Ballot Rundown, or Flame Bait. You decide.
With the election a scant two days away, let's review the state of Ohio and Cuyahoga County ballot initiatives. Before I start, props to whoever designed/maintains the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections website. It's not perfect, but it's much better than most government web sites.
State #2 - Constitution Amendment to Increase the Minimum Wage
Let me say right off that this will not directly increase my personal wages or indeed those of almost anybody at my company - even our interns are comfortably over the minimum wage. In fact, thanks to my university's ridiculously high student minimum wage, I haven't done real minimum wage work or even close to it since I was a fast food cook back in high school. Therefore any effect on my life will be indirectly through the effect on other businesses.
As I understand it ( and my understanding may be flawed, feel to correct it ), this amendment boosts the minimum wage to $6.85 and thereafter ties increases to the consumer price index. Therefore minimum wages would in theory always rise with inflation.
I have seen two main concerns raised. One is the usual concern that this will shaft small businesses who will have to lay off people to afford the mandatory pay raises. There have been the usual raft of 'non-partisan' studies cited from each side to support or refute that point. The other concern is involved with the reporting requirements, which are terribly complicated and have some opponents campaigning against in the name of privacy protection. Does it actually violate privacy? My reading would indicate that it doesn't have much that isn't already available, and that this is being raised as a bogeyman. But then I'm no lawyer, thankfully.
I don't have strong opinions about this issue. Almost none of my friends will be getting a pay raise out of this, now or in the forseeable future, so it is hard for me to care except in the most abstract sense. Maybe that makes me a bad person. Although I support raising the minimum wage, I am opposed to tying it to inflation forever. I am willing to be persuaded though, so drop me good comments or links if you feel strongly about it.
State #3 - Constitution Amendment to Legalize Limited Gambling with 30% of the revenue guaranteed to go to college scholarships for Ohio residents in Ohio schools.
I fully acknowledge that Ohio is hypocritical about not allowing slots and other gambling when they have a state lotto. I further acknowledge that getting people to college or tech school is a good thing for a multitude of reasons, and that with skyrocketing college costs many families can use help with tuition.
That said, this amendment is stupid. As I see it, this would greatly benefit the small portion of the population who own places that get slots, and would slightly benefit the general populace. It is a panacea they are putting in place of paying for higher education in a sane manner. I am absolutely voting against it.
State #4 - Constitution Amendment to Make RJR Reynolds Happy
This amendment would permanently gut all existing anti-smoking bans and nullify new ones, including State #5 if it passes. It is funded by the cigarette companies, who have seen the writing on the wall with #5-like measures already passed in many other states and cities.
Vote no. With respect to my good friend and merchant of death saleswoman pussygalore66, if a cigarette company is pushing a smoking ban only an idiot would vote for it.
State #5 - Law to Ban Smoking In Most Public Places
State #4 is on the ballot specifically to nullify #5 if it passes. #5 will essentially make smoking in bars, restaurants and the like. I already posted long, mostly intelligent rant about this over on djvitruvius's journal, which I will not recap here. Suffice it to say that I think the possible economic damages to bars has been sufficiently disproved by the evidence from California, New York, Ireland, Chicago and other places that have similar measures.
I will be voting yes on #5 to meet my own selfish interest because [A] I am in bars and concert clubs at least 100 nights a year [B] I hate the smell of smoke and hate doing laundry after getting one drink at the bar. That's it. You could successfully argue that this makes me a hypocrite because I generally am opposed to excessive government regulation. So be it. Part of democary is bread and circuses, and this is one item I selfishly desire. Any health benefits to bartenders or economic benefits/losses to local establishments are simply not a concern to me. I seriously doubt that my usual drinking hangouts are going to shut down if this passes, so that doesn't concern me either.
That wraps up the state issues. Here's my (probable) vote and prediction:
2 - Minimum Wage - I don't care. Will pass.
3 - Gambling & Higher Ed - I vote no. Will pass.
4 - RJR Smoking 'Ban' - I vote NO. Will probably pass.
5 - Smoking Ban - I vote YES. Will probably pass, but be negated by 4.
Now on to the Cuyahoga county issues.
County #18 - Cigarette Tax For Arts & Culture
I am already screwing over the cigarette smokers once. I also don't think that the instutions most likely to benefit from this ( ie, the Cleveland Museum of Art and Cleveland Orchestra ) are really that hard up for cash. I see nothing in the text of this that guarantees that the smaller institutions in Cuyahoga County ( Cleveland Public Theater, Beck Center, the Cinematheque and a gazillion others ) will really get any benefit from it. I vote no but won't be terribly upset if it does pass.
