Ranger Bob's Missouri Voting Guide

 

by Pa Rock

Missouri Voter

(Note:  This blog's good friend, Ranger Bob Randall, has been dealing with some health issues of late and not feeling too perky, so I was both surprised and pleased to find the following commentary on Missouri Voting from him in my email in-box yesterday evening.  Bob had just received his absentee ballot for the general election in the mail and was preparing to mark it -  and as he reviewed the ballot the retired National Park Ranger banged some commentary into the email machine and gave me permission to reprint it here.  Bob's musings serve as a voting guide, of sorts, especially with his insights into the Missouri initiatives which are on this year's ballot.  He has done his research.

For what it's worth - and that is admittedly not much - my own views on the candidates and the issues match Ranger Bob's from one end of the ballot to the other, a fact which pushed my desire to share Bob's political musings.  If you, too, find yourself agreeing with what he has to say, please do not hesitate to share a link to today's blog with any potential voters - especially if they live in the show-me state.

Thanks, Ranger Bob, for penning today's post!  

Pa Rock)

Ranger Bob's Missouri Voting Guide

by Bob Randall

I opened my absentee ballot. The first part is easy. Kamala, Tim,
Lucas, Crystal, and whoever those people whose last names were DEM.
It was a little harder for locals. Should I leave them blank or write
in someone's name. Last time around, a friend wrote in my name for
President. I didn't win but I got a vote. 

The amendments are off to a bad start. Amendment 2 is about sports
betting. I don't care if people want to bet on anything from jumping
frogs to presidential elections. Both are poor excuses for sports but
that's not a problem. While gambling can become addictive when, well,
let's just blame it on the feel good hormone, dopamine. How can you
prevent gambling addiction? Throw money at it, I guess. The Amendment
will create a Compulsive Gaming Prevention Fund. Since the feel good
hormone is probably responsible for sex addiction, I wonder what will
be next. Maybe a similar fund if Amendment 3 concerning abortion
passes. So the real problem with deciding how to vote on Amendment Two
is money. I suspect that the authors of the amendment language stand
to make a lot of money if it is approved. That's still not the
problem. How much will go to education? Now there's the problem. I'm
genuinely concerned about the loopholes. The Missouri Auditor's fiscal
note is here: https://auditor.mo.gov/FiscalNote/ViewFiscalNoteFile/1528.
I have often told myself that I shouldn't let the perfect be the enemy
of the good. Anguish and hand-wringing. I'm pulling the lever for NO.
Actually, I'm filling in an oval with ink which has much less drama
than pulling levers. Let some honest people rewrite the thing and I'll
vote YES.

Amendment 3 is a no brainer. Get the government out of the bedroom.

Amendment 5 is similar to Amendment 2, as long as you don't strain
your eyes. It's about river boat gambling at the Lake of the Ozarks.
You just know this was written by big money and likely is flawed. I
admit that I did not do research before writing the previous sentence.
Another thing that sticks in my craw is that years ago in the early
2000's, Rockaway Beach tried for a casino but it was turned down. I
have mixed feelings. Was it turned down because it was a flawed deal
or was it nixed by the morals of the Blue Vatican that makes its
worldwide headquarters in SW MO? I don't know but I feel like little
old Rockaway Beach deserves its due.

Amendment 6 is generally about funding law enforcement retirement
benefits. I support that idea but not the way it will work if the
amendment passes. It will be funded by levying costs and fees.
Ballotpedia says it "would reinstate a set of perverse incentives that
tie pension contributions to the volume of arrests, prosecutions, and
other aspects of the criminal justice system." What's that? An
incentive for arrests and prosecutions. Nah!

https://ballotpedia.org/Missouri_Amendment_6,_Levying_of_Fees_to_Support_Salaries_of_Law_Enforcement_Personnel_Amendment_(2024)

Constitutional Amendment 7 is one of the worst of all on the ballot.
It mixes citizenship requirements to vote which are already state law
with a prohibition of Ranked Choice Voting. To me Ranked Choice Voting
is a no-brainer that supports democracy over partisanship. It could
help break us away from the two-party stranglehold and maybe propel us
to ditching the Electoral College. I think this amendment is a ringer.
Say something about citizenship requirements for voting and voters
will vote yes without reading the rest of it. And notice that it is
the last constitutional amendment on the ballot. I'm tired of writing
this by now. I'm tired of reading the ballot by now. I'm wondering why
I even started writing this by now. I'm tired and cranky and this one
makes me even crankier. Damn politicians! I'm voting NO! I wonder if I
fill in the No oval and then add an exclamation mark it will void my
ballot. I better leave out the !

What to do about judges? In general, vote 'em out. If you have other
information about any one in particular, please share. As far as the
two Supremes, this reddit says they tried to keep the abortion
amendment off the ballot. Nuf said.

https://www.reddit.com/r/kansascity/comments/1fo8ogz/regardless_of_your_political_views_these_judges/#lightbox

And that will be how I mark my ballot, but I'm too tired so it will
have to wait until tomorrow. I will report back when the deed is done
and the ballot is hand-delivered to the county clerk's office. Yes,
it's an absentee ballot but I'm walking it in. I am at high risk for
pulmonary disease and I don't want to stand in another long, long line
of coughing rednecks who don't know that they'll be coming down with
COVID in two days.