This year I’m taking the time to post my choices for the 2006 election. I’m going to list each race and give a quick explanation as to why. I am not totally happy with my selection of choices, but I think I did the best I could.
UNITED STATES REPRESENTATIVE 3RD DISTRICT
•(Republican) CHUCK AHNER Overland Park
•(Reform Party) ROBERT A CONROY Shawnee
•(Democrat) DENNIS MOORE Lenexa
This was a very tough choice. All three candidates have large percentages of their platform that I am totally against. That being said, Robert Conroy is against gay marriage, and I refuse to vote for someone named Chuck without the last name Norris. My vote goes to Dennis Moore.
FOR GOVERNOR AND LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR]
•(Republican) JIM BARNETT Emporia SUSAN WAGLE Wichita
•(Libertarian) CARL KRAMER Wichita KALOR A HEBRON Derby
•(Reform) RICHARD LEE RANZAU Wichita ELLEN L VERELL Meade
•(Democrat) KATHLEEN SEBELIUS Topeka MARK PARKINSON Olathe
This one was easy. I am supporting my party’s candidates, so my vote goes to Carl Kramer, and Kalor Hebron.
SECRETARY OF STATE
•(Democrat) DAVID HALEY Kansas City
•(Libertarian) ROB HODGKINSON Stilwell
•(Reform) JOSEPH L MARTIN St Marys
•(Republican) RON THORNBURGH Topeka
I’m supporting Rob Hodgkinson for Secretary of State
ATTORNEY GENERAL
•(Republican) PHILL KLINE Topeka
•(Democrat) PAUL MORRISON Lenexa
Kline is a religious nut who wanted to do fishing expeditions in abortion records to “save our children.” My vote goes to Paul Morrison.
STATE TREASURER
•(Republican) LYNN JENKINS Topeka
•(Democrat) LARRY WILSON Topeka
Well, Lynn Jenkins is the CPA in this race, and even Wilson says she’s a good administrator. So I’m going with Lynn Jenkins.
COMMISSIONER OF INSURANCE
•(Republican) SANDY PRAEGER Lawrence
•(Democrat) BONNIE SHARP Kansas City
•(Libertarian) PATRICK WILBUR Lawrence
Patrick Wilbur is getting my vote because he’s anti-regulation.
STATE REPRESENTATIVE 27TH DISTRICT
•(Republican) RAY MERRICK Stilwell
Merrick votes against gay marriage. Therefore, I will not be voting for anyone in this election.
STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION 3RD DISTRICT
•(Republican) JOHN W BACON Olathe
•(Democrat) DON WEISS Olathe
I have to vote for the candidate who believes in evolution. That would be Don Weiss.
CHAIR, BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
•() CHARLOTTE O’HARA Overland Park
•() ANNABETH SURBAUGH Overland Park
Because of her support for lower taxes, her opposition to anti-smoking laws, and her desire to use private jails for inmates, I am voting for Charlotte O’Hara.
AUBRY TOWNSHIP CLERK
•(D) PATRICIA S FISCHER Stilwell
I’m voting for Patricia S. Fischer.
Shall ROBERT E. DAVIS, Leavenworth, Position No. 7, Kansas Supreme Court, be retained in office?
No.
Shall STEPHEN D. HILL, Topeka, Position No. 1, Kansas Court of Appeals, be retained in office?
No.
Shall LEE A. JOHNSON, Topeka, Position No. 2, Kansas Court of Appeals, be retained in office?
No.
Shall PATRICK D. MCANANY, Overland Park, Position No. 4, Kansas Court of Appeals, be retained in office?
No.
Shall NANCY LANDIS CAPLINGER, Topeka, Position No. 6, Kansas Court of Appeals, be retained in office?
No.
Shall HENRY W. GREEN JR., Leavenworth, Position No. 7, Kansas Court of Appeals, be retained in office?
No.
Shall JERRY G. ELLIOTT, Lawrence, Position No. 8, Kansas Court of Appeals, be retained in office?
No.
Shall GARY W. RULON, Olathe, Position No. 9, Kansas Court of Appeals, be retained in office?
No.
Shall TOM MALONE, Wichita, Position No. 11, Kansas Court of Appeals, be retained in office?
No.
Shall MICHAEL B. BUSER, Overland Park, Position No. 12, Kansas Court of Appeals, be retained in office?
No.
Shall PETER V. RUDDICK, Olathe, District Judge, 10th District, Division 1, be retained in office?
No.
Shall JANICE D. RUSSELL, Olathe, District Judge, 10th District, Division 7, be retained in office?
No.
Shall STEVE LEBEN, Fairway, District Judge, 10th District, Division 8, be retained in office?
No.
Shall ALLEN R. SLATER, Olathe, District Judge, 10th District, Division 9, be retained in office?
No.
Shall KATHLEEN L. SLOAN, Overland Park, District Judge, 10th District, Division 10, be retained in office?
No.
Shall THOMAS H. BORNHOLDT, Olathe, District Judge, 10th District, Division 11, be retained in office?
No.
Shall KEVIN P. MORIARTY, Lenexa, District Judge, 10th District, Division 14, be retained in office?
No.
Shall DANIEL W. VOKINS, Olathe, District Magistrate Judge, 10th District, Position 4, be retained in office?
No.
JOHNSON COUNTY
Shall the following be adopted? Shall the Johnson County Park and Recreation District issue general obligation bonds in an amount not to exceed $75,000,000 to acquire land for park purposes within the boundaries of Unified School District No. 229, Johnson County, State of Kansas (Blue Valley School District), and to develop thereon soccer fields, training and community facilities, concessions, restrooms, general maintenance facilities and all related appurtenances, all pursuant to K.S.A. 19-2862j, K.S.A. 19-2874 and K.S.A. 10-101 et seq.?
NO. Soccer sucks and I don’t want to pay for it.
USD 229 BLUE VALLEY
Shall the following be adopted? “Shall the Board of Education of Blue Valley Unified School District No. 229, Johnson County, Kansas, be authorized to increase its local option budget for the 2007-2008 school year by an additional 1% of its state financial aid and be continuously and permanently authorized to adopt a local option budget, for the 2007-2008 school year and for each school year thereafter, in an amount not to exceed 31% of the amount of state financial aid determined for the current school year, for the purpose of using the additional local option budget authority for student instruction?”
YES. Seems ok to spend their grant money any way they want.
How can you be a libertarian? Why don’t you just surrender yourself at the gates of corporate control? The notion that individual freedom comes about through less governmental control is completely flawed. The government is mostly crap, but it’s the only check we have against complete loss of rights in the hands of a deregulated market, which would allow for the rape of both the environment and the workers. Your system of thought is a fat cat business man’s wet dream founded in a cloud of dreamland delusion where you have some sort of ultimate faith in both the market and the individual. Just look at the election process for proof of the sort of outcome this will allow: all the Republicans are calling for deregulation because it will help big business buy their support. This is what you want. The best way to fix this is through careful regulation by the government. Otherwise, the people will never have a chance to have their voices heard; they will be drowned out by your so-called free market, where money wins over popularity. Please re-think your position.
The only threat to my freedom is the Federal government. Only the Federal government can take my right to free speech away. Only the Federal government can take away habeus corpus. I don’t believe in a nanny state sorry.
If anyone would like to see how Shane’s better half swings, my picks are up at http://www.kellygarbato.com/blog/2006-11-04/. And Donnie, I’m with ya on the whole libertarian thing. He means well, though.