I generally steer clear of politics, but as a public service I thought I would just cover some highlights you will see on the ballot. 

 

Aw, who am I kidding? I just can't keep my big mouth shut. Early voting starts in a week. The last day to register to vote is October 9th. You can order an early ballot as late as 5pm on October 26th, 2012.

 

Check your voter registration here. As you've probably heard, there are a lot of people out there who would prefer that you don't vote.

 

So, here is what I'm seeing for trends in the most-watched races:

 

In Arizona, it is a long, long-shot that Obama will carry the state.

 

However, I do believe that Kyrsten Sinema will go to Congress in CD 9, with no problems. That's an easy race for her.

 

That Ron Barber will continue to represent southern Arizona.

Ann Kirkpatrick will take back Northern Arizona. 

 

In a huge upset to the GOP, Richard Carmona could be our next federal senator if people turn out to vote. Carmona, in particular, is the embodiment of the American dream. Be sure to check out his biography.

 

Don't forget to check out the Paul Penzone race for sheriff. The Central Arizona Water Conservation District Board with candidate Heather Macre is very one to participate in.

 

Last but not least, take ten minutes to read up on the facts of the Corporation Commission race. The Corp. Comm. sounds vague, but it determines whether we have a clean solar energy future or continued pollution and global warming.

 

Here are my thoughts on some of the most visible ballot measures. I'm not covering all of them. Just a few. It is important that you remember that you can vote all the way down the ballot.

 

Prop 115: Judicial Selection - Referendum, Constitutional Amendment. 

I'm voting a resounding NO on this one. Here's the history. Arizona has been a leader in what is called "merit selection" since 1974. This means that judges are chosen by the governor from a list of qualified candidates vetted first by a judicial commission. This proposition would take the first step in tearing that down by allowing the governor to have greater influence on that commission, thus making it more partisan. The people behind this measure are the same folks who blame the courts for everything (including protecting voting rights). They would prefer that judges be elected. Well, in states where judges are elected, they also take campaign money, get lobbied and come under the same insidious pressures that Congress and legislatures come under.  I know that former supreme court justice Sandra Day O'Connor supports the merit selection system because she helped put it in place. I think she is silent on this. But if I were her I would see this as the beginning of the end of our successful and politics-free system of protecting Arizona citizens.

 

Prop 120: State Sovereignty - Referendum, Constitutional Amendment

I'm voting NO on this one. This is a constitutional amendment that would try to permanently establish Arizona's exclusive right of sovereignty over land and resources within its state limits. This is pushed by a bunch of ideologues who think that the federal government has no rights to any federal land in the state. That would include the Grand Canyon. It reminds me of a story. Back when the federal government took over ownership of the Grand Canyon and preserved it for us today, the group that cried foul the loudest was the Arizona legislature. If you hike or raft the canyon you can still see a smattering of old mines and such in there. Can you imagine what it would look like if people with this mindset had won out on that fight?

 

Prop 121: Open Government Act - Citizen's Initiative, Constitutional Amendment. 

I'm voting YES on this with a hearty "meh." This act would abolish the role of political parties in elections. Basically, the top two vote getters in the primary, regardless of party, move to the general election. In the case of districts that have two representatives, like state legislature, the top four vote getters go to the general election. I'll tell you that, while I believe this is a positive step, I am hesitant to believe that it will be a major change for two reasons. First, because we still have so many non-competitive legislative districts, the two parties will still dominate those districts. Second, registered independents still don't know that they can vote in the primary, or the just don't turn out. Unless we spend about $50 million to educate people about that, I don't see that changing much. My preference is for ranked choice voting, which allows you to vote for candidates in the order in which you prefer to see them in office. Also called "instant run-off" elections, this saves a lot of money and is a really great option. Learn more here. I worked on one of these elections in Australia and I think it would solve a lot of our political problems in Arizona.

 

Prop 204: Quality Education and Jobs Act - Citizen's Initiative, State Statute

I will hold my nose and vote yes for this. This act would make permanent the one cent sales tax increase from 2010. While I understand that this would put needed money in schools, and to NOT vote for this would further cut school funding, I know that increasing sales taxes is regressive. It is regressive because higher sales taxes hurt the poor more than the rich. When you set this up next to Props 116 and 117, which lower property taxes for businesses, we start to see the creation of a more regressive tax system, over-all. I would prefer that we take the entire tax system as a whole and reform the whole thing to make it broader, lower and with fewer loopholes. Yep, I embrace my crazy idealism. I own it.