Here's how I voted
In Georgia, you can vote today, tomorrow, or Tuesday.
President/Vice President: Barack Obama/Joe Biden
For lots of reasons I'll try and articulate later.
US Senate: Jim Martin
This was partly a vote for Martin, who by all accounts from people I know who know him is a good man, but mostly a vote against Saxby Chambliss. This is vengeance against a dishonorable, disgusting politician. For all of Max Cleland's faults as a Senator, six years ago Saxby ran a campaign impugning Cleland's patriotism and loyalty to his country. This from a guy who, while Cleland was serving in Vietnam, was playing golf while avoiding service because of a football injury. That is not the act of a person I want representing the good people of Georgia - or me. During his six years, Saxby has been Bush and Cheney's butt monkey, a servile little weasel who did little more than cozy up to his Republican bosses. And if that weren't enough, his strident defense of Imperial Sugar against the whistleblower who exposed their utter disregard for their employees, resulting in the deaths of a dozen workers, is utterly despicable. That man cannot be trusted with any responsibility of representing or defending people.
Public Service Commission, District 1: John Monds
Incumbent Everett is a tool of the utilities, so I had to vote for Monds, a Libertarian. As an added bonus, if Monds gets more than 5% of the vote, the LP will qualify to be on the ballot in 2010. It's not that I’m a huge fan of the LP, but I think we need more than two parties around here.
Public Service Commission, District 4: Jim Powell
Powell, a Democrat, has been endorsed by the current holder of this seat, Republican Angela Spier, widely regarded as a voice for the consumer instead of the utilities the PSC regulates. Lauren "I Used to Be Bubba Back When I Was a Democrat" McDonald is heavily supported by the utilities the PSC regulates. By the way, today Powell won his legal battle against GOP Secretary of State Karen Handel when the Georgia Supreme Court unanimously found in his favor.
Court of Appeals:
Hell if I know. I went ahead and voted for current state Senator Michael Meyer von Bremen, but YMMV. Here's who you should NOT vote for: Perry McGuire and Mike Sheffield. They were the only two candidates for judge who responded to the Georgia Christian Alliance's "Voter's Guide." No way in hell should a judge be beholden to an ultra-religious group's concept of judicial morality. Any judge who thinks s/he has to answer to Sadie Fields is no one who should be on the bench.
Superior Court, Atlanta Circuit: Jackson Bedford
He's a bit loony, but fair. His opponent, Keisha Lance Bottoms, wants to publish the case count of each judge along with how many are resolved. I'm not sure this is such a good idea. Each case should be judged on its own merits, not according to some arbitrary quota-like system.
Superior Court, Atlanta Circuit: Mike Wallace (or Kelley Amanda Lee or Lawrence Cooper)
I suggest going to this page and reading what the candidates (all eight of them) have to say for themselves. I ended up voting for Wallace because I liked his answers. Lee sent up a red flag when she mentioned "legislating from the bench" but I know someone who knows her and she said Lee would be good. Too many of the others can't write coherently even for just a paragraph. I would hope that a judge has a sharp enough mind to perform so simple a task.
Fulton County State Court: Susan Edlein
Judge Edlein is the incumbent, though she's only been on the bench since the summer. According to the Loaf, she's backed by Shirley Franklin and other big names in the city (even though Edlein is the only white candidate). The other two candidates are qualified, but one (Wanda Dallas) claims to be "the only candidate who previously served as a Judge," even though she's running against the person who is the judge, and the other puts too much stock in her military service, as though it's some sort of trump card over any of her opponents' qualifications. If I'm going to vote against an incumbent, I need reasons better than those.
Fulton School Board: Linda P Bryant
I know next to nothing about the school board other than Fulton isn't Clayton. Thank God. I liked Bryant's answers on charter schools (make sure the local board has say so if local money is involved in the charter) and non-college prep courses (she's fought to keep art, PE, music, and the like).
