If Smart People Don’t Vote…

Today, we have the opportunity to make some changes in the way our local, state and federal governments are run. Like 3 million registered Republicans in the 2012 presidential election, you may be tempted to stay home from the polls today. Don’t. This is a critical election for the state of California, and it’s an important election for our local congressional districts as well. On my show last week, I spoke with Steve Adams, who is running for Congress in the 41st district. Mr. Adams is an outstanding candidate, and I strongly urge voters living in Riverside, Perris and Moreno Valley to cast their votes for him today. He has spent an extraordinary amount of time meeting with the constituents in the district and learning about their needs.

“My highest priority is jobs and the economy,” Adams told me by phone last week. “I want to continue bringing jobs to this region.” For the past decade, Adams has worked hard to make the lives of local residents better. “Making this a desirable place to live, work and raise your family is what we’ve done for the last ten years as a council with the city of Riverside,” he said. As an elected representative in Congress, Adams could do that even more effectively – and I strongly believe that he would. His opponent, Rep. Mark Takano, does not have the constituents’ best interests in mind; Steve Adams does. It’s as simple as that. Plus, he has the business experience this area needs – and unlike Takano, Adams understands the economy. He knows that lower taxes, smaller government and less regulation will bring back entrepreneurship to our area and enable our local economy to thrive.

In the governor’s race, the clear choice for all who regard themselves as conservative or independent is Neel Kashkari. He is very moderate on a range of social issues, and yet very conservative fiscally – exactly the type of governance that works for California. If you are concerned about waste in the state government and you’re tired of giving up half your paycheck for the frivolous crap Jerry Brown advocates, do something about it today by voting for Neel Kashkari. As he told me on my radio show last week, Kashkari understands that some will want to stay home from the polls because they believe he isn’t “conservative enough”– and he is encouraging them to think differently. “If all our Republican supporters come and out vote as well as independents, we can defeat Jerry Brown,” he said. Kashkari understands that Brown’s objectives are completely misaligned with what Californians actually need. “I’m going to cancel the crazy train,” Kashkari told me. “$70 billion for a high speed train? Give me a break. We’ve got much more important things we need to invest in.”

In terms of propositions, here is how I voted:

Prop. 1: I voted yes on this water bond measure. True, the bill is largely about saving salmon rather than people. However, we are running out of water in this state. As Neel Kashkari said, this bill doesn’t do enough – but in my opinion, at least it does something.

Prop. 2: I voted no on this budget stabilization measure. We need to put smart people in office, rather than giving the bad managers in Sacramento a bigger safety net.

Prop. 45: No. I don’t think we need the government any more involved in government than they already are in the Obamacare era. Enough said.

Prop. 46: No. This might look good on its face to some people, but we don’t need any more excuses for lawyers to have problems with doctors.

Prop. 47: This would turn a variety of felonies into misdemeanors. I voted no, because criminals need to be in jail. Period.

Prop. 48: I voted no, because I don’t believe Indian gaming is good for California. I understand there are some who will disagree.

My rule of thumb when it comes to propositions: If you’re not sure, vote no.

I’ll leave you with this: If smart people don’t vote, then stupid people will continue to make the decisions in this country. Please go out and vote today.

Ed Hoffman is the host of the Main Event on AM590 which airs Saturday 9:30AM- 10:30AM and Sunday 4:00PM- 5:00PM. Follow him on Twitter @EdHoffman, and like him on Facebook by searching The Main Event AM590.