How to Find Your Senators

I know I mentioned something about reading ballots, but that'd require finding case studies, analysis, etc...and I don't have time for that. I've only got a few minutes this morning, so...here's how to find your United States Senators.

Unlike Congressmen or state legislatures, BOTH Senators from your state are YOUR senators. So when you've got something to say about how the Senate behaves (more on that later), this is how you get in touch and yell at both of them.

First, go to the Senate webpage. There's a lotta cool stuff I plan on posting about on this homepage, but for now just find the "Senators" tab in red at the top of the page. The list is naturally in alphabetical order with all 100 of them, but you can use the drop down menues to filter as you like, by "state" for instance. If I do that and choose "Ohio," I see both of my Senators (Brown and Voinovich) listed, with address, phone numbers, and a link to a webmail submission form.

That's it! It works for any state, obviously, so if you don't happen to live in Ohio...go make the necessary changes in those steps and have fun!

***

Edit: I feel like a bit of a moron...but if you go to the Senate home page, and look at the top right hand corner you'll see a drop down menu that will let you search by state and skip a bunch of what I previously told you to do. Don't say I've never stood corrected!

2007 General Election Results

I know anyone who cares has already found these results, but there they are (and a couple editorial comments) anyway.

Municipal Court District 1 Judge:

1. Dwane K Mallory, 50.25% ; John H Burlew. 49.75%. 11199 Votes Cast.
2. Fanon A Rucker, 100% (unopposed) 6278 Votes Cast

MCD 2:

1. Nadine Allen, 76.53% ; Rosalind C Florez 23.47%. 21269 VC

MCD 3:

1. Ted Berry, 71.76% ; Kendal M Coes, 28.24%. 24245 VC

MCD 4:

1. Julie Stautberg, 100% (unopposed) 19441 VC

MCD 5:

1. Heather Russel, 66.02% ; Greg Cohen, 33.98% 27807 VC

MCD 5 (Unexpired Term):

1. Brad Greenberg, 100% (unopposed). 22056 VC

MCD 6:

1. Richard Bernat, 68.35% ; Lawrence Lindgren 31.65%. 29819 VC

MCD 6 (Unexpired Term):

1. Bernie Bouchard, 66.97% ; Norma J Davis 33.03%. 30552 VC

MCD 7:

Melissa Powers, 100% (unopposed). 16076 VC

Villiage of Marriemont:

1. Mayor: Dan Policastro, 100% (unopposed). 930 VC
2. Clerk-Treasurer: Paul J Tontillo, 100% (unopposed) 938 VC
3. Council (Vote 2): Kimberly Sullivan, 37.70% ; Dennis Wolter, 31.51% ; James H Ferguson, 30.79%. 2085 VC
4. School Board (Vote 2): Marie C Huenefeld, 51.62% ; Denise Walter, 48.38%. 3557 VC

Tax Issues:

1. Mariemont Operating Levy Renewal: For, 72.88% ; Against, 27.12%. 1239 VC
2. Cincinnati School Levy: Against, 58.11% ; For, 41.89%. 66393 VC
3. Mariemont School Levy: For, 56.21% ; Against, 43.79%. 2907 VC
4. Issue 27 (Referendum on Public Safety Resolution): Against, 56.05% ; For, 43.95%. 191391 VC
5. Issue 28 (Mental Health Levy): For, 55.13% ; Against, 44.87%. VC 190304 VC
6. Issue 29 (Senior Services Levy): For, 69.45% ; Against, 30.55%. VC 190783 VC

All taken from the Hamilton County Board of Election's results page. Don't see your election? Probably because I didn't vote in it. Look here.

As for comments...I'm amazingly, incredibly disappointed the public safety levy didn't pass. Voting against that levy was essentially voting against law enforcement and for criminals. The day after it was shot down, the county is already talking about cutting sheriff patrols in Over the Rhine. That's exactly where we need to pulls cops from. I'm predicting some serious crime upswings and further migration out of the heart of Hamilton County.

I'm similarly disgusted by the short term view taken by voters on the Cincinnati school issue. Yes, the district has it's problems. But it's also falling apart, understaffed, and under funded. While we'd love to be able to give money to only good school districts, witholding it from a bad school does immeasurable damage. Watch the size of the city continue to shrink, because the children who go to the public schools are deprived of an education. When you link the effects of an unsupported school district and an unsupported law enforcement community, you get a slum.

That's all I have...except for we had 34% turnout this time around. I think that number speaks for itself.

How to Become a Registered Voter

So yesterday was all about moving Sarah, NOT telling you how to register to vote. My bad. Count this as Wednesday's issue, and I'll talk about the election for today.

It also gave me time to think...with fifty states, and dozens of counties per state, it'd be kinda asinine of me to issue a guide to all of them. More importantly, it's not really within my realm of influence or personal concern if everyone in Idaho is registered. SO I've decided the focus needs to be toned down to my county in all things political, starting with how to register to vote.

