Friends have asked how I am voting. Here's the rundown for what it's worth. State Ballot Issues
* No on Amendment 64, Marijuana Legalization: It's tempting to agree that prohibition of pot has failed as badly as prohibition of alcohol, and should be ended. But if Colorado does so, locking it into the constitution is the wrong way to go. To my libertarian friends who say that how an adult besots himself is his business alone, I'd argue that widespread doping has huge social consequences which are within the state's police power to mitigate if we can.
* No on Amendment 65, Campaign Finance: This is a symbolic gesture aimed at making Congress narrow the scope of political free speech. Madison spins in his grave. Wrong goal and wrong approach, doubly misconceived.
* Yes on S, State Personnel Reform. Bipartisan support for this measure has long precedent. It went to the ballot when I was a senator, and unions defeated it. Unions are even more powerful now among Colorado's unaccountable bureaucrats. S will give our elected governor more authority to staff the executive branch for results as voters expect.
Local Ballot Issues
* No on school tax increases, in the Cherry Creek district where I live and all across Colorado. Schools have enough money, what they lack is freedom to succeed or fail. See "Won't Back Down" for dramatic proof.
* No on municipal tax increases, in Centennial where I live and all across the Colorado. Government at all levels across this country is over-funded and bloated. Show me one exception. Put'em all on a crash diet.
Judges for Retention
* I vote no on retention of all judges, for impersonal reasons of principle. Of course there are many worthy incumbents. But it's my conviction that America's entire judicial system, top to bottom in Colorado and other states, along with the federal judiciary, suffers from a "God complex" brought on by excessive public deference and weak systems of accountability. Let every judge on election night see a substantial protest vote from citizens. Some day I hope Colorado will lead the way on judicial term limits, a fight I led and lost on the 2006 ballot.
Nonpartisan RTD Board of Directors
* RTD is Colorado's fourth biggest government in terms of spending. Party affiliations are not used in these races, making it harder to gauge who is likely to be more fiscally conservative and market-minded, suspicious of government solutions and labor unions. Nine director seats are up this year. According to my research, the following candidates are best attuned to taxpayers and the private sector.
District E: Dave Williams District G: Jack O'Boyle District H: Kenny Mihalik District I: Jeff Ilseman District K: David Elliott District M: Natalie Menten I'm not unable to recommend anyone in Districts A, D, and F.
Partisan Candidate Races
* I will vote the straight Republican ticket exactly as I've done in 24 elections since 1966. Democrats, though mostly well-intended, are like quack doctors prescribing sugar shots to a diabetic. Their remedy on all issues, fiscal, social, constitutional, national security, cultural, is 180 degrees off target; couldn't be wronger.
Fire Obama, that failure, that fraud; keep Congress and the state House in GOP hands, and elect a Republican state Senate, in DC and Denver alike.
Thanks for reading this far. Comments, questions, and disagreements are always welcome.