see? The person is talking on their cell phone. Frankly, I think the new cell phone law doesn’t go far enough. If I had my way, I’d ban cell phone use while the auto is in motion.
July 1st, 2008 at 12:00 am
Bob, from reading your comments over many, many months, you clearly have a high degree of comfort with a very large centralized government, with significant curbs on the freedom and liberty of the citizenry.
If you paste this link into your browser, you may find some political parties more appropriate to your philosophy than that of the Republican Party:
https://ovr.sos.ca.gov/votereg/OnlineVoterReg
Regards,
Jon
July 1st, 2008 at 12:00 am
And I love you, too, Jon. Are you trying to get people to leave the Republican Party? Shame on you. Hasn’t the Republican Party lost enough registration in the last few years to satisfy you? Tell us Jon, how many new Republican voters have you registered in the past month? Or since the start of the year? And your on the board of the CRP; tell us how much money have you, personally, raised to help retire the party debt? And did you ever think – could it be your rigid far right wing (so far right you are no longer on planet Earth) advocacy that is causing the ordinary citizen to say to them-self “I don’t want to be associated with that party” and so registers Decline to State? Think about it. If you wanted you could be a force that helps bring the Republican Party back to prominence in this state; but no, you keep it up with your far right wing nuttiness and our registration keeps declining and our candidates keep losing and the Democrats keep getting stronger. And soon, if you keep it up, the Democrats will have a veto proof lock on the legislature.
July 1st, 2008 at 12:00 am
Oops. That should read: And you’re on the board… Sorry for the typo.
July 1st, 2008 at 12:00 am
Well Jon, I have to agree with Bob on this:
“Frankly, I think the new cell phone law doesn’t go far enough. If I had my way, I’d ban cell phone use while the auto is in motion.”
There is so much danger in even having a cell phone in the car. In fact there are other dangers in the car…. the radio being one of the most dangerous. Let me ask you, how many times have you changed a channel and almost hit someone? And I know all of us have, from time to time, listened to something funny, maybe a Rush satire, laughed and broken our driving concentration….. that is very dangerous. The radio is extremely dangerous and it needs to go along with the CD player.
And Jon, that was extremely dangerous eating and driving. We need to ban eating and driving. But of course there is a problem here… if you are hungry, you can lose your driving concentration. So we really need to mandate a stop, say every 1 hour of driving for “proper” nourishment. And I stress “proper” nourishment!! We need to make sure people are getting proper nourishment for driving. Ice Cream is really to fatty… very unhealthy and not “proper” nourishment for driving. Twinkies and Ding Dongs are definitely out… and that mocha, well the caffeine causes problems. We must have a law on “proper” driving nutrition.
We must not forget the car; some cars are down right dangerous. We need a law on that. Some cars even use too much gas… yes we definitely need a law on that… we can call it CAFE standards. In fact this idea can help in many ways, not only will it be safer… but also we will use less gas and that will solve the oil price problem.
Bob is right, this has not gone far enough, and we can make driving so much safer. And Jon, Bob is also right, we need more Republicans to start voting just like Democrats… and no doubt the Republican Party will begin to go.
Jon, I agree with Bob, you have really gone off the deep end here.
July 1st, 2008 at 12:00 am
Jon, Your comments provide the basis of why the Republican Party is slowly removing itself from the people of California. Normally I would vote Republican but have changed when the party has made the decision to become so far out of bounds as to become out of the real world.
Dave
July 2nd, 2008 at 12:00 am
Why, thank you Ken and the same sentiments you sent to me I certainly send right back to you.
July 2nd, 2008 at 12:00 am
I was reading Jantz comentary on RC, But then I got distracted with this blog. Something that happens alot since I have ADD.
Since driving with a cell phone impares peoples concentration and distracts them. By default I should be “entitled” (I love that democrat word) to a handicap sticker. Like many people who are naturally distractable. Can an assemblyman submit a bill that can give me and others like me a handicap sticker.
Oh wait I got distracted agian. Wait…I compromise would have been to prohibit texting in the car, because that actually takes ones eyes off the road, as opposed to a single hand off the stearing wheel.
Crap I’m now distracted to actually do work. I wish I was in a union. 5 minutes on the clock per 20 minute break. That would be a welcomed distraction.