Fulton County Sheriff: Theodore Jackson
Jackson is a former FBI agent; his opponent, Michael Rary, was a chief marshal. Both are qualified, but Rary is talking about privatizing too many aspects of the jail system. Some things just shouldn't be privatized, and citizens' safety is one of them. Either way, we're better off without the joker we have now.
Fulton County Surveyor: Bill Daniel
Seriously, I didn't even know we elected this position. Daniel is the incumbent and I haven't heard anything horrible about him. His opponent Robert Armstrong doesn't seem to have a real grasp of the position's exact duties.
Homestead exemptions: no
I always vote no on all these things. I rent, so any other tax increases required because of homestead exemptions will be dumped more on me. No thanks. Feel free to pick and choose. I usually vote "no" on letting seniors get away with living tax-free. Last time I checked, they use the roads and police and so on just like the rest of us.
Library bond: no
The library is just fine where it is. The city is practically broke, and we have other things to worry about. Let's put our money where it's needed, not where one city councilmember wants.
Amendment 1: yes
This is the tax break for forests. If the Sierra Club and the Chamber of Commerce is for it, who am I to argue?
Amendment 2: no
This is the TAD amendment that will pump money back into the Beltline, among many other future, unknowable projects. While I'm all for the Beltline (though as long as the CSX yard in Reynoldstown is part of the plan it will never, ever happen as envisioned), I can't swallow the thought of allowing money raised for school districts to be spent on anything other than education. You can argue all you want that redevelopment will spur increased tax revenues for the school districts, but that money won't go back to the district 1-for-1. Take education money out of the proposal, and I'm all for it. But if education money goes to anything other than education, I'm voting "no."
Amendment 3: no
This is the private cities amendment. I voted "no" only because there is no option for "hell no." Developed areas like Atlanta won't see any of this. The amendment and companion bill are for developers in rural areas; they'll be able to create their own little cities and enforce taxes on its businesses and residents. The county that houses them gets screwed. Dean of Georgia politics Bill Shipp sums it up here. Even some of the Republicans over on Peach Pundit don't like it.
President/Vice President: Barack Obama/Joe Biden
For lots of reasons I'll try and articulate later.
US Senate: Jim Martin
This was partly a vote for Martin, who by all accounts from people I know who know him is a good man, but mostly a vote against Saxby Chambliss. This is vengeance against a dishonorable, disgusting politician. For all of Max Cleland's faults as a Senator, six years ago Saxby ran a campaign impugning Cleland's patriotism and loyalty to his country. This from a guy who, while Cleland was serving in Vietnam, was playing golf while avoiding service because of a football injury. That is not the act of a person I want representing the good people of Georgia - or me. During his six years, Saxby has been Bush and Cheney's butt monkey, a servile little weasel who did little more than cozy up to his Republican bosses. And if that weren't enough, his strident defense of Imperial Sugar against the whistleblower who exposed their utter disregard for their employees, resulting in the deaths of a dozen workers, is utterly despicable. That man cannot be trusted with any responsibility of representing or defending people.
Public Service Commission, District 1: John Monds
Incumbent Everett is a tool of the utilities, so I had to vote for Monds, a Libertarian. As an added bonus, if Monds gets more than 5% of the vote, the LP will qualify to be on the ballot in 2010. It's not that I’m a huge fan of the LP, but I think we need more than two parties around here.
Public Service Commission, District 4: Jim Powell
Powell, a Democrat, has been endorsed by the current holder of this seat, Republican Angela Spier, widely regarded as a voice for the consumer instead of the utilities the PSC regulates. Lauren "I Used to Be Bubba Back When I Was a Democrat" McDonald is heavily supported by the utilities the PSC regulates. By the way, today Powell won his legal battle against GOP Secretary of State Karen Handel when the Georgia Supreme Court unanimously found in his favor.
