The Jeff Recommends: Primary

So, tomorrow is a day we have been planning for at Grubb Street since the beginning of the month. I speak, of course, of Talk Like A Pirate Day.

I mean, whoever put a primary on that date must have been planning for some amusing victory speeches.

As a public service, I want to remind everyone who is voting, by absentee ballot or otherwise, to remember to choose you party affiliation. Due to the recent huggamugga regarding our formerly open primaries, our political parties do not trust the populace to vote their preferences, but to engage in chicanery. Chicanery is, of course, the provide of political parties, so we have to choose from the limited set of candidates they offer. Usually they offer only one candidate for a particular position, which makes such choices easy. And then they wonder why no one votes in primaries anymore.

So, starting with the important ones, Grubb Street endorses Judges Alexander, Owens and Chambers for the Supreme Court positions, as opposed to the guys that are not Judges. The odds are very good that at least one of these individuals will be bought out of their position through the deep pockets of the BIAW, but that's the problem with elections - the other side may have billboards, TV ads, hate radio, mailers, and really annoying ads before the movies (which will probably COST them votes), but at least the incumbents have small-time local bloggers. Every so often. IF they behave themselves.

For Senator (Democrat), let's go for Maria Cantwell. For Senator (GOP), I recommend the burning wreckage of the Mike McGavick campaign (though if you're looking to this journal for advice on Republican candidates, you may want to seek professional help). In one of many weirdnesses of the upcoming campaign, Cantwell's early ads push her as Tough in Homeland Security, while McGavick is running warm touchie-feelie ads that are soft on the issues.

Over in the US House race of the 8th, it going to be Dave Reichert versus Darcy Burner. Just get used to it. Incumbent Reichert got a fundraising visit from Karl Rove just last week, and, eager to show off what he learned, immediately blamed the problems of his tenure as King County Sherrif on the guy who hired him, Ron Sims. And soon after that, he got a big check from the NRCC to run attack ads on Burner. All of this is just coincidence.

Locally in the 47th, look to see more yard signs for Geoff Simpson and Pat Sullivan as they work to retain their seats. And for the state senator post, I am going to recommend Ed Crawford, though to be frank, I'll be just as happy with Claudia Kauffman. It is a choice between two very good candidates.

There are a couple other things out there right now. There is one for an additional tax levee to fund an Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) for King County. A noble goal, but it is odd that we can't find room in our ever-increasing budgets for this noble goal, and therefore have to pitch it to the commonwealth to give it a thumbs up. I'm not down with it, so I say No if I get a chance. On the other hand, there are several Fire Protection Districts that need a bit of boost as well, and though I'm not a member of any of them, I am more charitable and supportive, and say Yes.

And lastly there is a measure for the incorporation of Fairwood as a city, right next door to where we are. No, I'm not a part of that future community, being confined to the northern border of the future Greater Kent. but I would vote Yes on it. I think a local authority would have more say in its future, including its development future, than being part of a larger (though more well-funded) entity that tends to have its attention focused on Seahawk Training camps, possible Sonics stadiums, and driving herons out of the Black River.

So remember - Tomorrow, when you cast yer vote, matey, you have to tell them if you're a Dee or and ARRRRR!

Why yes, I WAS waiting two weeks for that joke. More later,