Get out there and vote!
Today is the day!
I know there are people out there who are registered to vote but don’t. “My vote won’t make a difference”, they say. Sure… your one vote doesn’t make much of a blip on the radar…. but when you combine all the people who say that, it becomes massive! Don’t be part of the silent minority…. vote! Do it now!!
Now… ok, I’ve convinced you to vote, but since you’ve been a total slacker up to this point, you don’t know the issues. None to fear, friend, I’ll tell you how to vote (if you live in Washington State, anyway).
First and foremost… if you find a “D” or “DEM” next to the candidates name, put a check in that box. I have never before voted party line (I’m a fierce independent), but American politics have been dominated by one party for so long that there have been no checks and balances, and government has run amock.
It’s time to balance the power and stop this crap.
On to the local issues (for Washington State):
Initiative Measure 920:
Initiative Measure No. 920 concerns estate tax.
This measure would repeal Washington’s state laws imposing tax, currently dedicated for the education legacy trust fund, on transfers of estates of persons dying on or after the effective date of this measure.
While that sounds all fuzzy and good, reading the details shows that this only affects people who have an estate worth over 2 million dollars (this does not include farms). The taxes collected currently are allocated to public schools. Voting Yes will eliminate $184.5 million in revenue over the next two fiscal years that’s dedicated to funding public schools. VOTE NO to a tax break for the rich!
Initiative Measure 933:
Initiative Measure No. 933 concerns government regulation of private property.
This measure would require compensation when government regulation damages the use or value of private property, would forbid regulations that prohibit existing legal uses of private property, and would provide exceptions or payments.
Again… this sounds good until you read the details. The government currently reimburses you for land taken. An example of what this law will allow: “If laws prevent a property owner from expanding a strip mall in a neighborhood or building a subdivision on farmland, I-933 would force the community into a no-win choice—either waive the law or have taxpayers pay the property owner for not being able to build.”
A similar law was passed in Oregon, and over 4 Billion dollars in claims against tax payers have been filed.
It’s poorly written, full of loop holes, too expensive, and makes no sense. Vote NO!
Initiative Measure 937:
Initiative Measure No. 937 concerns energy resource use by certain electric utilities.
This measure would require certain electric utilities with 25,000 or more customers to meet certain targets for energy conservation and use of renewable energy resources, as defined, including energy credits, or pay penalties.
Again… this one sounds really good until you read the details. Washington state relies heavily on it’s dams to produce clean hydro-electric power. This measure does not include hydro-electricity as a renewable resource. This means that we’ll have to sell our cheap hydro power to California (who passed a similar law, but does look at hydro as a clean and renewable resource) and will have to purchase power for this state from someplace else. This will result in higher electric bills.
Again… VOTE NO! (who the hell got this on the ballot… California?)
House Joint Resolution 4223:
The legislature has proposed a constitutional amendment on increasing an exemption from the personal property tax.
This amendment would authorize the legislature to increase the personal property tax exemption for taxable personal property owned by each “head of a family” from three thousand ($3,000) to fifteen thousand ($15,000) dollars.
Finally, something that makes sense. Small businesses are currently required to pay a personal property tax on their assets. The first $3,000 is tax exempt. This would raise that amount to $15,000. This is good for small business.
In fact, on this particular item, no one wrote a rebuttal in the voters guide. Vote YES!
And there you go. You now know the issues and have no excuse not to vote. GET OFF YOUR ASS AND DO IT NOW!! 6 comments
6 Comments so far
EVERYONE………..JUST VOTE…..PLEASE JUST VOTE.
Ok and on a pesonal note, just vote for a democrate and get the child molesting, corrupt, religious fanatic assholes who are currently in control out of control before we become the former USSR. †Its better to hear a politician say †I did not have sex with that woman’ (Bill Clinton) THAN †I did not have sex with that child page†(Rep. Mark Foley) OR †I bought Meth but I didnt use it while having sex with a homosexual prostitute†( Rev. Ted Haggard )One of President Bushes religious advisors. Damn Republicans are making me look like a raging conservitive LOL!
vote….. vote…… vote…… vote….. or shut the hell up and smile for big brother at the airport, at the mall, on the streets, and in your car ( yes a computer under your front seat tracks every move you make in your car if it is a 2004 or newer, from speed, to braking, and if you have onstar it tracks your every move and postion on earth) insurance companies love that technology! The laws as they have been changed in America can make you an enemy combatant for speaking out against American Governmwent, jailed without a hearing or Lawyer, and yes no right to Writ Habeas Corpus. One vote, one voice can make a differance. VOTE, WRITE LETTERS TO THE PEOPLE WHO REPRESENT YOU, DO IT TODAY! Or suffer and live with what they dish out to the heard of sheep we call citizens!
You may think that you are a Democrat, but on the other hand you work damned hard for a living, take good care of your family, and are pretty damned smart-thus it occurs to me that you are really a “Closet Republican” that just hasn’t found his way out of the closet yet. lol
LOL I don’t work at all (retired) 😉 and to top that off it sure looks to me like we have put the Republicans back into the closet where they belong. Hence leave the child pages alone!
That being said, my hope is we (the Democrats) win Senate races in Montana and Virginal. If we do, let the investigations begin. Start with Halliburton and its fleecing of Americans and work our way up to impeaching the people responsible for lying to take us into an un-winnable war. We have been at war in Iraq longer than we were in world war one, and world war two, let me restate that, we defeated the Japanese and Nazis in two wars in a shorter time than we have been in Iraq!
Its time for a new strategy in Iraq, its time for investigations to stop our government from spying on law biding citizens of America. And to make our politicians uphold our US Constitution! But having the Cowboy we have as a President still in office, it matters not how many Democrats are in power. I’m sure Mr. Bush is filling up his veto pens as I write this letter. I will finish by saying that I would NEVER become a Republican, I have voted for a few Republicans because I am smart enough to not go into an election blind, and have the ability to read above a sixth grade level. Ok Ill stop now. And I offer my apologies to Tone for bitching about politics in this forum. But hey it is me 🙂 LOL
With all respect to Tom, at least we who vote republican tend not to re-elect our page-snackers and drug addicts once they are outed (c.f. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1983_Congressional_page_sex_scandal, and Mayor Marion Berry).
That being said, what a turnaround! I am not surprised at all, Now that we are moving towards the center, my only major beef with the Dems is that the West side of Washington State gets all the goodies. But that’s Pork and Patronage for you, isn’t it? I look forward to someday electing someone who can put politics aside and generally serve everyone, not just the party faithful.
Yes I agree they are all smucks and corrupt…….and as far as re-electing republicans two words….Tom Delay! nuff said. But yes politics are very corrupt. To much money goes into an election,thus only millionaires get elected. This country needs term limits in a bad way. All but one of the senators in Alaska have been in office way to long, and our only US House Rep just got elected to his 18TH term thats just wrong. but good point Mike.