Another election cycle is here (albeit a local one), but it will help gird us for the maneuverings of the crafty politicians on the national stage.
Believe me, as a longtime, proud liberal, becoming a political cynic is depressing as hell. Years of listening to fast-talking politicians promising to "bring about real change," giving them my vote and watching them cave to the pressures of the job - applied mainly by the government bureaucracies and special-interest groups with deep pockets, whether industry or labor - has made me a touch skeptical.
MEANINGLESS CHOICES
Our upcoming primary is generating little enthusiasm over my choice for offices like King County prosecutor and the port commissioners.
Outside of a handful of criminals and overpaid lawyers, who cares who the prosecutor is? Most of us, fortunately, have no contact with that government function.
We only remember we have a prosecutor when a big case like the Green River Killer hits the local news. Afterward, he or she fades into the background of our slug-paced government.
As for the port commissioners, few of us have a clue what they do. All we know from the local media is that whatever it is, they keep doing it all wrong.
Most who serve on the port commission seem to be political hacks (that's not meant to be derogatory, just that they are longtime government people), as well as having connections to international trade and shipping - a good thing, I assume, but with little meaning to most of us voters.
And then there are our choices for City Council, another yawner. Several positions are up for grabs, and except for their family, neighbors and an activist group or two the candidates have been involved with, none of us has ever heard of these people, let alone know anything about them.
Where is our local television media? Where are the forums that help the voters make an informed decision? Not at 7 in the morning when no one is watching, but at 6 or 7 p.m. during the week when voters might actually watch? All we seem to get is The Seattle Times and Post-Intelligencer staff recommendation, drawn up in the back room of the newspaper and motivated by who knows what or whom.
Yes, I know that the Seattle Channel, and sometimes PBS, tries to fill that void, but honestly, how many people have the Seattle Channel marked as a favorite?
MORE MONEY, MORE MONEY
King County has its hand out again on two propositions. The Seattle P-I stated, "Each proposal would authorize annual property taxes of about $20 for the owner of a $400,000 property for six years. Proposition 2 would be a new tax, while Proposition 1 replaces a slightly smaller tax that voters approved in 2003 when parks were caught in a financial crisis."
Maybe my meds have addled my brain, but it sounds like we're being asked to tax ourselves higher on Proposition 1 than we were before, and add new taxes with Proposition 2.
Proposition 1 was, I understand, a quick fix in 2003 because of some financial crisis (would that be a euphemism for mismanagement?). The economy is booming - why aren't we taking advantage of that to give the overburdened homeowner a tax break, instead of asking for even more money?
VOTING FOR A REAL GOVERNMENT
I now have a pile of brightly colored junk mail describing each of the candidates as the next Jack Kennedy, complete with a smiling face and, in most cases, a handful of endorsements.
Being a good liberal, if I see Republicans, the insurance industry, developers, lawyers or anyone with the name Rove endorsing the candidate, forget about it.
I'll vote; I have to. I'm not letting any minority make my decision for me. Without much to go on, I'll make my choices based on the candidates being backed by groups trying to improve the environment, health care, homelessness and hunger. It doesn't make my candidate a shaker and a mover or a genius, but with little else to go on....
I try, with my vote, to support the notion that our government is of, by and for the people, all the people, rich and poor - not just the privileged class.
As for Propositions 1 and 2, I'm tired of taxing myself for services that should be paid out of existing tax revenues - a process called budgeting that seems lost on our government - rather than continuing to kick the butt of the golden goose trying to get more eggs.
Mike Davis lives in Magnolia.
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