votes

26 Oct 2006

My votes:

Governor: Howard M. Switzer.
Bredesen has this one locked up, I think, so I am giving my vote to a third party candidate. I don’t agree with Switzer on gun control (he supports it), and I’m iffy on single-payer healthcare (which he advocates), though more because of ignorance than opposition.

Constitutional Amendment #1 (the “we hate them gays” amendment): No.
Duh.

Constitutional Amendment #2(property tax limits for retirees): No.
While I think this sort of tax relief (freezing of property taxes for 65+) would be good for halting gentrification, it doesn’t need to be in the constitution. When did we get all amendment-happy?

United States Senate: Harold Ford
Holding my nose and swallowing.

United States House of Representatives, 5th district: Ginny Welsh
Cooper is bulletproof. My vote goes to Ginny Welsh, who represents my views pretty well.

Tennessee Senate district 19: …
Thelma Harper is uncontested here. Maybe I’ll write in myself. Who’s with me? (write in me, not yourself.)

Tennessee House district 58: Mary Pruitt
Democrat, natch.

Metro Charter Amendment No. 1 (yearly property tax referendum): No.
Referendums cost a lot of money. We already pay money to elect and employ representatives to decide levels of taxation.

Metro Charter Amendment No. 2 (public Mayoral address): Emphatic Yes
The fact that the Mayor’s address has been a private event at the NACC in the past has always been an embarrassing display of ostentatious exclusivity. It should be open to the public.

Metro Charter Amendment No. 3 (audit division): Yes
A different division should audit the finance department. Who polices the police, though? My vote? Me.

Metro Charter Amendment No. 4 (2 term limit for Mayor): Yes.
I am wishywashy on this, but I lean towards term limits being a Good Thing, particularly in local politics.

Metro Charter Amendment No. 5 (budget schedule constriction): No.
Unrealistic, for the reasons pointed out by the Tennessean:

The concern, however, is that realistic numbers are difficult to arrive at by the current dates. Moving up the process by two months probably would prove to be an exercise in futility.

Metro Charter Amendment No. 6 (resident metro board & commission staff only): Yes
While I think that such an amendment for all metro employees (as has been discussed) is silly, I think it makes more sense for boards and commissions, where priorities for the Metro area would be better reflected by local residents. There’s something wrong about Metro boards and committees staffed entirely by people that live in wealthier commuter suburbs (as is more likely now).