My Contributions to Greater Things: Blood and a Ballot

I was of voting age in the fall of 2002, but the first election I voted in was the 2004 presidential race between Kerry and Bush. I voted for Kerry. But one has to stop and think: given the state of things now, was it better that it happened that way? That is to say, that Bush won, and subsequently, Obama is now our president. I guess we'll never know.

I didn't really get into politics until after I graduated from college in the spring of 2007. As to why that is, I'm not really sure. I know I wasted most of my time during college, and I could have walked away from it with so much more, but you live and learn.

I can't speak for the past generations, but there is definitely a deeply rooted apathy with regards to civic participation amongst many of my peers, and it drives me nuts. However, I know that I surround myself with people who will actually listen to me, and they know that I do my homework. If I think something is important, they're going to take notice if I keep mentioning it over and over again. (See here, here, here, here, here, and here). So, I'm not just working for my own purpose, I'm working for everyone else. I think that's a valuable thing to offer.

My other contribution was my (O-) blood; I'm a universal donor, and anyone can receive my blood. Sadly, as a practicing homosexual, I am banned from donating blood ever again. Although, things may change in the future.

Some Thoughts Concerning Youth Activism

It frightens me that people believe that creating and/or becoming "fans" of Facebook (or other online groups) will bring about any real change in this world. Filling in some boxes on a ballot will do more than clicking a button. Think about it.

Choosing The Lesser Of Two Evils

People complain that they don't vote because they have to choose between the lesser of two evils (or something to that effect). They wouldn't be necessarily in that difficult position if they focused more on the primary elections. We have eight candidates running for King County executive, eight for Seattle City Mayor, five for Seattle City Council Position No. 4, six for Seattle City Council Position No. 8, and several other races where there are at least three candidates. You have choices, but when you don't act on them, it's your own fault for what the general election offers. The majority of voters from the August 2008 primary were ages 65 & older (72%). Compare that to the 18 to 24 year olds (18%) and the 25 - 34 year olds (19%).

The one saving grace is that a significant increase in voter turnout occurred for the November 4th general election. This is no doubt due to the presidential election (Obama/Biden vs. McCain/Palin). For Washington State registered voters, the general election produced:

• 18 - 24: 68% voter turnout
• 25 - 34: 74% voter turnout
• 35 - 44: 82% voter turnout
• 45 - 54: 87% voter turnout
• 55 - 64: 91% voter turnout
• 65+: 91% voter turnout

If we could only generate these levels of voter turnout in every election, we might come off as more of a democratic society.

Did You Know That There's A Local Election Today?

Well, there is! And you should vote, if you can. King County Executive, Seattle City Council, Seattle Mayor, Referendum 1 (the bag fee), and more are all up for a vote. Your mail-in ballot needs to be postmarked today. This is an important election. So stop your bitching and moaning, get off your ass, and perform your civic duty! My primary endorsements are here.

Lacking Creativity's August 18th Primary Endorsements

As listed in order on the ballot*:

King County Executive - Dow Constantine

Court of Appeals, Div. No. 1, Dist. No. 1, Judge Position No. 3 - Anne L. Ellington

Port of Seattle Commissioner Position No. 3 - Al Yuen

Port of Seattle Commissioner Position No. 4 - Tom Albro

City of Seattle, Mayor - Mike McGinn

City of Seattle, Council Position No. 4 - Sally Bagshaw

City of Seattle, Council Position No. 6 - Nick Licata

City of Seattle, Council Position No. 8 - Mike O'Brien

City of Seattle, Referendum No. 1 - Rejected (No)

Seattle School District No. 1, Director District No. 5 - Mary E. Bass

The mail-in primary is August 18th. Vote!

*Your ballot may be different depending on where you reside.

It's An Election Year In Seattle

Okay, so you went to the polls back in November to vote for national (and some local) change, but we have more elections coming this fall. The Seattle School Board Position 5, Seattle Council Positions 2, 4, 6, and 8, and Seattle Mayor are all up for grabs. There are a total of 28 candidates running for any of those offices. Mary Bass, Richard Conlin, Nick Licata, and Greg Nickels are all up for re-election for SB5, SCP 2, SCP 6, and SM, respectively.

The role these offices play in Seattle are integral and should not be taken lightly. Education, budgets, transit, et al., are all things that get determined by the people we elect into these positions. Therefore, I highly recommend you attend the Seattle Candidate Forum at the Mt. Zion Baptist Church Monday, July 27th, from 6-9 pm. A flyer with all the information is here.

In addition to these city positions, the August 18th primary will include County, City, Judicial, School, and District elections as well. It's time to do your proverbial homework. Read up on these candidate. What can they do? What experience do they have? What does their record indicate? You can see the full list of candidates here. The general election information is here.