Saturday, November 05, 2005

My 2005 ballot

[UPDATE (11/7)]:  After much hemming and hawing, I punted on both of my undecided races, casting write-in votes.  No, I won’t reveal the names, except to say that they’re both real human beings who live in Seattle.  No “Mickey Mouse” or “Elmer Fudd” or “Dick Hertz” votes from me.

I’ll drop my ballot in the mail this morning.

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I had planned to write an extensive analysis of all the issues and all the electoral positions on this year’s ballot, but it’s getting late for that, both in the season and in the day.  So instead I’ll just list the items on my ballot and my choices.  In the most important races, I’ll point to some good supporting information about the reasons for my selections.

The ballot is arranged in something like descending order of the size of the constituency involved.  Thus, statewide issues come first, followed by King County issues and offices.  Next come Seattle offices, and then other Seattle-based issues and offices.

Statewide

Initiative 900 (performance audits of government entities): NO

• Proposed by Tim Eyman, and Legislature has already enacted audits

Initiative 901 (public smoking ban): YES
Initiative 912 (repeal 9.5 cent gasoline tax): NO

• Anti-tax, anti-governance, anti-infrastructure.  See On the Road to 2008 for extensive documentation

Initiative 330 (tort reform in medical liability): NO

• Absolutely horrid.  This would be a huge windfall for insurance companies

Initiative 336 (trial lawyers getting back at I-330): NO

• Because this is too complex for initiatives.  This is a job for the Legislature

Senate Joint Resolution 8207 (corrects minor oversight in Constitution): APPROVED

King County

Proposition 1 (veterans and human services levy): APPROVED
County Executive: RON SIMS (D)

• It’s imperative to keep Ron’s unstable GOP opponent from winning.  See my earlier post and many HorsesAss.org posts for details

Sheriff: undecided write-in
King County Council District 4: LARRY PHILLIPS (D)

• Opponent Ed Pottharst is a great guy with good ideas for the county, but Larry’s a hero of the gubernatorial contest battle (and also a great guy with good ideas for the county)

Court of Appeals Div 1, Dist 1, Pos 2: SUSAN RANDOLPH AGID

Port of Seattle

Commissioner Pos 1: LAWRENCE MOLLOY

• He’s a pro-labor environmentalist, while his opponent is a big-business GOP operative (he was on Rossi’s “transition” team)

Commissioner Pos 3: RICH BERKOWITZ
Commissioner Pos 4: JACK JOLLEY

• Incumbent opponent is a corporate shill, Jack has a strategic vision for the Port

City of Seattle

Mayor: undecided write-in

• Vote for sacrificial lamb Al Runte or leave it blank?  I won’t vote for incumbent Nickels

City Attorney: THOMAS CARR
City Council Pos 2: RICHARD CONLIN
City Council Pos 4: JAN DRAGO

• The more you see her opponent Corr, the worse he looks

City Council Pos 6: NICK LICATA
City Council Pos 8: DWIGHT PELZ

• Dwight’s a feisty, assertive, progressive Dean guy, who will stand up to the mayor

Advisory Measure 1 (health care a right): YES

Seattle Popular Monorail Authority

Monorail Board Pos 8: CINDI LAWS
Monorail Board Pos 9: CLEVE STOCKMEYER

• Cleve’s opponent is an anti-monorail Republican

Monorail Proposition 1 (modify construction plan): YES

• Build the damn thing already!

Monorail Proposition 2 (elect 5 Board members, not 2): YES

Seattle School Board

District 4: MICHAEL DEBELL
District 5: JANE FELLNER
District 7: LINDA THOMPSON-BLACK