Vote!

November 2 - get prepared, review your sample ballot, know the issues and understand your position.  It's your civic duty.  This is the only "homework" we really get in life--to effectively participate in our government.

I voted today.  I always vote early and vote by mail.  I enjoy the process.  I spent a little time online this afternoon researching the judicial appointments.  Most of these are "yes" or "no" votes (should they be elected to the office).  It can be a little complicated.  If you live in California, I found a cool website that helps you to "choose your judges," the three Supreme Court Justice choices.  It is a system, based upon your personal answers to a short survey, how you would likely vote based upon your values and preferences.

The rest of the judges, you're on your own.

If you're looking for some opposing views on the judges, this site is much more right-leaning than myself, but it's a good comparison and I use this as a "Reality Check," meaning that if this guy is for something then I'm generally not.

For the State Measures, there are some excellent resources with organizations recommendations.  My recommendation is for your to check out a few of these, compare them, and then check your own conscience and vote the way you truly want to see the world operate. 


League of Women Voters go over the Measure quite thoroughly, you can get a lay-man's understanding of the issues and the impacts.

Go beyond your comfort level a little this time.  I am a big proponent of dismantling the two-party system and we'll do that not by creating a three-party system.  We'll dismantle the two-party system by not supporting the parties.  Support the candidate, the idea, the value system, support the hair cut if you must.  But be willing to see beyond your party lines. 

The most important thing is- Vote.

There Goes More Than Just The Neighborhood!

Back in September 2009 I tried my best to alert us all to the dangers of the imminent Supreme Court ruling about overturning all limits on corporate spending on campaigns. Well, they gone done it. They reversed the McCain/Feingold law - one of the few things that McCain has done that I really really like.

This is just wrong. It will lead to no good and we can start to pack the wagons now because there is a new sheriff in town and he's a lot bigger than any of us. Welcome to the Corporations of America.

I am so sorry to see us go down in such a shameful, pathetic, greed-dripped, blind-sighted way. I thought better of us. It was probably the WWII generation that I thought better of. But they're gone. This has been a long time in the making, it took a lot of campaign donations to get this particular Supreme Court in place to hear this particular argument of this issue at this specific time in history. Make no mistake about it, this ruling is historical. Hysterical in a macabre sort of way too.

This pendulum will swing slowly so you'll have to pay close attention to follow the consequences of this ruling. The same way that Ronald Reagan's gift of deregulation, beginning in the early 80s, slowly took hold of America's economy before it strangled the very life from it- you may not notice the changes to our elections. Change will come and not for the betterment or the strengthening of the individual voice or in the interest of justice.

My only solution was prevention and that has failed. So I'm open to hear other ideas how the United States of America can return to the original values of human dignity and the pursuit of individual happiness.