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Nov. 8th, 2001 10:47 amWe had an election last Tuesday, and for the first time since 1984 I didn't vote in an election for which I was eligible. I've always seen voting as a duty, something that you should do to insure that the system works, but this time...
There were only a few offices up for grabs. Most of the election was given over to city measures, and that's what drove me away. I knew nothing about any of these, and I consider myself an informed voter. None of the material produced by either side told me what the actual costs of each proposal would be, what the long term impact was; things like that.
The alleged "voter guide" I received was no better. The positions and arguments were so muddy that I threw the book across the room. And I'm the kind of guy who does orbital mechanics for fun!
Of course, we couldn't have an election in San Francisco without our mandatory vote count controversy! Several cases of absentee ballots were moved from City Hall to the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium because of an anthrax scare. The Committee to Protest Everything immediately screamed bloody murder, because evidently moving these ballots 400 feet with seven SFPD officers and about 40 reporters in attendance was a clear attempt at fraud. These are the people who see no problem with ballots being stuck in trunks for a week, as long as it is in their favor.
Oh, well. We have a real election next year, a chance to turn the Republicans out of Congress.
There were only a few offices up for grabs. Most of the election was given over to city measures, and that's what drove me away. I knew nothing about any of these, and I consider myself an informed voter. None of the material produced by either side told me what the actual costs of each proposal would be, what the long term impact was; things like that.
The alleged "voter guide" I received was no better. The positions and arguments were so muddy that I threw the book across the room. And I'm the kind of guy who does orbital mechanics for fun!
Of course, we couldn't have an election in San Francisco without our mandatory vote count controversy! Several cases of absentee ballots were moved from City Hall to the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium because of an anthrax scare. The Committee to Protest Everything immediately screamed bloody murder, because evidently moving these ballots 400 feet with seven SFPD officers and about 40 reporters in attendance was a clear attempt at fraud. These are the people who see no problem with ballots being stuck in trunks for a week, as long as it is in their favor.
Oh, well. We have a real election next year, a chance to turn the Republicans out of Congress.
