Election Day Today

Voting

I feel like complaining about this.

Look at this!!! It’s two, not one, but TWO ballots!!! And what am I voting on? 3 measures (actual topics of discussion for which my vote and opinion are of import) and 20 office positions strangers I have never met or affiliated with are nominated for. 

The measures are no-brainers:

-Do you think homeless veterans who risked their lives to serve their country should be house or left out in the cold to suffer you ungrateful jerk? 

-Do you think people should have access to public records so that should the government do anything shady the public can hold it accountable because it has access to data, facts, and proof of its corruption?

-Do you think local libraries should continue to be funded as they have since their inception so people from all walks of life can have access to valuable information they might otherwise not have access to? 

But how do you decide who to vote for???! WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE???!

4 nomination categories are easy –there’s only 1 person nominated for each position so congratulations: Larry Stone, Stuart Scott, Ken Yeager, and Jeff Rosen. 

Voting for Mayor is the only other easy one because I’ve met his amazing wife because she has helped run the At-Risk Youth Mentoring Program I’ve been a part of for this past year. His wife has worked with the program for 10+ years and he has funded and supported it just as long. Done! Consider yourself mayor, Dave Cortese. 

The rest of these people are complete and utter strangers –as are some of the positions they are nominated for. 

“Super Intendant of Public Instruction”.

What the hell is that?

“Controller”.

Of WHAT?...

“Member of the State Board of Equalization”.

There’s a Board of Equalization? What are they equalizing?

I think they’re just making things up.

And then there is the “Party Preference” each candidate is affiliated with:

-Democratic

-Republican

-Libertarian

-Peace and Freedom

-Green

-None

-Americans Elect

They may as well throw “Fiesta at the Beach” in there.

Or “Celestial Embracer of Justice”.

I have no idea how I’m supposed to find out who is the best person to fill an office position I know nothing about. It’s like voting for which character from that fiction-based show you don’t watch should be exiled to the imaginary land they’re all avoiding. Arnold Schwarzenegger is going to Gotham to fill the position of “Mr. Freeze”.

Then my mind tells me, But Jessica, you can decide who the best candidate is based on what they currently do for a living. Ok brain, let’s check out their current professions. 

-Golf Course Operator

No…

-Psychologist/ Farmer

Strange, yet impressive… 

-Author/Community Organizer

Awesome! But is it legit?

For instance someone can self-publish a book called “What I Know” and then get a group of people together to write their memoirs as well while simultaneously trying to get the participants of that group to buy his self-published book and then call that “community organizing”. 

-Student

You’re a student?! Your job is that you’re in college??? Wow… 

-Father/Software Developer

How Silicon Valley of you… 

-“Mayor/ Business Person”  verses “California Estate Assemblyman”

Oh dang we got ourselves a showdown… 

-Organic Foods Manager

This isn’t an application for Safeway… 

-Healthcare Website Publisher 

Ok… were you by any chance working on the Obamacare website recently?

-Pediatrician/Attorney 

Weird… yet impressive

 

-Project Funding CEO

So your business is that you find ways to fund things. Sold! Make sure you focus on funding our education system, infrastructure, and non-profit causes that support the community.