Votey-votey-vote-vote tomorrow!
Hey, everybody, it's votin' time tomorrow. Polls are open 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.; Google says they can find your polling place for you if you've forgotten. (You don't have to show ID to vote in Pennsylvania, unless it is your first time voting at this particular polling place. But the threshold documentation requirement is pretty low.)
Here's my voting guide for this round!
U.S. Senate -- Joe Sestak (D) is a veteran from Delaware County, endorsed by newspapers across the state. Pat Toomey is an extreme right-winger whose policy statements align with Rick Santorum's; he's a denier of anthropogenic global climate change, and he would both outlaw abortion completely and imprison the doctors who perform them. These are not reasonable positions. Vote reason! Vote Sestak.
Governor -- Dan Onorato (D) has the executive experience of having run Allegheny County (Pittsburgh), where he balanced the budget, eased the property tax burdens of middle-class families, and started green initiatives. Tom Corbett has won the endorsement of New Jersey governor Chris Christie, who just turned down about sixteen quadrillion federal aid dollars to build a tunnel that would create jobs for his state's unemployed and generate further jobs created by the future ease in commute between New York and New Jersey. We don't need that style of leadership in Pennsylvania. Vote Onorato!
Lieutenant Governor -- Scott Conklin (D) . . . oh, just vote the straight Democratic ticket for the state offices, wouldja already? There's too much "Pennsyltucky" right-wing nonsense in the General Assembly, and it needs to be countered by Democratic leadership in the Executive Branch.
U.S. House -- You know what to do. That's right. Hold your nose and vote Bob Brady (D). Unless you're in District 7, in which case would you please, for the love of all that is good and holy, vote Bryan Lentz (D) instead of Pat Meehan? Thanks.
General Assembly -- We really need to get more women in there. I read somewhere (but am too lazy to dig up the cite) that Pennsylvania is near the bottom of the lower 48 when it comes to the percentage of women we have in our state government. I'd run, you know, but they blew up the Chicken Man in Philly last night, yeah, they blew up his house, too. I'm so deeply, deeply not interested in getting into ward politics here; I'm happy to participate in non-partisan poll-watching and data-gathering instead.
Philadelphia Ballot Questions -- These are important! Especially the third one!
1. "Shall The Philadelphia Home Rule Charter be amended to confirm Council’s power to (i) require the City, its contractors and financial assistance recipients to provide employees a minimum level of pay and benefits, and (ii) provide that failure to comply with such requirements may temporarily prohibit a business from receiving City contracts or financial assistance; and to authorize Council to designate existing City agencies (including Council) or to create new agencies to enforce such provisions?"
I'm not a fan of this one, because it could prevent the city from doing business with companies for which it's prohibitive to offer whatever minimum level of pay and fringes City Council may mandate. And do we really need a bigger city government and more red tape to get work done or get a grant? I say vote No on Ballot Question 1.
2. "Shall The Philadelphia Home Rule Charter be amended to modernize the City’s procurement process, including by allowing for electronic bidding, electronic reverse auctions and electronic execution of contracts; for appropriate bidder security; and for cooperative purchasing; all to minimize the cost to the City of contracts?"
Heck, yes! Speed that process up and make it cheaper! This is a serious improvement to the city procurement process, so I say vote Yes on Ballot Question 2.
3. "Shall The Philadelphia Home Rule Charter be amended to add the following additional prohibited grounds for discrimination in City procurement contracts: discrimination on the basis of ancestry, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age or disability?"
This would bring Philadelphia into the same league as the other cities in the nation that have prohibited LGBT discrimination in city transactions. As far as I'm concerned it's the most meaningful and important ballot question in this election. Vote yes, yes, Yes on Ballot Question 3.
4. "Should the City of Philadelphia borrow one hundred six million six hundred ninety thousand dollars ($106,690,000.00) to be spent for and toward capital purposes as follows: Transit; Streets and Sanitation; Municipal Buildings; Parks, Recreation and Museums; and Economic and Community Development?"