Court of Appeals:
Hell if I know. I went ahead and voted for current state Senator Michael Meyer von Bremen, but YMMV. Here's who you should NOT vote for: Perry McGuire and Mike Sheffield. They were the only two candidates for judge who responded to the Georgia Christian Alliance's "Voter's Guide." No way in hell should a judge be beholden to an ultra-religious group's concept of judicial morality. Any judge who thinks s/he has to answer to Sadie Fields is no one who should be on the bench.
Superior Court, Atlanta Circuit: Jackson Bedford
He's a bit loony, but fair. His opponent, Keisha Lance Bottoms, wants to publish the case count of each judge along with how many are resolved. I'm not sure this is such a good idea. Each case should be judged on its own merits, not according to some arbitrary quota-like system.
Superior Court, Atlanta Circuit: Mike Wallace (or Kelley Amanda Lee or Lawrence Cooper)
I suggest going to this page and reading what the candidates (all eight of them) have to say for themselves. I ended up voting for Wallace because I liked his answers. Lee sent up a red flag when she mentioned "legislating from the bench" but I know someone who knows her and she said Lee would be good. Too many of the others can't write coherently even for just a paragraph. I would hope that a judge has a sharp enough mind to perform so simple a task.
Fulton County State Court: Susan Edlein
Judge Edlein is the incumbent, though she's only been on the bench since the summer. According to the Loaf, she's backed by Shirley Franklin and other big names in the city (even though Edlein is the only white candidate). The other two candidates are qualified, but one (Wanda Dallas) claims to be "the only candidate who previously served as a Judge," even though she's running against the person who is the judge, and the other puts too much stock in her military service, as though it's some sort of trump card over any of her opponents' qualifications. If I'm going to vote against an incumbent, I need reasons better than those.
Fulton School Board: Linda P Bryant
I know next to nothing about the school board other than Fulton isn't Clayton. Thank God. I liked Bryant's answers on charter schools (make sure the local board has say so if local money is involved in the charter) and non-college prep courses (she's fought to keep art, PE, music, and the like).
Fulton County Sheriff: Theodore Jackson
Jackson is a former FBI agent; his opponent, Michael Rary, was a chief marshal. Both are qualified, but Rary is talking about privatizing too many aspects of the jail system. Some things just shouldn't be privatized, and citizens' safety is one of them. Either way, we're better off without the joker we have now.
Fulton County Surveyor: Bill Daniel
Seriously, I didn't even know we elected this position. Daniel is the incumbent and I haven't heard anything horrible about him. His opponent Robert Armstrong doesn't seem to have a real grasp of the position's exact duties.
Homestead exemptions: no
I always vote no on all these things. I rent, so any other tax increases required because of homestead exemptions will be dumped more on me. No thanks. Feel free to pick and choose. I usually vote "no" on letting seniors get away with living tax-free. Last time I checked, they use the roads and police and so on just like the rest of us.
Library bond: no
The library is just fine where it is. The city is practically broke, and we have other things to worry about. Let's put our money where it's needed, not where one city councilmember wants.
Amendment 1: yes
This is the tax break for forests. If the Sierra Club and the Chamber of Commerce is for it, who am I to argue?
Amendment 2: no
This is the TAD amendment that will pump money back into the Beltline, among many other future, unknowable projects. While I'm all for the Beltline (though as long as the CSX yard in Reynoldstown is part of the plan it will never, ever happen as envisioned), I can't swallow the thought of allowing money raised for school districts to be spent on anything other than education. You can argue all you want that redevelopment will spur increased tax revenues for the school districts, but that money won't go back to the district 1-for-1. Take education money out of the proposal, and I'm all for it. But if education money goes to anything other than education, I'm voting "no."
Amendment 3: no
This is the private cities amendment. I voted "no" only because there is no option for "hell no." Developed areas like Atlanta won't see any of this. The amendment and companion bill are for developers in rural areas; they'll be able to create their own little cities and enforce taxes on its businesses and residents. The county that houses them gets screwed. Dean of Georgia politics Bill Shipp sums it up here. Even some of the Republicans over on Peach Pundit don't like it.