The Burrow

The doorbell rang during dinner last night.  A skinny, middle aged, white guy in shorts and a funny cap stood a respectful distance from the open door.  He was representing  Your Vote Your Voice .  He wanted to be certain that TBG and I (reading our full names off his phone) had received our mail in ballots and that we knew that yesterday was the last day to mail them in. Yes to everything, said I.  Did he know where the nearest ballot drop off box was located?  He fumbled with his phone for a while as I wondered why he wasn't prepared with that crucial information before he rang my bell.  Eventually, I told him that I'd look it up myself, I thanked him for his efforts, and I went back in to finish my dinner. It was a valiant effort.  It just didn't add much to my voting experience.   The County Recorder's website is new and improved with a just-elected young woman running the show.  It's flashy and happy and it took me waaaaaay lon...

This was all of yesterday's mail. Only one of the candidates identifies with a party (Democrat).  Planned Parenthood is highlighted (a good thing) but other than that there are just buzz words to consider. There are alliances forged on walking neighborhoods and knocking on doors together.  Does liking one of those candidates mean I should lean toward the others?   Do I vote for my young friend, who will answer the phone if I call, or do I vote for a more traditionally seasoned candidate who might be perceived as more competent? I have strong feelings for some races, and no idea at all about others.  The Voter's Guide is my go-to bathroom reading; it's as good a place as any to ponder.  The statements aren't that interesting, but they are a good place to start for the basics.   The number of Republican candidates railing against woke investments (whatever they are; our socially responsible portfolio has outperformed the market for several years now...

The young woman behind the counter was waiting for me today . "I didn't get to the website you gave me, but I have the next few days off and I'm on it." VoteSaveAmerica.com will be there when she's ready, I assured her. "There are a lot of people running, and a lot of propositions."  She did not look thrilled. "Pick an issue you care about and google it with a candidate's name.  That's a good place to start." A smile lit her face; this was within her wheelhouse. I gave her some stickers, for herself, her friends, and their cars.  She agreed that it was her generation's responsibility to care for their future.  She was grinning as we talked about rallying her friends to go to the polls. I left with a big smile on my face. Now, I'm off to write postcards to get out the vote for Stacey Abrams, my own small contribution to counter the voter suppression tactics of her opponent.  I'm still showing off the felt #In...

That's what I asked the 20-something behind the counter, after I placed my order.  With a big smile, she nodded and said YES! I leaned over and asked the girl beside her.  She, too, was registered.  The boy to their left just wasn't sure if he'd ever registered, or why he would bother.  I went into my "All those girls you don't get  pregnant?  That's because birth control is legal, now.  I bet you care about that, right?"  spiel, and he laughed and agreed that he did.  His colleague was flummoxed.  What did voting have to do with that?  And anyway, didn't we just have an election?  Is there one in this state?  Why?  The President is in for 4 years, and it hasn't been 4 years... has it? I smiled.  I nodded.  I tried not to think about what she hadn't been taught in school.  I explained about the House and the Senate and why they might be important in the overall scheme of things.  I wondere...

Sarah Garrecht Gassen called them out on Thursday .  Writing her weekly, bylined, column in the Arizona Daily Star, she laid the responsibility - dare I say blame? - for the sorry state of Arizona politics at the feet of mainstream Republican voters. They don't turn out to cast their ballots. Instead, they allow gubernatorial candidates like Christine Jones and Scott Smith and Doug Ducey to pledge No New Taxes and promise to Permanently Seal the Border and Send Obama the Bill. Candidates like Ken Bennett, with real records to stand upon and real plans for the future, are ignored in the more media-friendly outpouring of vitriol. Who wants to listen to detail when there's screaming all around? For the details on Arizona, click through to the link .  My interest in the article was less geographic-specific and more global.  Why would anyone opt out of the process? Perhaps it is generational.  I was 19 when the 26th Amendment was ratified; my college friends wer...

I am many things to many people. Mom. Friend. Hiking Buddy. Babysitter. Weighlifting Partner. Wife. Recently, though, I seem to have added another title - Reliable Informant. There were inklings of my new status while I lived in Marin. Around election time, people would begin to ask me " Who should I vote for?" Not "For whom are you voting?" Nope, they were asking me for the name they'd put on their ballot. We've all done it. Does your neighbor work in the courthouse? I bet you've asked her for recommendations on judges and district attorneys before you made your decision. I looked at my questioners in the same light. They knew I attended School Board meetings even before I was elected to serve. Closeness to the operation in question seems to be the go-to point when information can't be found elsewhere, I guess. And so often, especially on small local boards, the ability to get along with one another is the difference between success and or dissensi...