Nick's 2006 Seattle voter guide

I know you've been waiting for it with bated breath. So without further adieu, going from more local to less local (all predictions made without looking at the poll numbers):

SEATTLE (CITY)
Referendum 1 - Adult Entertainment: NO.
This is pure puritan bullshit. Strippers are part of what makes this country great. Whoever sponsored this referendum needs to fuck off.

Prediction: NO. I don't think Seattle is that uptight. At least I hope not.

Initiative 91 - No Below Value Leases to Sports Teams: YES.
Meh. Fuck sports. The city needs the revenue, and even on the off-chance that it does drive away sports teams (which I doubt), the economic benefit of having them here is dubious anyway.

Prediction: NO. I think people are probably jittery about the Sonics leaving, and that will translate into a no vote on 91.

Proposition 1 - Transportation Funding: YES.
Yes, this money should come out of the general fund and not come from a levy, but the legislators aren't fucking funding this shit, so the money has to come from somewhere. Also, yay Robin Hood tax. :)

Prediction: YES. People likey their roads, and bikers likey their bike paths.


KING (COUNTY)
Proposition 1 - Sale of harbor property: Umm...yes?
This is a fantastic example of why voter propositions are dumb. I have no idea whether this is a good idea or not. It kind of smells like a real estate developer managed to get the ear of some councilperson, and the county will end up selling the land for too little, but who knows. Personally, I don't see why the county shouldn't just hang onto the land and continue to lease it as it will probably provide more money in the long term, but fuck...I don't know. King County should do whatever it thinks is best on this one.

Prediction: Aroo?

Proposition 2 - Public Transportation Sales and Use Tax: YES.
Yay public transportation.

Prediction: NO. I think people in this state are generally too libertarian to vote for something this progressive when it so directly affects their pocketbooks.

WASHINGTON (state)
Initiative 920 - Repeal of Estate Tax: NO.
Fucking Republicans.

Prediction: YES. I think Washington state is still too mired in the myth of the American Dream to vote this down. They'll view it as a tax on success.

Initiative 933 - Regulation of Private Property: NO.
Fucking land developers. Any time I read a rebuttal of the statement against and find the phrase, "I-933’s opponents will say anything to maintain big government control of private property," I know the people making that statement are full of shit.

Prediction: YES. I think people are shaky enough about the coverage of the Supreme Court case on eminent domain to vote for this as an obstacle to the gub'mint taking their land. That of course assumes they have memories that long...

Initiative 937 - Energy Conservation and Renewable Energy: YES.
Environmental no-brainer. If the fed isn't going to do this shit, guess the states have to...

Prediction: YES. Too easy to look at the gas prices on any street corner.

Joint Resolution 4223 - Personal Property Tax Exemption Increase: NO.
Honestly, I'm mostly being perverse. This is exactly the kind of shit that shouldn't be on a ballot. This is a budgetary issue that should be decided by the legislature. In principle, the state's hurting for money, and I don't feel like a tax repeal on property is the way to fix that right now, especially given the skyrocketing price of real estate.

Prediction: YES. Especially since there is no argument against published in the voter guide.


FEDERAL:
All Democrats. I don't see how anyone in their right mind could vote for a Republican this election. Honestly, can _you_ think of something they haven't screwed up?

Prediction: Democrats take the House, Republicans keep the Senate. Much as I dream that Republicans get their asses handed to them in both sides of Congress...