County #19 - Renew a portion of the property tax levy for Health & Human Services
A property tax reserved for H&HS is expiring. They want to renew a portion of that tax. The total mills will be a reduction over the current rate. I feel H&HS does good work and am willing to fund it. Besides, it's not like my rent is going to drop if this fails. I vote yes.
Summing Up and predictions:
18 - I vote no. I don't think it will pass.
19 - I vote yes. I don't think it will pass.
My current community has no municipal or school ballots listed. Go look up your own.
As to the elections:
1- Most of the local elections are for judges and people I have never heard of. Ever. Other than Plain Dealer endorsements (always suspect) and party mailings, I probably couldn't tell one from the other. I suspect most of you are the same way. For the most part, I will be voting anti-incumbent. Given the Democratic machine around here, it doesn't much matter, and given my general political predilections I'm ok with that. Although I do wish that moving to Lakewood had given me a better representative than Dennis Kucinich, who often appears to be a raging egomaniac. That's not much better than my previous representative, the 'beloved' Stephanie Tubbs Jones, whose most impressive ( ok, only ) feat thus far in her career is appearing on the Colbert Report.
2- On a statewide level, I will be voting strait-ticket Democrat. I don't actually think that the Democrats will do better and I don't find them much more likable, but given that the Republicans have had more than a decade to mess up Ohio it's only fair to give the Democrats a chance. On the bright side, I get to vote against Blackwell, which makes me happy. The only race where I am tempted to go Republican is for State Auditor. Barbara Sykes just rubs me wrong.
3- As to the Senatorial race, the Plain Dealer's endorsement of DeWine is yet another reason not to read it. Not that I read it now, but anyway. Am I terribly excited by Sherrod Brown? Nope, although his wife (Pulizter Prize Winner Connie Schultz) is about the only good thing in the PD which at least speaks well of his taste. But DeWine has shown himself to be useless, and should be excised.
I don't believe the national polls that show Democrats winning back control of both the House & the Senate. Why? Aside from assorted methodology problems which have been outlined numerous places online, People tend to like their own Senator & Representative and hate all the other ones. This is part of why incumbents usually win. Who knows? Maybe I'm wrong on this one, which would be great. Of course, if the Democrats do regain control of both houses they'll probably have a complete logjam and the next time around the Republicans will be able to point at them as the problem and thereby win the next presidential election. Or maybe I'm just cynical.
So there you have it: the opinions of one marginally well-informed, typically independent voter in Lakewood, OH. I think is the first post I have ever done that I would be concerned about letting a potential employer see. I will deal with it. Let the flames commence.
EDIT: A little typo cleanup.
State #2 - Constitution Amendment to Increase the Minimum Wage
Let me say right off that this will not directly increase my personal wages or indeed those of almost anybody at my company - even our interns are comfortably over the minimum wage. In fact, thanks to my university's ridiculously high student minimum wage, I haven't done real minimum wage work or even close to it since I was a fast food cook back in high school. Therefore any effect on my life will be indirectly through the effect on other businesses.
As I understand it ( and my understanding may be flawed, feel to correct it ), this amendment boosts the minimum wage to $6.85 and thereafter ties increases to the consumer price index. Therefore minimum wages would in theory always rise with inflation.
I have seen two main concerns raised. One is the usual concern that this will shaft small businesses who will have to lay off people to afford the mandatory pay raises. There have been the usual raft of 'non-partisan' studies cited from each side to support or refute that point. The other concern is involved with the reporting requirements, which are terribly complicated and have some opponents campaigning against in the name of privacy protection. Does it actually violate privacy? My reading would indicate that it doesn't have much that isn't already available, and that this is being raised as a bogeyman. But then I'm no lawyer, thankfully.
I don't have strong opinions about this issue. Almost none of my friends will be getting a pay raise out of this, now or in the forseeable future, so it is hard for me to care except in the most abstract sense. Maybe that makes me a bad person. Although I support raising the minimum wage, I am opposed to tying it to inflation forever. I am willing to be persuaded though, so drop me good comments or links if you feel strongly about it.
State #3 - Constitution Amendment to Legalize Limited Gambling with 30% of the revenue guaranteed to go to college scholarships for Ohio residents in Ohio schools.
I fully acknowledge that Ohio is hypocritical about not allowing slots and other gambling when they have a state lotto. I further acknowledge that getting people to college or tech school is a good thing for a multitude of reasons, and that with skyrocketing college costs many families can use help with tuition.
That said, this amendment is stupid. As I see it, this would greatly benefit the small portion of the population who own places that get slots, and would slightly benefit the general populace. It is a panacea they are putting in place of paying for higher education in a sane manner. I am absolutely voting against it.
State #4 - Constitution Amendment to Make RJR Reynolds Happy
This amendment would permanently gut all existing anti-smoking bans and nullify new ones, including State #5 if it passes. It is funded by the cigarette companies, who have seen the writing on the wall with #5-like measures already passed in many other states and cities.
