How I Will Vote Today, and Why.

I am posting how I will vote today, because I think as a member of a tail of a population, it is statistically interesting.  Also, I think I'm funny and want to write me down some political humor.  Here is a link to a sample of my ballot:http://car.elpasoco.com/Election/Documents/2012%20Sample%20Ballot%20Rev%2012%20Combined.pdf

I did a lot of research, as much as possible on the judges in particular.  I don't mind if you disagree with everything I post, and I don't mind if you agree, JUST VOTE!  I try to base my vote on human rights equality and on changing a system I find to be broken (which is a laugh - systems as broken as our nation pretty much need to implode and start anew, but whatever we'll play the game).

El Paso County Ballot issues specific to my local region:

President:  Barack Obama

Why:  He at least entertains the idea that LGBT persons deserve equality; he is liked by countries who were polled that I admire and respect; Bush put us in a pretty crappy situation and I think this guy is really trying to keep us afloat, but I certainly do not agree with a majority of what he practices and preaches, such as getting my vote in the first election, then strengthening the sketchy Patriot Act.  If I could vote for anyone and have it count, I'd vote for Barbara Marx Hubbard with Ralph Nader as her second in command, but that's simply not possible yet so I'll have to choose something other than a corporate businessman who shipped manufacturing jobs out of country to save some dough, and who continues to consider homosexuals less than deserving of equality.

HR District 5:  Dave Anderson, Unaffiliated

Why:  This guy is very eager in strengthening local economies.  He is also an advocate for transparency of food, seems to be all about buying locally and supporting local farms, and is level-headed enough to attack these issues directly.  I would rather him than Dough Lamborn, who literally told Beth in an email he 'understood her desire for civil union equality, but simply would not vote yes to it' presumably due to his religious beliefs.  I can't vote for a man who is so closed-minded on the topic of diversity.

Regent CU:  Daniel Ong, Libertarian.

Why:  I'm sick and tired of the Republicrat Demicant option.  Daniel Ong graduated from CU as a non-traditional student, and saw how economically difficult it was for nontraditional students to graduate from college, and vies to support their population in education.  I am in considerable debt because of CU, and I'd like to see someone as the regent who supports a person like me returining to school, completing an education, and not winding up a debt slave.  He seems like the best choice for this.

Regent CU, District 5: Undecided and undereducated information to vote.

Why:  Not a single person from the UCCS region answered the questions posed by CU students with regard to the positions at hand for this election.  I think that verifies the continual fact I see that COLORADO SPRINGS IS LAME.  I do not like Hybl and would not like to see him retained, however he at least works to give money back into the community.  I am unsure about this one.

State Senate, District 12: Dave Respecki

Why:  Both the other candidates, James Michael Bristol and Bill L. Cadman are in favor of traditional marriages as being those between a man and a woman.  Bill Cadman, as the State Senate Minority leader, blocked LGBT equality in the recent vote in favor of an amendment to ensure us equal rights with civil unions in Colorado.  I will not vote for such a person, and I cannot fathom how the vote nearly went through, and persons like Bill Cadman voted in favor of THEOCRACY, rather than equality.  Dave Respecki has little to say on this issue, but sometimes actions speak louder than words, and the other options sound dire to me.

State Representative, District 20:  Goldenborough

Why:  Bob Gardner, the current Representative (Republican) also responded negatively to Beth and my plea to him regaring passing the civil union bill.  He stood in favor of Christian theocracy versus human rights equality, and therefore Goldenborough gets my vote.

District Attorney:  HOW IS IT A CHOICE IF THERE IS ONLY ONE OPTION?

Retain Supreme Court Justice Coats

Why:  He seemed very level headed and neutral with the cases I reviewed, and I think level-headedness and balance is essential to justice being properly carried out.

Court of Appeals:  Retained all but Graham.  What he gave his time to gave me the willies.  Sure, not necessarily educated, but instinct ruled him out.

District Judges, 4th Judicial:  Retained all but Schutz

Why:  I would prefer to see more humanists and less Judeo-Christians in seats of power.  A bias indeed, but I think people need to keep their beliefs out of court, and most persons are not big enough to do that.  I kept Sells, a known Christian, because Bill Ritter put him in, and I don't think Ritter would do that if the guy wasn't balanced.

County Commissioner District 3:  Morris

Why:  Too many Republicans down here, we've got to balance it somewhere, to create some level of comprehension in the minds of those in powers that we'd prefer diversity.  It's another option where I feel I have little choice because both parties are identical to me, but I'd prefer someone who isn't all about Neoconservatism than the opposite.

Amendment S:  No

Why:  I don't like seeing a change in status in any area of employment where temporary worker status increases from 6months to 9months.  I've been a temporary worker in Colorado, and we don't have a lot of rights being a place of at-will employment, and to extend that sketchy temp-period of time for state employees sounds really scary for those people and more like slavery than anything else.

Amendment 64:  Yes

Why: Contrary to popular belief, I'm not a doped-up dreadhead, at least not anymore.  I will say that marijuana saved my life.  I was on many different prescriptions at one point for a misdiagnosis.  These prescriptions depleted my already deficient brain of neurotransmitters, and I attempted suicide twice while in that state.  At one point, the only thing keeping me from 'doing me in' was weed.  It's a medicine, and it should be as readily available to people as possible so people who are unable to afford insurance can at least get some relief of pain/illness.  I do not like how it is being treated as a drug and restricted to persons 21 or older, especially for persons who are younger than that and who use it to fight cancer and such, but I think an amendment could take care of an issue like that.  I also believe that growing hemp for fuel, food, textiles, and paper is a much more renewable option than is growing and cutting down trees, or water-needy cotton for the same purposes.  The best shirt I own is made of hemp, and it's lasted longer than it's organic cotton counterparts.

Amendment 65: Yes

Why:  Corporate personhood is the biggest threat to our Constitutional rights as citizens.  If a corporation is considered a person, with the same rights as you or me, then we have absolutely no level playing ground because they have more money than God, and we as average citizens can't typically get that much money.  Money buys lobbyists, lobbyists tell Representatives how to vote, and voila, you wake up in the Corporate Oligarchy we are all living in.  This amendment will help us take our rights as citizens back and keep large corporate monies out of politics, which will help us regain democracy.  It's a bipartisan issue, and to learn more, go here: www.movetoamend.org

1A: Yes

Why:  Colorado Springs is not only LAME, it's unsafe.  This will help make it more safe.  I don't mind taxation.  If we're gonna play the big-britches game of developed-nation-states, we need to wear the big taxation underpants.  I know it's all fucked up and us poor people will get taxed more, but that means we'll revolt and maybe get off the couch now and again, right?  Give a shit about something other than the current television program, perhaps?  Let's shake it up and increase taxes

1B: Yes

Why: Limiting terms means we have more democratic control.  Limit those motherfuckers as much as possible to hold them accountable while they are our elected representatives.  

4A: Yes

Why:  Fires are terrifying, let's help mitigate them with taxation.

5A: Yes

Why:  Southern Colorado is lame, and our roads make it even more lame.  Let's put some money into making our roads less lame so rockslides don't happen and people can start transitioning from driving slow in the left lane, to driving slow in the right lane.