Ballot Blues

Ah, the election. I am so almighty sick of the election, and it's still a few weeks away.

I don't know what annoys me more ... the district attorney trying to gull the county into paying him a "stipend" (when he's a state employee) with Measure 4-123, or the fact that he's publicly whining about an $85K a year salary. If he doesn't want it, I'll take it. I think I could manage pretty well on $85K a year. And without whining.

While I think of it, hey, if he doesn't think he gets paid enough here, he's welcome to go somewhere else where they have real elections. Whoops, maybe that's why he's digging his heels in so deep here ... he might not be interested in having to compete against others to get elected.

And this ridiculous blather that his proponents keep saying ... that he's been "re-elected" several times. It's kinda like the tree that fell in the forest ... has he ever really been "elected" since, as I recall, he was appointed to begin with, and nobody ever runs against him? Hell, even if he and his wife were the only ones voting for him, he'd get the job. Call me silly, but it's hardly a resounding vote of confidence when you win after not running against anyone.

Oh yikes (!), the paranoia. Some lady gives some money for the opponents of the district attorney's measure and you'd think the world was coming to an end.

What happened to privacy? This really reeks. I, who normally don't give a shit about such things, am repulsed by the threatening air about the whole tawdry mess. Donate against the cause of the D.A.'s stipend and your ass will be dragged through the press, and you and your donation will be investigated. Ugh.

And that damn cigarette tax, Measure 50. I don't even smoke any more, but sin taxes piss me off on general principle. Not to mention, all that bullshit about the money going to children's health insurance. Oh hell, it's one of the oldest scams in the book ... pass the tax, raise the money, and hire more administrators to figure out how to spend the money they no longer have because they're paying a shitload more useless administrators.

I don't know anyone who knows what the hell Measure 49 is about, really. But if there's the slightest chance it can stop the Californication of Clatsop County, I'm all for it.

Too bad we can't bypass the sell-out commissioners and have the citizens vote on LNG. Now that would be interesting.

Speaking of LNG, I hear through the grapevine that someone has defaced a Bradwood Landing sign between Svensen and Knappa. I'm certainly not in favor of defacing property, but I am wondering if perhaps it's a sign that a whole new element of the population is waking up to the ugly threat LNG poses.

I've already turned in my ballot. Now comes the waiting.