Tuesday, August 2, 2016

What Matters Politically in the Berlin State Election

For the upcoming Berlin election....you should come to realize that by voting for such-and-such party....you are voting upon their feeling for the 38 issues confronting the city in this election.

So, just voting CDU, or voting FDP, or Green Party.....you are tangling yourself up into 38 different issues which the public is concerned about.

What are the issues?

1.  Should you have the right to rent your home or apartment out without permission of the city?  Holiday home rental is taking off, and some people think that the city or neighborhood should have a limit or ability to control this.  Some say no control is best.

2.  Should Berlin receive more refugees?  Is there enough housing for the refugees as they convert to visa-immigrants?  Not exactly, unless more housing is built.  Several folks say there should be no limit.  The AfD folks there is absolutely some point of a limit.

3.  Should shops in Berlin have the right to be open on Sundays?  Some people would like to see groceries open on Sunday.  So far, it's been a negative with the public.

4.  Should Tegal Airport stay open after BER finally opens (if and when hell freezes over)?  There are various lobbyists running around and planning out the end of Tegal or the switch to another function.  Should the public have some say?  Does it matter, if BER never opens.....maybe Tegal never closes.

5.  Should special schools in Berlin be retrained for long-term use for adults with disabilities?

6.  Should the police continue to classify neighborhoods or building as special and requiring more use of security? (Riga Strasse question)

7.  Free admission to all Berlin museums for residents of the city?  Who pays for this?  It'd come out of state taxes, where you'd pay in some other form.

8.  Should asylum seekers get cash or benefits-in-kind?

9.  Should you make it more difficult to convert an apartment building into a condo?

10.  Free lunches at all Berlin schools?

11.  Allow foreigners in Berlin to vote in neighborhood or city elections?  Some folks say that the new immigrants (without citizenship) are part of their culture and should have a vote.

12.  Free parking for electric cars in Berlin-city?

13.  Unconditional basic income for residents of Berlin?  Meaning you get a check from someone, whether you work or not....matching the minimum that the state determines.

14.  Grades to be awarded from the 3rd grade on, in Berlin schools?

15.  Gay unions to equal marriages?  So far, union are a separate topic by itself and agreeable by most everyone.  Several parties want equality to be mandated.

16.  Body cams authorized for Berlin cops?  Numerous states in Germany have mandated this already.

17.  Textbooks for schools to reflect rainbow family units?

18.  Germans will be figured into social housing that is built (even if built for refugees or immigrants)?

19.  Wealth tax introduced into Berlin?

20.  Legalization of weed for Berlin?  The race is on in Germany for the first city or first state to legalize weed.

21.  More emphasis on Kita-club fees for parents (child-care)?

22.  No exceptions for minimum wage in Berlin?

23.  No more mosques built with minarets?

24.  Continue awarding gender-studies degrees in Berlin universities?  So far, no one has concluded any studies to show that it's a degree with value or helps get you a job later in life.  Would be nice to have someone complete such a study before saying yes or no.

25.  Residential tax decreased?

26.  Subway stations to stay open at night for homeless?  You can guess the conditions of the subway stations within twelve months.  This won't be an easy sell for the public.

27.  Required number of votes for referendums to be lowered?

28.  All teachers to be tenured?

29.  Mobile drug units to be sent around the city to test your illegal drugs for contamination?  In this case, Johan would walk up on Tuesday to some park where Marvin (the tester-dude) would test his meth.  Marvin would say it's safe, and probably give it a grade.  The issue I see is that in time...Marvin would identify various sources of drugs who are selling crappy stuff and get himself targeted by gangs for interfering in their sales.  It's not the kind of city-service that I would feel happy supporting.

30.  Support effort against right-wing elements (only right-wing, not left-wing)?  Oddly, they can talk about this all day long....being anti-right-wing.  Yet.....no one says a word about extremists from the left-wing?

31.  For new housing, social causes to be examined in the permit phase?

32.  Should Berlin universities be used for military research projects?

33.  Recognition of degrees and crafts earned outside of Germany to be eased and made less chaotic?  Ideally, this ought to be a national topic and finally end a lot of this stupid interpretation of degrees from places outside of Germany.  A PhD from Texas ought to equal a PhD from Bavaria.

34.  A100 autobahn to reach Frankfurter Alle?  A100 stops near Templehof on the west-end, with various pieces and parts still under construction.  It could be twenty years before it finally reaches Frankfurter Alle.    Cost unknown, but for what remains, I'd take a wild guess of one billion Euro as a minimum.

35.  Lowering voting age for city elections to 16?  Lot of German states and cities are talking about this.  The thing is.....drinking age for beer and wine is 16, and most have an apprentice job deal going on.....so they are making some money.

36.  Lowering income for welfare status folks who turn down a job?

37.  Free bus and train service within Berlin?  Who would pay?  The state, via more taxes upon the public.  Go and explain this to people, and then they realize that they will pay one way or another.

38.  Allowing for exceptions for closing time on clubs within Berlin....as mandated by the state or neighborhood?

No comments: