California Dreaming ... In the tradition of Cheech and Chong:

State Sen. John Vasconcellos, among four lawmakers to propose the idea on
Monday, said the Internet, cellular phones, multichannel television and a diverse society makes today's teens better informed than their predecessors.

Yes, better informed about chat rooms and IM's, MTV, Reality Shows and Music ... NOT POLITICS. Most kids don't even pay attention to politics until they hit college ... or more likely, once they graduate college and become members of the rent/mortgage paying workforce. This is absolutely ASININE.

"If we could vote, politicians would see us as votes, not just kids, and
they would take our issues seriously," said Robert Reynolds, a student at
Berkeley High School.

"and then those mean old politicians would understand why it was wrong to close down Napster, and why we won't wear uniforms to school, and why our cafeterias need to serve McDonald's instead of the slop we get now. And while we're at it, let's legalize drugs and eliminate the drinking and smoking age limits!"

If I ever needed a reason why I didn't want to live in California, this would do it.