r

{ metropolis devoured }
a tribute to my san francisco


3/4 oz scotch whiskey
3/4 oz local politics
1/4 oz public policy
1/4 oz disaster preparedness
1/2 oz alamo square

Shake over neighborhood dives & venues, strain into a chilled cocktail dress, garnish with a sprig of gov 2.0, and serve.

Wednesday, July 07, 2010

A rose by any other name...

So I'm guessing that by now y'all know that California is a state rich in political consultants who need to earn a dime just like you and me. Therefore, every election cycle we are bombarded by information (and dis-) about a billion state propositions, not to mention the local ones. Oh wait, is it the other way around... we like props, so consultants grow here like weeds? Well, either way. Propositions. We have many.

There will be some fun ones this year. Several heavy hitters address issues like medical marijuana, electoral redistricting and climate change. You'd think, who'd vote for pollution? These props are a done deal!

But in our odd, beautiful Californian reality, the meat of the props matters less than their packaging. Given how (relatively) few people do their research, and how many vote-by-slogan, attractive packaging can make all the difference.

Case in point, Prop 23 seeks to reverse AB32... with the clever - and seemingly unrelated to the environment it seeks to abandon - proposed title "The California Jobs Initiative".

The proposed title didn't work for Attorney General and gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown, who decided to instead go with the title "Suspends Air Pollution Control Laws Requiring Major Polluters to Report and Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions That Cause Global Warming Until Unemployment Drops Below Specified Level for Full Year". Doesn't really roll off the tongue quite as well, but at least it tells you what kind of meat you're eating.

Labels:

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home