I don't know if the bonds floated here would get federal matching funds or what, but you know, I like having my trash and recycling taken away weekly. Please vote Yes on Ballot Question 4.
Here's my voting guide for this round!
U.S. Senate -- Joe Sestak (D) is a veteran from Delaware County, endorsed by newspapers across the state. Pat Toomey is an extreme right-winger whose policy statements align with Rick Santorum's; he's a denier of anthropogenic global climate change, and he would both outlaw abortion completely and imprison the doctors who perform them. These are not reasonable positions. Vote reason! Vote Sestak.
Governor -- Dan Onorato (D) has the executive experience of having run Allegheny County (Pittsburgh), where he balanced the budget, eased the property tax burdens of middle-class families, and started green initiatives. Tom Corbett has won the endorsement of New Jersey governor Chris Christie, who just turned down about sixteen quadrillion federal aid dollars to build a tunnel that would create jobs for his state's unemployed and generate further jobs created by the future ease in commute between New York and New Jersey. We don't need that style of leadership in Pennsylvania. Vote Onorato!
Lieutenant Governor -- Scott Conklin (D) . . . oh, just vote the straight Democratic ticket for the state offices, wouldja already? There's too much "Pennsyltucky" right-wing nonsense in the General Assembly, and it needs to be countered by Democratic leadership in the Executive Branch.
U.S. House -- You know what to do. That's right. Hold your nose and vote Bob Brady (D). Unless you're in District 7, in which case would you please, for the love of all that is good and holy, vote Bryan Lentz (D) instead of Pat Meehan? Thanks.
General Assembly -- We really need to get more women in there. I read somewhere (but am too lazy to dig up the cite) that Pennsylvania is near the bottom of the lower 48 when it comes to the percentage of women we have in our state government. I'd run, you know, but they blew up the Chicken Man in Philly last night, yeah, they blew up his house, too. I'm so deeply, deeply not interested in getting into ward politics here; I'm happy to participate in non-partisan poll-watching and data-gathering instead.
Philadelphia Ballot Questions -- These are important! Especially the third one!
1. "Shall The Philadelphia Home Rule Charter be amended to confirm Council’s power to (i) require the City, its contractors and financial assistance recipients to provide employees a minimum level of pay and benefits, and (ii) provide that failure to comply with such requirements may temporarily prohibit a business from receiving City contracts or financial assistance; and to authorize Council to designate existing City agencies (including Council) or to create new agencies to enforce such provisions?"
I'm not a fan of this one, because it could prevent the city from doing business with companies for which it's prohibitive to offer whatever minimum level of pay and fringes City Council may mandate. And do we really need a bigger city government and more red tape to get work done or get a grant? I say vote No on Ballot Question 1.
2. "Shall The Philadelphia Home Rule Charter be amended to modernize the City’s procurement process, including by allowing for electronic bidding, electronic reverse auctions and electronic execution of contracts; for appropriate bidder security; and for cooperative purchasing; all to minimize the cost to the City of contracts?"
Heck, yes! Speed that process up and make it cheaper! This is a serious improvement to the city procurement process, so I say vote Yes on Ballot Question 2.
3. "Shall The Philadelphia Home Rule Charter be amended to add the following additional prohibited grounds for discrimination in City procurement contracts: discrimination on the basis of ancestry, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age or disability?"
This would bring Philadelphia into the same league as the other cities in the nation that have prohibited LGBT discrimination in city transactions. As far as I'm concerned it's the most meaningful and important ballot question in this election. Vote yes, yes, Yes on Ballot Question 3.
4. "Should the City of Philadelphia borrow one hundred six million six hundred ninety thousand dollars ($106,690,000.00) to be spent for and toward capital purposes as follows: Transit; Streets and Sanitation; Municipal Buildings; Parks, Recreation and Museums; and Economic and Community Development?"
I don't know if the bonds floated here would get federal matching funds or what, but you know, I like having my trash and recycling taken away weekly. Please vote Yes on Ballot Question 4.