Ah, here we go, the vaunted “off year” election. An event that occurs every couple of years when I try to determine whether or not it’s worth my while to get off my ass and vote. Let’s see what I have to choose from.
First up, NY State Supreme Court Justice. I can vote for any two, which should be easy ‘cuz there are only two people running – both on the Republican, Conservative, and Independent lines. Then I can vote for a County Legislator. Only one guy running there – again on the Rep/Con/Ind lines. Not much voter motivation there. Next up, the Town races.
Town Clerk? Only one Republican running. Ah, but for Town Councilor we actually have a race on our hands. Three people running for two seats – and one of them’s even a Democrat (of course, he’s also on the Conservative line, but I guess you take what you can get around here). And it’s another Demservative candidate running for Town Supervisor. She’s a woman running against an incumbent male, and while that’s extent of what I know about her, that’s good enough for me.
That’s pretty much it for candidates, but there are actually six proposed NYS Constitutional Amendments up for consideration. The first one is to authorize casino gambling. Seems to me that’d be stepping on the good things the Native Americans have going around here, so I think I’ll vote no. Plus, until they put legalizing pot on the ballot, I’m gonna vote against everybody else’s vices.
Proposal number two is to grant veterans with disabilities additional Civil Service credits. No-brainer there.
Prop three is to let municipalities keep excluding debt for sewage facilities from their constitutional debt limits until 2024. Hey, why not? Maybe they’ll extend sewers to my house and I can get off the old septic system.
There are a couple of proposals dealing with land exchange in the State Forest Preserve. Basically a land swap between the State and private entities. Sounds innocuous, but one of these deals with land to be used for mining minerals up in a very pretty area of the state by Lake Champlain. Screw that – I say no!
And finally they want to allow judges to serve until they’re 80. Forget that – time to make room for some young judges.
So I suppose I ought to get out there and vote after all. But I think I’ll wait ’til it warms up a little.
I really want one of these. But at $30, it’s an expensive fly swatter.
Just got an e-mail from Bill Lipton, urging me to vote on the Working Families Party line.
Bill, I’d love to. Sadly, there isn’t anybody running on the WFP line where I live.
Sounds like a future opening for you and/or RG.
Not me. Too many skeletons in my closet – and I really don’t like talking to people on the phone – let alone going door-to-door ringing doorbells.
When they made me sell raffle tickets for my Pop Warner football team, it damn near killed me.
Notice that I /RG’d it. She doesn’t seem to be a Shrinking Violet.
Campaign/ops manager can be an under the radar kind of thing nowadays.
😉
I’m no kid like PJ, also have skeletons :reaper: and just plain don’t have the energy to do any running. But I sure as hell will get out my Granny hat and sing my heart out in support of any Green or WFP folks with the gumption to put themselves out there, like our perennial Green Candidate who has guts and smarts and keeps running like the Energizer Bunny. He’s a very smart, articulate and courageous guy who has the support of the local progressive and socialist community. He was very helpful in some of our local Single Payer actions and was very much a part of our local Occupy movement. Unfortunately there’s a lot of Red and Snark :yuck: up in these parts.
PJ would be a great ops manager for a WFP local candidate, though.
Well, I’ve done my civic duty. And wrote myself in for County Legislator and Town Councilor. What the hell – it was either me or nobody.
I hope I was responsible in some way. Now I will have to monitor those results.
Yes, you were my inspiration.
If only you could have inspired me earlier. We can write in 2nd and 3rd choices but I vote early and once.
😉
:slap: Doh! I didn’t think of writing you in, PJ! I wrote in Lisa & Bart Simpson :smack:
In the future, PJ, I will write in your name in all those races where there is only a Rethug or a Rethug by another name such as Conservative.
There was a WFP person on the ballot and she got my vote. I agree with you about the mine/landswap deal and voted agin’ it. But, I voted in favor of the casinos because so many people here take the ferry to Conecticutt to gamble, I thought it might help out in NY. Of course I have no idea where they would put those casinos.
The more NYC folks retire out here to the east end of Long Island, the more liberal the politics get. We still have our Teapartiers though, and they specialize in being against anything except guns.
I hereby announce my unofficial candidacy for every office in New York state, whether I’m eligible or not.
The casino one was a tough call. The first four (of seven) will be upstate (and, no, Westchester is not upstate), and after that there’s a possibility that there’ll be one in NYC.
Probably a good thing for NYC, but I read a lot of stuff about how casino gambling was actually detrimental to the communities the casinos were located in for a lot of reasons. Then again, I read a lot of stuff that said just the opposite.
Gov Snotball cut a deal with the Oneida Nation (they have a casino and resort near here) that said the Oneida would pay the State some money for the assurance that there would be no casino (or racino) in Syracuse (there have been several proposals to put something at the NY State Fairgrounds here, as well as a couple other local sites).
Okay, not live but I dedicate it to the (former) President of the place where I work.
I can’t begin to describe how betrayed I feel by this guy.
From Penn State to the state pen?
:blues: