I just voted. I can’t say that I’m totally happy with every vote I cast, but voting is often weighing the options and going with an imperfect package.
For me, this election is a first. In past elections, I voted straight Republican. In my research, I’d identify the Republicans running for city council, the school board, and the judicial benches, and I’d vote for them. I voted against all tax levies, whatever they were for (e.g., jails, schools, mental health hospitals, the zoo). I also went with privatization rather than government control of facilities.
This time around, I crossed party lines, and I wasn’t as bound by a political ideology. I voted for some tax levies, and I voted against others. I voted for Republicans, and also for Democrats. I also voted against making the water company for-profit (or something like that).
For the mayor’s race, I voted for the Democratic incumbent. I liked some of what the Republican had to say—about compassion, about training people in prison for the work force, and about fiscal responsibility—but, in my opinion, he did not mount a sufficient case against the Democratic mayor’s record, whether the issue was crime, the economy, or the city budget. I watched their debate last night (which I had taped from weeks before), and, on one occasion, the Democrat simply looked into the camera and told us to check the police department’s web site if we don’t think crime is down. You can’t argue with that!
On the tax levies, I voted for some of them. All of them amounted to less than a cent for every $100 of property value. That doesn’t strike me as too much, yet I have to keep in mind something a friend of mine once told me: those tax levies add up! I voted for the levies for the family health and hospitalization services and the programs for people with developmental disabilities, since I wanted to be compassionate. I definitely supported the levy for public libraries, an issue that has been close to my heart this past year. But I voted against the levy for public schools, one reason being that many of the school board candidates talked about fiscal responsibility, indicating fiscal irresponsibility may be a problem. Plus, I think many of the bureaucrats’ salaries should be cut before we think about keeping a tax levy!
I voted against rail transportation. This was a tough choice. The Democratic mayor said rail transportation could provide people with jobs and get money into the local economy. The Republican candidate said it was unnecessary because of other forms of public transportation, and that taxpayers would have to support it for years to come. I went with the Republican on this one. I don’t like the government to spend money when it doesn’t have to. That’s a conservative impulse that I have, and it’s one that both Democrats and Republicans in my city claim to share.
Another issue with which I struggled was the casino. I don’t like casinos, for there are times when they hurt the poor. I also know a person who goes to Gamblers Anonymous. But casinos bring in lots of revenue, which the city desperately needs. I don’t like tax increases, and if we don’t have those, then we need to raise the revenue somehow. While I’ve not heard much about casinos bringing social problems into the areas that have them, I have heard about the casinos bringing in revenue, which helps the areas. And so I voted for the casino, even though I may have been wrong.
I voted to keep the water company not-for-profit. People seem to be satisfied with their current rates, which would go up if it became for-profit. Privatization often amounts to higher rates. Republicans like to blow off about the crushing impact of the tax burden. Well, how’s that different from having to pay high water rates, or electricity rates, or health insurance premiums?
For the school board, I voted for Republicans and Democrats. Those who talked about holding schools to standards got my vote. Those who talked about compassion for the poor got my vote. I also voted for a flamboyant candidate, who was a member of an African-American organization, yet opposed the popular year-round school plan. Might as well add him to the mix! And the one who said we should cut the bureaucrats’ salaries before going after other school programs got my vote as well. If we’re going to cut, why not cut the actual fat rather than things the students need?
For city council, I also was bipartisan. I went with a flamboyant Republican who voted against aid to the homeless, but I also voted for a liberal council member whom she despises. I voted for a Democrat who wants to help people keep their homes, yet supposedly has a fascistic view on the police. Yet I also voted for people from African-American organizations, who may have a different perspective on the excesses of law enforcement. So I was aiming for some balance. I want compassion, but I also want a watchdog to make sure that our tax money isn’t being spent unnecessarily or frivolously. I support law enforcement, but I don’t want it to be unfair. Maybe I voted for balance, or maybe my vote will result in gridlock, if it’s successful. I hope something good comes out of it.