This blog is such a work in progress...so bear with me and feel free to offer suggestions.

How to Become a Registered Voter:

• http://www.ohio.gov has a link right on the homepage, which sends you to the Secretary of State website. There you can download the registration form, find all the eligibility questions you could ever have, and get a list of places you can register to vote.
• Contact the Hamilton County Board of Elections. They also have some interesting information, such as your local ballot and results.

If you're out for a walk and the urge to register your disenfranchised self to vote, drop in at any of the following locations (taken from the Ohio Secretary of State website):

• Public libraries.
• Public high schools or vocational schools.
• The office of any deputy registrar of the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (where you get your license and registration).

When I came back to Ohio from Colorado, I registered to vote by just walking into the library down the street, filling out the form with my name, address, driver's license # or last 4 of my SSN, then signed it. I gave it back to the librarian, and a week or so later I got a confirmation postcard telling me my polling station.

ALSO on that postcard was a simple change of address form. When I moved from Cincinnati to Marriemont this summer, I wrote my new address on the form and dropped it in the mail. My voter registration was changed even before I'd given back the keys to my apartment. Hang onto that card, it'll simplify your life when move time comes.

That's all folks.

Election Day

No, no national offices or issues are up for decision today. In fact, in Ohio there aren't even any state issues. But these are the elections when levies are passed or shot down, usually because no one but the advocates come out to vote.

So go vote.

In Ohio, don't forget your driver's license. Yes, you can still vote without it...but provisional ballots only get counted if the normal ballots are too close to call. So make sure you get in the first round fo decision making.

Smart Voter is a wonderful resource if you live in California, Pennsylvania, Ohio, or New York. If you don't live in any of those, Smart Voter will send you to where you can get the info you need (such as voting stations and the ballot, so you know what you'll be voting on). You can also Google "Franklin County Board of Elections" (substituting your county, of course) and you should get what you need. If Google doesn't seem to do it, your state's website should have the election information posted that will direct you to the local organization.

This is the day people don't vote, and then ask later, "When the hell did they raise sales tax?? WHY??" Don't be like that, please. Take your duty as a citizen seriously.

Tomorrow, we'll cover how you can register to vote (in most cases). This week, we'll also go over how to READ a ballot, since I'm pretty sure they try to be difficult. In keeping with the election craze, I'll also update everyone on the results (at least in Hamilton County, OH).

Something to look forward too, eh?

With Allies Like This...

Faced with the possibility of the Supreme Court telling him he could not legally hold power, Musharraf did the only thing a democratic leader could do: He declared martial law.

Musharraf came to power in 1999 in a coup. He's maintained his position as the head of the Pakistan Army while President, a point of constant legal controversy. He swore that if reelected this time around, he would finally resign his army position.

That wasn't quite enough for the opposition, and a challenge was brought to the Supreme Court. Was it constitutionally legal for Musharraf to be elected while serving as the head of the army? The answer was widely seen as "no," but with Musharraf's history of not respecting the judicial branch no one hurried to say so.

At first the court pushed off the decision, but then back pedalled and were about to make the call, when Musharraf cut them off, suspending constitutional rule and removing Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry from his post as Chief Justice for a second time. Lawyers across the country were successful in staging protests last time, but Musharraf has been arresting and beating them by the hundreds.

One government official told the press 1500 to 1800 people have been detained nationwide. Supreme Court justices who would not swear allegience to Musharraf's new court are under house arrest and other "pressure," according to one justice who refused to join the new court. Prominent critics of Musharraf are also under house arrest, from Islamist groups to the chairman of the Human Rights Commision of Pakistan.

The Netherlands were the first to suspend aid to Pakistan in light of new events. The British are examining their aid package, but the United States has done little more than voice concern. Aid from the leader of the Free World will continue to flow to the new police state without a hiccup, so the anti-terror operations can continue uninterrupted.

NPR
BBC

***

Personally, I don't see the benefit in being safe from the terrorists if we have to allow the world's nations to be ruled by dictators. The wrongs we are tolerating from our "allies" in the "war on terror" are shameful, and so much worse than any bomb, or multiple bombs, that could ever land on our shores.

The rule of law. Civil liberties. Freedom to criticize the government. Separation of powers. Transparency. A nation based on a constitution, not a man's whim. These are the things that make a nation worth living in, worth dying for. These are what constitute a free state.

The United States of America is yet again supporting a dictator who abuses his people, and calls on Abraham Lincoln for justification. The United States of America is placing a greater value on fighting terror than on the principles of our nation. The United States of America is taking its eye off the ball because of fear, and the United States of America should be ashamed of itself.

Excuse me while I drop my Congressman and Senators a line.