11/01/2004 Entry: ""
Posted by Maynard @ 01:49 PM MST
Tuesday's Choices
At the Federal level, this election could not have a greater distinction between candidates. At the State level, with a few exceptions, there could not be a greater similarity. The local candidates reflect a great distinction. The Center for Arizona Policy has a voter guide available that helped me form many of my opinions about these candidates.
President
Options: John Kerry, George Bush, Michael Badnarik
Choice: George W. Bush. The others are non-competitors on the three biggest issues of our day - Abortion (long term domestic issue), Gay Marriage (short term domestic issue), and Counterterrorism (short and long term international issue). His CAP answers are in line with my own beliefs about the various policies (as if you couldn't tell by my previous posts). If anything, he's too soft on terrorism. But its not as if Kerry would be harder. George Bush has waged an effective war on terror. The past three years are evidence thereof. The hands-down presidential candidate of MM.net.
US Senator
Options: Stuart Starky (D), John McCain (R) Ernest Hancock (L)
Choice: I am not comfortable voting for McCain and I am opposed in my conscience to Stuart Starky's position on abortion. Ernest Hancock's non-answers on his website indicate that I would not support him in the Senate. McCain supports embryonic stem cell research (a type of abortion) and opposes the traditional marriage amendment. I can't accept that. His only redeeming value is his support for the President's prosecution of the war. I might abstain, or write in Randy Graf.
US Representative, AZ 8
Options: Eva Bacal (D), Jim Kolbe (R), Robert Anderson (L)
Choice: I'm going to write in Randy Graf. None of these three chumps answered the CAP questionairre. That is unacceptable, especially since my default choice (the republican) supports abortion and gay marriage.
State Senator, Dist. 26
Options: Toni Hellon (R)
Choice: Again, no answer on the CAP questionairre. However, the CAP also provides voting records. Hellon opposed all the pro-life stands offered. I think I'll write in Randy Graf again.
State Representative, Dist. 26 (2 allowed)
Options: Martin Drozdoff (D), Amanda Simpson (D), Pete Hershberger (R), Steve Huffman (R)
Choice: Again, no answer on the CAP questionairre. The voting record indicates that Hershberger and Huffman waved the traditionalist flag when it came to gay marriage but stood up for a woman's "right" to murder an unborn child. I can't in good conscience vote for this schlep. As for Amanda Simpson, that's no woman that's a man, baby! Supports gay marriage - a non-starter. Martin Drozdoff appears to support governmental control of education, I don't. Write-in. Again.
Corporation Commissioner (term expiring 01Jan2007)
Options: Kris Mayes (R), Rick Fowlkes (L)
Choice: Kris Mayes seems ok on the issues facing the ACC. They regulate public utilities in Arizona, so undefined positions on gay marriage and abortion don't bother me here. Rick Fowlkes apparently doesn't have a website, but what I did find is that he favors deregulation. Mayes seems to have a better handle on the long-term issues facing public utilities, but Fowlkes seems to have a better handle on the role of regulation. I'll vote for Mayes, since I think that someone with a vision for the future can better lead than someone without.
Corporation Commissioner (term expiring 05Jan2009, 3 allowed)
Options: Nina Trasoff (D), Mark Manoil (D), Bill Mundell (R), Mike Gleason (R), Jeff Hatch-Miller (R)
Choice: Nothing compells me to vote for the Democrats, and the Republicans seem to be doing a good job. Mundell, Gleason, and Hatch-Miller get my vote. I do not trust a regulatory office to someone who belongs to a party that tolerates anti-business positions of high taxes and high regulation.
County Board of Supervisors District 1
Options: Ann Day (R), Sandra Abbey (L)
Choice: Ann Day (sister of Sandra Day-O'Conner) tried to lower property taxes. She was opposed by the Democrat majority. She wants to try it again. I say let her. Her opponent says she isn't doing enough. Abbey wants to privatize everything, but doesn't directly put forth a plan for doing so. I'm voting for Ann Day.
Pima County Attorney
Options: Barbara LaWall (D), David Euchner (L), Claudia Ellquist (G)
Choice: Ellquist opposes the death penalty for accused murderers. This is unacceptable. Euchner opposes prosecuting underage drinking and small-amount marijuana possession, and opposes the death penalty. According to this article, "The percentage of violent, dangerous offenders going to trial has increased from 24 to 59 percent during her time in office, LaWall said." And her prosecutors seek the death penalty when appropriate. So we have one candidate that doesn't want to enforce the law, one candidate that doesn't want to punish the guilty, and one candidate that is on offense against violent criminals. Big DUH on this one, I'm voting for Barbara LaWall.
