When you vote, DO IT RIGHT!

Hey guys, it has come to my attention that some of you slackers out there aren't voting correctly. I am not talking about WHO you vote for , or HOW (like mail-in, or early, or on Tuesday), and am talking about lack of completion.

I know this is a tense and exciting time for all of us and some people have the attention span of a fruit fly, but seriously. Local issues and LOCAL POLITICIANS are just as important, nay MORE important than your Presidential hanging chad. Seriously, who do you think actually spends money in the United States Government? HINT: It's not the Vice President or the President. It's CONGRESS! They decide almost everything! Yes, the President has veto power, but hey if you took any government class you know that even the veto is not the end of the line. The Congress has the ability to override veto! Did you know that? Well you should! Because if you don't vote for your Senators (the Senate half of Congress, each state has TWO) or your Representative (the House of Representatives half, sometimes just called "the House" which does not mean the White House you dumbasses, and each state has a number based on their population.) then you are giving up MOST of your voting power!

Example: I live in Colorado. We have two Senators (of course) and one is Republican and one is Democratic. I think that is a good balance since we only get two.

We have seven Representatives*. Four are Dems, 3 GOP. This is a little more complicated because the districts are made roughly by population**. So the greater Denver Metro area, Boulder, and resorts (Summit County) have FIVE of the seven districts. The other two districts cover like 80% of the land area of Colorado. So if you live in Rangely or Craig, Grand Junction or Durango, you all have the same Rep (District 3). Fort Collins and Sterling and Buena Vista have the same Rep (District 4). Which means that a lot of the time, you could end up being represented by someone you don't agree with politically.

Alaska, Delaware, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming -- you only have to vote for one Representative! So it is EVEN MORE IMPERATIVE that you vote. Three people is all you get to make your say in Congress.

SO VOTE! For all of the people on the ballot! For all of the measures!!! The Blue Book has plain langauge, do some research, check out the pros and cons of different mill levys and tax increases. If you don't want more taxes, VOTE THAT WAY! If you want better schools, VOTE THAT WAY! If you want anything VOTE FOR IT! You don't live in the White House, and you live under State Law first! The fifty American states are separate sovereigns with their own state constitutions and state governments, so this is IMPORTANT.

Please don't mark your Presidential ticket and leave the rest unvoted. You are doing yourself, your kids, your dog, your cat, your roads, your drinking laws, your abortion statutes, your education funding, your gambling, your water, your sewage, your police department, all a disservice. For or against, vote what you believe. Or else shut the fuck up. The President is not the be all and end all of our laws and politics. They don't decide whether we get new buses versus new jails. YOU DO.

*You can only vote for the Rep of the District in which you live.
** well not really always by population, for more on this subject check out the term "gerrymandering".

Caucus is not a dirty word!

Hey ya'll!

As you may know Colorado does not have a primary vote this year, it is only a caucus. What is a caucus you ask?
A caucus is the best way to SEE your vote in action! You go to the caucus site for your party and for your voting precinct. Find out where that is (for my local peeps) at
http://www.co.larimer.co.us/ -- click on the 2008 Presidential Caucus link. This is for all viable Presidential Candidates!!

When you get to the caucus site, you will see a corner of the room (like a gym or something) marked with the name of each of the candidates for that party. (Democrats and Republicans are in separate rooms). You go stand by the name of the candidate you want your party to choose for their official candidate. Depending on how many people your candidate has, they may be eligible for one or more delegates to represent them at their party's National Convention. The candidate that has the most delegates wins!

Get it? SHOW UP, your hopeful gets delegates, delegates get them the nomination, the get to be on the November ballot! YOU DID IT!

NOTE: You must be registered with the party you are caucusing for as of Dec. 5th, 2007. If not, you may attend as an observer or I encourage you to spread the word and maybe offer babysitting or rides to the caucus!
You can wear whatever buttons or shirts to support your candidate you want at the caucus, you can chant and sing and dance! you can plaster the whole corner of the room with banners and crepe paper! balloons! cookies! CIRCUS ANIMALS!
IT IS FUN, PEOPLE!

I guarantee that your candidate wants you there even if they haven't told you that yet. Come be a part of the process!

Bear "I am not registered with my party but I have caucus cookies for EVERYONE!" Bonney