It has been more than two years since the California voters, 51% of who said they supported same-sex marriage, passed Prop 8. Where do Californians stand now? According to a poll released today by the Public Research Religious Institute some things have changed and now only 1 in 5 California voters believe the passage of Prop 8 was a good thing for the state, noting that there is a striking Catholic-Protestant divide within the California Latino community on public policy issues related to gay and lesbian rights and that clergy and religious groups continue to play an influential role in policy debates. According to the poll 25% of Californians across the religious landscape have become increasingly more supportive of gay rights over the last five years – and yet, if another vote similar to Prop 8 were held tomorrow, the same majority - 51% say they would vote to allow gay and lesbian couples to marry. If opinions are changing – who’s are they and why?
We are almost a month overdue on the state budget—does anyone notice anymore? City managers, council members and the chief of police in the tiny, relatively poor city of Bell are making hundreds of thousands of dollars a year—sure there’s outrage, but is anyone surprised? In the various stages of grief, Californians have moved beyond disenchantment with their dysfunctional governments, from local to state to national, and into acceptance. The state’s government, in particular, simply does not work anymore. Field Poll survey data from last week backs up these sentiments of surrender to a woefully lost California: 22% of Californians approve of Governor Schwarzenegger’s job performance; just 16% approve of the Legislature’s work; and a mere 13% say that California is headed in the right direction. How did we get this low point and how can we dig ourselves out?
Among the many responses to the tough immigration law passed in Arizona were a number of proposed boycotts of doing business in the state, most of them with potential little impact. One area that might affect both the economy and culture of Arizona is a possible music boycott of the state this summer, something for which a number of prominent bands and musicians are advocating. The infamous activist band Rage Against is the Machine is organizing a “sound strike” against Arizona, which will lead to a number of bands boycotting shows in the state. Rage plays a benefit concert this Friday in L.A., donating proceeds to fight Arizona’s immigration law. Even if musicians avoid the state, is there any potential for overturning a law that remains popular in Arizona?
Arizona’s tough new immigration law, SB 1070, takes effect on July 29th, unless the federal government wins its lawsuit to stop enactment of this controversial legislation. Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who has been both criticized and praised for his county’s aggressive handling of illegal immigrants, vows to follow his state’s strict immigration laws. His counterpart in southern Arizona’s Pima County, Sheriff Clarence Dupnik, thinks the new law is unnecessary and that the federal government had no choice but to challenge it. We heard from Sheriff Arpaio yesterday; today Sheriff Dupnik talks with Patt and takes your questions and comments.
To over 500 million people, Facebook is the new pastime, where we poke, browse through pictures and write on walls, rather than call or talk in person. Teenage girls are more likely to check their news feed before they’ve even had their morning Wheaties. So how did this college handbook develop into a website and eventually a multimillion dollar company, which counts President Obama, Sarah Palin and Starbucks as active users? David Kirkpatrick documents the rise of the website’s founder, Harvard alum Mark Zuckerberg, in his new book, <i>The Facebook Effect</i>. From his days as a college student to his first deal of $10 million and takeover of the Internet, Zuckerberg has made his mark in technology and history. But what does it say about humanity, when we post intimate, personal details all over the Internet? What about the slew of complaints about Facebook’s privacy policy? We freak out over identity theft, but we list our home addresses, phone numbers, parents’ and pets’ names without abandon in our “About Me” section. Divorce lawyers are now turning to Facebook for incriminating evidence, such as photos or wall-to-walls with your mistress. How did this college boy turn a group project into a six degrees of separation, internet phenomenon?
Patt Morrison is known for its innovative discussions of local politics and culture, as well as its presentation of the effects of national and world news on Southern California.