Pima County Sheriff
Options: Clarence W. Dupnik (D), Roland Youngling (R), Rich McKnight (L)
Choice: Given his answers on the CAP questionairre, Youngling most reflects my views on law enforcement. McKnight is a missile engineer, unqualified to lead law enforcement. Dupnik is not trusted by his subordinates. Youngling is endorsed by no less than ten law enforcement groups in Arizona. I'm voting for Youngling.
Pima County Recorder
Options: F. Ann Rodriguez (D)
Choice: She seems competent. I have no evidence that she has falsified voter records. Since her job requires nothing other than administrative talent and honesty, and I see no reason to question either, I'll vote for her.
Pima County Treasurer
Options: Elizabeth "Beth" Ford (R)
Choice: As with the County Recorder, there is no evidence of corruption and no reason to doubt her competence. It also helps that she is a CPA, which I think should be an implicit requirement for a treasurer. I'll vote for her.
Pima County Assessor
Options: Bill Staples (D), Bill Heuisler (R), Rick LaPoint (L)
Choice: Heuisler. According to the AZ Red Star, "LaPoint says he's not familiar enough with the Assessor's Office to identify what, if anything, needs to be changed." Then why is he running!? Staples wants to keep the status quo. This means that property taxes will still be tied to the value of houses, with the rates changing when one of your neighbors sells his home. That means that whenever a neighbor sells his home my tax rates go up, even if I haven't benefitted from the sale. Heuisler wants to raise rates only when the home is sold. Although I don't believe in property taxes (why should I be taxed simply for posession), Heuisler's position is a step in the right direction. He gets my vote.
Pima County Superintendent of Schools
Options: Linda Arzoumanian (R)
Choice: The AZ Red Star has this question to ask of her: "How would you reduce the dropout rate in Pima County schools?" Her answer: "I can't reduce the dropout rate in Pima County schools. The problem is too complex for just one person to tackle. ... To solve that problem everybody is going to have to do something. ... If schools are preparing graduates to be part of the 21st century workforce, then we need to have 21st century workplaces to employ them."
Ummm, hello, the focus for a better society should be on education, not employment. To that extent, the answer starts well and gets worse. Yes, everyone should be involved in educating students, but the rest of her answer seems to indicate that she wants to shift the burden onto workplaces in order to hire at better wages. Huh? I have no confidence voting for this lady.
Constable, Justice Precinct 1
Options: David Lester (R)
Choice: I see no reason to oppose him. I see no reason to support him. This is one of those apathetic offices that no one except the candidate seems to care about, but probably has some importance to it. I'll vote for him.
Other
There are two other positions on the ballot that I can vote for, neither of which I will. The first is the Amphitheater Unified School District, which I no longer live in. Besides, I don't like public schools. The other is the Board Member for the Northwest Fire District - again, I don't live there, so I don't feel inclined to vote for it.
Judges
Six up for vote. Although I do not like the voting-for-judges system (I prefer the executive appointment/legislative approval system), I will vote for all but one of them. It turns out that Edgar B. Acuņa, Div. 26 Superior Court Judge, has an abysmal 78% rating from lawyers for Judicial Temperament. His 80% score on communications skills is likewise sad. Deborah Bernini, the only other judge whose ratings included Litigant and Witness survey responses, got a 97% rating for both those scores. Sorry Edgar, it seems you don't have good self control or communication skills. Both of these disqualify him in my view.
Rebecca White Berch, Supreme Court (AZ) Justice, gets an enthusiastic vote for her support for the pro-life position against activist judges.
Charles E. Jones, Supreme Court, will reach mandatory retirement in June 2005. Governor Napolitano will select his replacement. This is why it is important to select conservative, non-activist governors.
Michael D. Ryan gets the support of AZConservative.org, but I can't Google any particular reason why - except for this decision.
A heads-up to my readers in Maricopa County. William P. Sargeant, III apparently sent a 14-year old girl, "Jackie Doe," to Kansas for a third-trimester abortion. Also, Kenneth L. Fields wrote an opinion (Simat v. AHCCCS) disregarding an Arizona law that prohibits taxpayer funding of abortions, except to save the life of the mother. Vote according to your conscience.
Prop. 101
I think I will vote yes on this one. My previous indecision has been resolved - I prefer fiscal responsibility. Although the initiatives may be funded mostly by property tax hikes, at least I will have the opportunity to vote against them - by voting down the attached proposition. Besides, it does allow for the curtailment of initiatives that can't fund themselves, which is good for governmental restraint.
Add A New Comment
