My 2016 votes

Here is how I plan to vote this year. If you happen to live in Savannah, Georgia, your ballot options may be similar to mine.

Note that I am not going to discuss unopposed candidates. Personally, I refuse to vote for an unopposed candidate. I skip over them in discussion, and I skip over them when voting. Unopposed candidates prove that the criteria required for getting your name on a ballot are far too steep for certain positions.

President: Gary Johnson (Libertarian). I discussed this Monday. Read it here.

U.S. Senator: Allen Buckley (Libertarian). While I disagree with Buckley's gun control views, and his idea for replacing Obamacare isn't that good in my opinion, he is still a better candidate overall than Republican Johnny Isakson (who is tolerable, but is too pro-war for my tastes, and lacks definition to what he wants to have to replace Obamacare). I wouldn't even consider voting for a national Democrat like Jim Barksdale. The Democrats, otherwise known as the party of unrepentant criminals, won't be getting my vote any time soon.

Public Service Commissioner: Tim Echols (Republican). After watching the debate below (which was surprisingly cordial), I have to go with the incumbent, who speaks intelligently on the topics, and who has a good track record. Eric Hoskins, the Libertarian, seems like a nice guy, but I just don't see a reason to make a change in this office.


Sheriff: John T. Wilcher (Republican). I don't have any issues with law enforcement in Chatham County currently, so the incumbent gets my vote.

Coroner: Not voting. In the first place, the coroner is an elected office? Really? I have absolutely no qualifications to determine what makes a good or bad coroner. But I am pretty sure political party affiliation has absolutely nothing to do with it.

Coastal Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor: Not voting. Yet another position where I have no qualification to judge whether the people running are good or bad.

On the matter of proposed state constitutional amendments:

1. "Shall the Constitution of Georgia be
amended to allow the state to intervene in
chronically failing public schools in order
to improve student performance?": Absolutely not! Handing more power over to the state or the federal government is a proven failed solution. Higher level politicians have no better clue as to what a good school should be than the average taxi driver. If they want to give out education vouchers to parents, that is the better solution.

2. "Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended
to allow additional penalties for criminal cases
in which a person is adjudged guilty of keeping
a place of prostitution, pimping, pandering,
pandering by compulsion, solicitation of
sodomy, masturbation for hire, trafficking of
persons for sexual servitude, or sexual
exploitation of children and to allow
assessments on adult entertainment
establishments to fund the Safe Harbor for
Sexually Exploited Children Fund to pay for
care and rehabilitative and social services for
individuals in this state who have been or may
be sexually exploited?": This sounds good until you get to the "allow assessments on adult entertainment establishments". Legal establishments should not be targeted with sin taxes like this. In general, if you cannot tax everyone to pay for something, don't tax at all. Taxes, like rights, should apply to everyone. I will be voting "no".

3. "Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended
so as to abolish the existing Judicial
Qualifications Commission; require the General
Assembly to create and provide by general law
for the composition, manner of appointment,
and governance of a new Judicial Qualifications
Commission, with such commission having the
power to discipline, remove, and cause
involuntary retirement of judges; require the
Judicial Qualifications Commission to have
procedures that provide for due process of law
and review by the Supreme Court of its
advisory opinions; and allow the Judicial
Qualifications Commission to be open to the
public in some manner?": While this seems like a reasonable idea on the surface, I really don't carry a strong opinion. I will leave it to people who know more about this to decide the issue. I am not voting on this. This is a good example where not voting is also an informed decision. If you aren't sure, it is better to not vote at all.

4. "Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended
so as to provide that the proceeds of excise
taxes on the sale of fireworks or consumer
fireworks be dedicated to the funding of trauma
care, firefighter equipping and training, and
local public safety purposes?": See number 2 above. These public services should be paid by everyone, not just consumers of fireworks. I am voting "no".

Finally, there is one special purpose county law being considered on the ballot:

1. "Shall a 1% Educational Sales Tax be imposed
and continued for a period of time not to exceed
20 calendar quarters in the Chatham County
School District in order to raise not more than
$382,000,000 for the purposes of (a) building,
replacing, renovating, and upgrading schools
and other School District facilities in the
Chatham County School District and acquiring
any necessary property, both real and personal,
and equipment relating thereto, including, but
not limited to, classroom furniture,
transportation equipment, technology
improvements, physical education/athletic
facilities, safety and security equipment, food
service equipment, heating and air conditioning
systems, roofing, mechanical and similar
equipment, and (b) paying principal and interest
on previously incurred general obligation debt
in the maximum amount of $27,000,000. If
imposition of the Tax is approved by the voters,
such vote shall also constitute approval of the
issuance of general obligation debt of the
Chatham County School District in the principal
amount of $200,000,000 for the purpose set
forth in (a) above.": No. Frankly, the Chatham County School District is a disgrace, and I wouldn't give them a dime more until they learn how to use the money they have. With as much money as Chatham gets from tourism sales taxes, this school district should be exceptional. Instead, it is epically bad.