Chuck ,

On October 1, 1948 the California Supreme Court ruled in a 4-3 decision that the prohibition on marriage between two people of different races. The court majority in the case, Perez v. Sharp, stated; "The essence of the right to marry is freedom to join in marriage with the person of one's choice."

13 years later the United States Supreme Court ruled in Loving v. Virginia, making all state laws prohibiting interracial marriage void. Had the matter ben put to a majority vote of the people at that time, it would not have passed. This is true of most, if not all, advances in civil rights law determined by courts.

Mr. DeVore, if not for the advances in this particular area of civil rights law, your friends Matt Cunninghan (Jubal) and Shawn Steele would not have been able to marry their current spouses. What divine right permits your religion to sit supreme to mine and permit your marriage under state law, but not one between two people of different races, religions, or same gender?

I believe that it was the trial judge in the Loving case who ruled that God had chosen to separate the races of the world on different continents for a reason, and therefore they should not be allowed to marry.

The precept of "Traditional Marriage" is a myth. It is the same myth that defined Africans as lesser humans.

Chuck, all men and women are created equal in the eyes of God and in the eyes of the law in California. Are you really so insecure with your own sexuality and in your marriage that you feel it reasonable to write discrimination into the Constitution of the State of California?

Last I checked, $1,000,000 / 330,000 teachers was $3, not $300. The other $297 probably went to liberal politicians.

It is very consistent...
In July, the California Teachers Association (CTA) launched a new statewide ad campaign calling on lawmakers to put aside partisan politics and give Californians a "real responsible budget solution" - The California Teachers Association posits that a "responsible budget solution" is to Tax to Teach.

Describing the ad campaign, the CTA's website reads "Continuing to balance the budget with a cuts-only approach hurts vital services that all Californians need and deserve. Lawmakers must consider revenue increases to fund education and other crucial programs that help children, the poor and working families"

On the other hand, the Singapore's secondary school curriculum is recognized worldwide for its ability to develop students with critical thinking and intellectual skills. Their responsible solution? Teach Less, Learn More - Teach Less, Learn More is about teaching better, to engage students and prepare them for life, rather than teaching more, for tests and examinations. According to Education Week reporter Rhea R. Borja Singapore may be doing more than any other country to advance 21st Century Skills through project work and technology (ICT). "Singaporean educators are finding that technology is useful in fostering more self-directed learning, a shift away from the traditional learn and drill" writes Borja, in "Singapore's Digital Path", Technology Counts 2004, Education Week, May 6, 2004

Arguably, with access to the best technology in the world, the CTA's focus has been self-preservation, rather than innovation, with predictable results.

" At a time when California already ranks 46th in per pupil funding and dead last in teachers, counselors and librarians per student, the proposed education cuts would increase class sizes and reduce funding to those programs that target low-income students and those schools that need help the most", read the CTA website" - the implied argument appears to be " It took the CTA more than 30 years to achieve the most dubious distinction of being the worst state in the nation at the time the CTA had all the resources it needed - can you imagine what may happen with less resources"? How can the CTA focus on teaching students to make sushi rolls or help criminalize home schoolers, for example?

A couple of decades ago we predicted Detroit would reach the dubious distinction it has now achieved, mostly because of its cost structure driven by its management-union relationship. A few years ago we predicted the CTA would have a similar effect. We have been right on both counts - not simply a hindsight statement, as our position has been well documented.

Thinking Schools, Learning Nation (TSLN) was adopted as Singapore's Ministry of Education's vision statement in 1997 and continues to be the over-arching descriptor of the transformation in the education system, comprising changes in all aspects of education. " Since 2003, we have focused more on.... nurturing a spirit of Innovation and Enterprise (I&E). This will build up a core set of life skills and attitudes that we want in our students. It promotes the mindsets that we want to see in our students, teacher, school leaders and beyond", reads in part, a preamble to the Ministry of Education's website.

We continue to argue that the "responsible budget solution" is a major shift from self-preservation to innovation. Including the promotion of home school, the virtual classroom and even outsourcing.

Chuck,

I explained over a year ago why siding with the Social Conservatives on this issue was long term electoral suicide.

I think you're a great fiscal conservative and wonderful dose of common sense in Sacremento. It pains me to see you torch your future electability to higher office because you can't bothered to read the demographic cross-tabs on the polling data.

Here is the link I where I analyze the demographics of same-sex tolerance.

http://www.redcounty.com/orange-county/2007/03/oc-delegation-interest-group-r/#c17934

Time for an inititive banning public employee union collective bargaining California. North Carolina and Virgina have these laws and given the the union pension plans look like bankrupting the state, there is more than adequite reason to run such an inititive now. Even if it fails, it will keep the little leftist power grabbing units busy spending their member's dues defending themselves rather than using the unions as agenda pushers.

Letter from God:

I am speaking from the bottom of my heart
I am a extremely disappointed to see
that some people are using my name
to teach HATE and to DISCRIMINATE
that's not what I am about
I created this world
and I created all humans
I created straight and gay people
and I created them with love
Can you really picture me voting for HATE?
Can you really picture me walking around the streets
of California promoting discrimination?
I am all about treating people equally
and if your church is teaching you to use
my name to promote hate and to discriminate
then you are in need to find the real ME
Please vote NO on HATE Please vote NO on discrimination
and stop using my name,
my name = LOVE
my name = COMPASSION
my name = UNITY