Thursday, October 30, 2008

My picks for all of the people on the ballot.

Arizona Republic Recomendations

I'm probably going to skip the judges until I feel I can intelligently for them. I spent some time on google and I came up with this, not comfortable enough yet to turn a judge away...:

http://www.azjudges.info/home/index.cfm
http://azjudgesreview.blogspot.com/
http://www.aznetroots.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=590

By the way, its practically impossible given our current system to turn a judge away (apparently), not one in 30 years has been voted out. Yep, I'm probably going to skip them.

Also, regarding the legislature. Arizona has so many entrenched Republican districts, all I want is a little balance in the leg, and the democratic choices are pretty good.

By the way, balance is important, very important. More on this later, but if we never have our views challenged. If we only associate with people we agree with. If we only enjoy preaching to the choir, then our views tend to over-simplify, and get harsher more extreme and more wrong.

Its true for a court system, its true with our political leaders. The one thing I'm worried about November 4 is a Democratic presidency and a super majority Democratic Congress. I hope they'll use their new found power well, but I don't trust them to have it for long.

Harry Mitchell, you are on notice. I'm itching to vote Republican in 2010.




The People



















































































Ballot ItemMy SelectionBrief Explanation
PresidentBarack ObamaObama, How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
U. S. Representative in Congress District 5Harry MitchellA highly effective pragmatist and moderate that is badly needed in our government right now.
State Senator District 17Meg Burton-CahillEffective, and just doing my little part to keep the Arizona state legislature balanced.
State Representatives District 17David Schapira and Ed AbleserEffective, and just doing my little part to keep the Arizona state legislature balanced.
Coporation CommisionI have no ideaPlease help
County Board of Supervisors District 1Fulton BrockEd Hermes is 24, a little young, and Fulton Brock has done nothing to deserve to be voted out.
County AssessorKeith RussellOnly running against a libertarian, and I'm mad at that party right now.
County AttorneyTim NelsonAndrew Thomas is way too punitive, and his views on immigration are draconian.
County RecorderHelen PurcellVery effective, or so they say.
County School SuperintendentDon CoveyI refuse to vote libertarian.
SheriffDan SabanOther than Obama over McCain, the biggest no brainer in this election.
County TreasurerCharles HoskinsRunning unopposed.
Maricopa County Special Health Care District 1Bill BrunoThe AZ Republic has convinced me.
Tempe Union High School Governing BoardI have no ideaPlease help.
Tempe Elementary School BoardI have no ideaPlease help.


7 comments:

Crystal said...

I couldn't even find info on the school governing boards for Tempe. Do you know where to get that info? if so, let me know because I'm clueless on these ones as well.

JT said...

harry mitchell? who's he? why does he give you the itch to vote republican. i have never had that itch.

Unknown said...

this might be interesting for school board
http://www.progressivemajorityarizona.org/all-2008/

tempe turley said...

Julie,

From what I know (which isn't much), Harry Mitchell (my Congressman) has done a bang up job. He's a moderate, get things done kind of guy, just my type. I probably will vote for him forever actually.

I'm just a little worried what will happen if (as it appears to be what happens), the Democrats get a super, fillibuster-proof majority in Congress and the presidency, how they will behave...

If things go bad, I'm always ready to vote Republican in a retaliatory sort of way. But that would depend on Harry Mitchell's performance, the Democrat's performance, and whether the Republican party can ever recover.

H said...

Skipping the judges is exactly what's wrong with our legal system. They are the ones making decisions every day. They are the ones making sure the laws are enforced. And they are the ones that are trying to MAKE the laws that nobody told them to make. The judicial branch of the the government is probably one of the most important branches of government that we overlook until they do something that we don't like.

If you don't get a chance to review them then I suggest that you vote NO on all of them. That way, if someone deserves the boot you have helped send them away. I'm sure there is a way for a good judge to make their way back in.

tempe turley said...

Helena,

That's a pretty drastic solution.

Do you plan on doing that yourself?

-Scott

H said...

Not if I can help it. I'm going to go look at their judicial performance review in the back of the publicity pamphlet with all the propositions. Someone like Edgar B Acuna who gets a 62% score in Judicial temperament by the attorneys and 6 out of 29 commissioners say he "does not meet" the judicial standards is going to get a no in my book. This is a man that is opinionated and lets it show in his courtroom. Howard Hantman is in the same boat, 68% with 3 commissioners disapproving. That was a brief glance through the first few pages. As a judge, nobody in the courtroom should know where you stand on an issue.