My Cheat Sheet

[elfs]

Without further ado, Elf's cheat sheet for the 2008 elections in King County, with some brief comments and a 1-20 "Reason and Rationale" score indicating just how much I think I actually understand what's going on:

President: Barack Obama

I think I've explained myself enough on this one. While I'm not happy with his ideas about social engineering, his overwhelming competence, sheer wonkiness, and capacity to attract high-quality advisors with respect to economic and foreign policy make him better presidential material at this time. (R&R score: 13)

US Congressional District 9: Fuck if I know

Gods, I can't stand Adam Smith (D). I still haven't forgiven him for his suggestion to ban any university software lab or student receiving federal funds from using the GNU Public License for the distribution of their software. Other Democrats are quietly very angry at Smith for a variety of reasons, mostly because "The Congressman from Microsoft" hasn't been lefty enough. But Postma (R) has very few qualifications. I may vote Postma anyway in a vote-the-bums-out move. (R&R score: 6)

Washington State Governor: Christine Gregoire

I'm not seriously torn about this one. The Seattle PI is right when it says that Gregoire got lucky with an upward economic trend during her tenure and that she has no demonstrated ability to run the economy in times of crisis. On the other hand, her leadership has been reasonably competent the past eight years. Dino Rossi offers no meaningful alternatives, is a creature of west Cascadian business interests and no one else, his social policies are pure pandering to Christianist interests. Rossi's not anti-abortion; he's anti reproductive rights of any kind. As a state senator, Rossi opposed laws granting adults access to contraception.

His economic policies regarding state resources amount to selling everything not nailed down. Rossi would put Washington State back twenty years socially and economically. Our infrastructure on the east side of the Cascades sucks, and Rossi's plans to "improve Washington's infrastructure" with huge fund reallocations away from mass transit include reallocations that reduce road and bridge money for fourteen counties east of the Cascades. Those are the people, on the eastern side, who raise our food and operate our major hydroelectric dams on the Columbia that provide Washington with cheap power. The job of governor is to improve the infrastructure of the state, not just his personal fiefdom.

Rossi's plan would help my personal economic position in the short term, as a resident of Puget Sound. However, in four years my daughters are going to be 12 and 15, and in eight 16 and 19, and I want them to grow up in a state that's economically vibrant and personally empowering. Rossi has less of a chance of pulling that off and leaving the state ready for 2012 or 2016. (R&R score: 15)

Lt. Governor: Marcia McCrow (R)

Brad Owen, the incumbent Democrat, is a "war on drugs" kinda guy. Marcia McCrow (R), is a pro-choice, anti-war-on-some-drugs kinda gal who, if Gregoire gets tapped for a cabinet position in the Obama administration, will make an interesting governor. And if Rossi wins, well, he might even take her calls. (R&R score: 17)

Secretary of State: Sam Reed (R)

He hasn't fucked up. Yes, I know, the Stranger doesn't like him because he fought for Rossi's right to identify himself as "preferring the GOP" rather than "preferring Republican" on the voter's pamphlet. (Most people think Rossi did this because the Republican brand is "tainted." Ya think?) Y'know, people too stupid to think that the GOP and the Republicans aren't the same deserve what they get. (R&R score: 20)

State Auditor: Brian Sonntag

He's the incumbent. To the best of my knowledge, he hasn't fucked up either. He's for open goverment and sunshine policies. Fine with me. He ain't broke, he don't need fixin'. (R&R score: 20)

Attorney General: John Ladenburg

Incumbent Rob McKenna is another hardcore anti-choice, anti-woman conservative, and the man responsible for our bizarre top-two primary system. He's also been sympathetic to the anti-flouridation nuts in our state, although to date he's toed the line and written opinions that yes, public utilities departments have the right to do it. It is broke, he does need fixing. The seat of the attorney general is a diaper in need of changing, and for all the usual reasons. (R&R score: 17)

Commissioner of Public Lands: Peter Goldmark

Incumbent Doug Sutherland made headlines earlier this year defending himself in a sexual harrassment suit, the details of which must have made even Squeezy Mcfeelpants blush. Besides, Goldmark is a cattle rancher with a PhD in molecular biology. (R&R score: 15)

Superintendent of Public Instruction: Randy Dorn

Incumbent Terry Bergeson's actions on the Washington Assesment of Student Learning and the incompetent implementation of No Child Left Behind, such as it was, lead me to vote against her. The Stranger arranged an interview with Bergeson and then sprang the WASL on her; she failed, miserably. The Strangers suggests we "hold Bergeson back" for that reason. I agree. Omaha and I have watched Yamaraashi-chan "study to the test, and not to success" too often. (R&R score: 19)

Insurance Commissioner: Fuck if I know

The Incumbent, Mike Kreidler, seems to have been competent enough. Both the Stranger and the Munis like him. (R&R score: 4)

King County Charter Amendment 1, Elected Elections Director: No

Making this administrative position partisan would not help make elections any more fair. (R&R score: 20)

King County Charter Amendment 2, Prohibiting the King County executive from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation: Yes

While I have strong, torn feelings about civil rights laws that apply to private citizens, I have no problem telling our government to set a good example by require the government's executive branch to play fair. (R&R score: 19)

King County Charter Amendment 3, Reducing the size of regional commitees by half: Yes

The council was recently reduced in size, and the regional administrative committees should be reduced in size. But three is small enough for shenanigans, which makes me wonder if it's the right size. (R&R score: 15)

King County Charter Amendment 5, Establishing a budget office for the council: Yes

Right now, the county executive has a budget office which produces a report for both the executive and the council. Having an independent budget office for the council will at least give both sides ammunition in future budget squabbles. We've had too many "surprise" budgets recently. (R&R score: 17)

King County Charter Amendment 6, Increasing the Budget Deadline: Yes

This seems to be a rational administrative step, intended to give the council more time to deal with the budget before passing it. The county has grown a lot, and so has its budget, in the past 20 years, and more time seems like a good idea. It can't hurt. (R&R score: 12)

King County Charter Amendment 7, Increasing the number of signatures needed to create a charter amendment from 10% to 20% of those who voted in the previous executive election: Yes

Both the Stranger and the Muni agree that the charter should be harder to amend, much like state and federal constitutions, and this amendment both raises the threshold for inclusion on the ballot and fixes several points of contention in the existing law. (R&R score: 8)

King County Charter Amendment 8, make the King County council elections non-partisan: Hell, NO

The Stranger is in favor of this, and for the life of me I can't understand why. This change won't magically make members of the council "non-partisan." It just means they won't have to specify a preference when running for the office. Whatever short-hand you derive from party affiliation is still valuable information, and obscuring it serves no one. If they want to obscure it, they can do what Dino did. I'm with the Muni on this one. (R&R score: 20)

Comments

[dave.dsak.com (from livejournal.com)]

Gregoire has only served one term. In her case, her inability to do much of anything works in her favor as the incumbent. My primary concern about her is her strong support for Bergeson's policies.

I supposed it may be a choice between "not particularly competent" and "actively destructive".

[nbarnes.livejournal.com]

My memories of the 2004 Gov's race are still too fresh. Gregoire is a faceless technocrat who's less progressive than I'd like and is best described by the word 'tepid'. Dino Rossi, on the other hand, is a complete and utter, utter tool. That's an easy decision.