Vote no. With respect to my good friend and merchant of death saleswoman pussygalore66, if a cigarette company is pushing a smoking ban only an idiot would vote for it.
State #5 - Law to Ban Smoking In Most Public Places
State #4 is on the ballot specifically to nullify #5 if it passes. #5 will essentially make smoking in bars, restaurants and the like. I already posted long, mostly intelligent rant about this over on djvitruvius's journal, which I will not recap here. Suffice it to say that I think the possible economic damages to bars has been sufficiently disproved by the evidence from California, New York, Ireland, Chicago and other places that have similar measures.
I will be voting yes on #5 to meet my own selfish interest because [A] I am in bars and concert clubs at least 100 nights a year [B] I hate the smell of smoke and hate doing laundry after getting one drink at the bar. That's it. You could successfully argue that this makes me a hypocrite because I generally am opposed to excessive government regulation. So be it. Part of democary is bread and circuses, and this is one item I selfishly desire. Any health benefits to bartenders or economic benefits/losses to local establishments are simply not a concern to me. I seriously doubt that my usual drinking hangouts are going to shut down if this passes, so that doesn't concern me either.
That wraps up the state issues. Here's my (probable) vote and prediction:
2 - Minimum Wage - I don't care. Will pass.
3 - Gambling & Higher Ed - I vote no. Will pass.
4 - RJR Smoking 'Ban' - I vote NO. Will probably pass.
5 - Smoking Ban - I vote YES. Will probably pass, but be negated by 4.
Now on to the Cuyahoga county issues.
County #18 - Cigarette Tax For Arts & Culture
I am already screwing over the cigarette smokers once. I also don't think that the instutions most likely to benefit from this ( ie, the Cleveland Museum of Art and Cleveland Orchestra ) are really that hard up for cash. I see nothing in the text of this that guarantees that the smaller institutions in Cuyahoga County ( Cleveland Public Theater, Beck Center, the Cinematheque and a gazillion others ) will really get any benefit from it. I vote no but won't be terribly upset if it does pass.
County #19 - Renew a portion of the property tax levy for Health & Human Services
A property tax reserved for H&HS is expiring. They want to renew a portion of that tax. The total mills will be a reduction over the current rate. I feel H&HS does good work and am willing to fund it. Besides, it's not like my rent is going to drop if this fails. I vote yes.
Summing Up and predictions:
18 - I vote no. I don't think it will pass.
19 - I vote yes. I don't think it will pass.
My current community has no municipal or school ballots listed. Go look up your own.
As to the elections:
1- Most of the local elections are for judges and people I have never heard of. Ever. Other than Plain Dealer endorsements (always suspect) and party mailings, I probably couldn't tell one from the other. I suspect most of you are the same way. For the most part, I will be voting anti-incumbent. Given the Democratic machine around here, it doesn't much matter, and given my general political predilections I'm ok with that. Although I do wish that moving to Lakewood had given me a better representative than Dennis Kucinich, who often appears to be a raging egomaniac. That's not much better than my previous representative, the 'beloved' Stephanie Tubbs Jones, whose most impressive ( ok, only ) feat thus far in her career is appearing on the Colbert Report.
2- On a statewide level, I will be voting strait-ticket Democrat. I don't actually think that the Democrats will do better and I don't find them much more likable, but given that the Republicans have had more than a decade to mess up Ohio it's only fair to give the Democrats a chance. On the bright side, I get to vote against Blackwell, which makes me happy. The only race where I am tempted to go Republican is for State Auditor. Barbara Sykes just rubs me wrong.
3- As to the Senatorial race, the Plain Dealer's endorsement of DeWine is yet another reason not to read it. Not that I read it now, but anyway. Am I terribly excited by Sherrod Brown? Nope, although his wife (Pulizter Prize Winner Connie Schultz) is about the only good thing in the PD which at least speaks well of his taste. But DeWine has shown himself to be useless, and should be excised.
I don't believe the national polls that show Democrats winning back control of both the House & the Senate. Why? Aside from assorted methodology problems which have been outlined numerous places online, People tend to like their own Senator & Representative and hate all the other ones. This is part of why incumbents usually win. Who knows? Maybe I'm wrong on this one, which would be great. Of course, if the Democrats do regain control of both houses they'll probably have a complete logjam and the next time around the Republicans will be able to point at them as the problem and thereby win the next presidential election. Or maybe I'm just cynical.
So there you have it: the opinions of one marginally well-informed, typically independent voter in Lakewood, OH. I think is the first post I have ever done that I would be concerned about letting a potential employer see. I will deal with it. Let the flames commence.
EDIT: A little typo cleanup.