Saint Paul Voter Guide

"The biggest way people give up power is not knowing we have it to start with."  --Alice Walker

Dr. Jill Stein used this quote to point out that nearly 90 million voters don't vote. It can also be interpreted to point out many of us are not making informed decisions on the elections at the local level- judges, soil and water commissioners, city council, etc.

What's on the ballot in Ramsey County?
http://www.co.ramsey.mn.us/elections/BallotInfo.htm

Type in your house number and street and out pops a ballot. I had to change the extension to .pdf to open it. Hopefully, it is more automatic on your computer.

What is on the ballot in Saint Paul?

OPPOSED JUDICIAL RACES:
ASSOCIATE JUSTICE 4
LORIE SKJERVEN GILDEA incumbent v. DAN GRIFFITH
Guide: http://c3.thevoterguide.org/v/forum12/race-detail.do?id=10878807

JUDGE 14
TIM TINGELSTAD v. DAVID R. STRAS incumbent
Guide: http://onyourballot.vote411.org/race-detail.do?id=10584925

ASSOCIATE JUSTICE 1
DEAN BARKLEY v. BARRY ANDERSON incumbent
Guide: http://onyourballot.vote411.org/race-detail.do?id=10584924

I support the underlined based on a perception that these candidates are comparatively more moderate. No one on the ballot is left of center. Barkley is the only independent. It is wrong that partisan governors appointed these incumbent judges circumventing the electoral process.

OPPOSED COUNTY RACES:
Ballot guides were printed in the Villager.

CONSERVATION DISTRICT SUPERVISOR DISTRICT 5
MATT LEDVINA v. MARGARET ANN BEHRENS v. DEE DODGE GEORGE
engineer v. environmentalist v. pharmaceutical lobbyist

CONSERVATION DISTRICT SUPERVISOR DISTRICT 2
GREG RYAN v. GWEN WILLEMS
businessman v. progressive

I support the underlined as my bias is science and business experience over activism/progressivism.

OPPOSED STATE OFFICES:
STATE REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 64A
Ballot guides were printed in the Villager.

ERIN MURPHY Democratic-Farmer-Labor v. ANDREW OJEDA Republican

 Ojeda is an immigrant college student at Macalester. His support of voter ID suggests to me that he is not yet ready for elected office, as people like himself (younger, recently established residence) will be the most likely to be turned away from the polls if voter ID were in effect.

STATE SENATOR DISTRICT 64
SCOTT LARSON Independent v. DICK COHEN Democratic-Farmer-Labor v. SHARON ANDERSON Republican
The stadium votes in favor of big money sports teams, who are never leaving the 12th largest market anyway, sway against the incumbent. Anderson per the Villager interview does not come across as truly interested in the job.

Constitutional Amendments:
These two proposed Constitutional Amendments show up in many states around the nation. It is as if national politics is going on.

Amendment 1: Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to provide that only a union of one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in Minnesota?

No-- not unless we wish gays to be treated as second class citizens per our constitution, just as slaves were once 3/5 human per our constitution.

Amendment 2: Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to require all voters to present valid photo identification to vote and to require the state to provide free identification to eligible voters, effective July 1, 2013?

No-- not unless we believe that younger people and people who recently moved, such as those in nursing homes, should not vote, because those are who would be turned away with this new regulation. The same party that continually tells us that the government can do nothing right hypocritically wants to expand government and call it free.

Saint Paul Ballot Initiative:
Question: Proposes to renew an expiring yearly levy of $647 per pupil and seeks an additional $175 per pupil, in both cases for eight years. Effect on yearly taxes: increase of about $65 for a $149,000 value house.

No, though schools are important. Someone is not doing their job at balancing a budget. It is the job of our state leaders to raise taxes when appropriate. A ballot box vote dumbs down an important debate with many sides.

Federal
President:
BARACK OBAMA v. MITT ROMNEY v. GARY JOHNSON v. JILL STEIN
The Economist calls this the most important choice in decades.  As Minnesota is not a swing state, there are third party options that offer more choice for a sizable minority of informed voters. The Green party and the Libertarians are the largest of these third parties.

US Representative:
BETTY MCCOLLUM Democratic-Farmer-Labor v. STEVE CARLSON Independence v. TONY HERNANDEZ Republican
http://stillwatergazette.com/2012/10/25/4th-district-hopefuls-make-their-pitches/

US Senator:
STEPHEN WILLIAMS Independence v. AMY KLOBUCHAR Democratic-Farmer-Labor v. KURT BILLS Republican
Minnesota has strong constituent and communications services with Al Franken. Klobuchar is a solid Democrat. Bills is a curious case, but not a strong candidate-- more dreamer than politician per the tangents he chose to discuss at the State Fair.
http://c3.thevoterguide.org/v/forum12/race-detail.do?id=10797510