Tom Riggins: The ballots are coming

The long-awaited general election ballots are here. If you haven’t received yours you need to check on it. Just a few comments on mail-in balloting. First, don’t confuse it with absentee ballots, where you must request the ballot and prove your voter registration in order to get a ballot mailed to you. I have already been told by several people that multiple ballots have been received. Married women have received ballots in both their maiden and married names. Others have received ballots for deceased family members. And no, I am not going to say what counties this happened in. Whether cheating occurs or not, the stage has been set to make it much easier to do so. The best way to assure your ballot arrives is to hand deliver it to a collection point or go to a polling place.

A few thoughts on the presidential race. The best the Democrats can do is a 78-year-old white man with signs of dementia and a vice president candidate who dropped out of the presidential primary before the first vote was cast. Their platform really isn’t one, except for tired old threats that Trump will make Social Security go away and your taxes go up, and that Trump is bad. The Social Security threat is an old one that was abandoned years ago because it never happened, and it never will. And Democrats are the tax increasers.

The Biden ads make me waver between laughing hysterically and throwing things. They are complete lies from start to finish. The only way Biden can say those things is if he doesn’t really know what he is saying. Buy American. Trump already instituted that. Increase middle class jobs. Trump already did that. Dare I say this, I am thinking the Biden/Harris ticket is a throwaway because internally the DNC doesn’t think it can win. The choice is clear for the direction of our country, especially with Ginsburg’s passing. Vote Trump or vote socialist.

At the state level, one of the most important races is for state Supreme Court. Usually it is difficult to find decision records on the candidates. In the Seat D race we have the legislative record of Fumo as a guide to his mindset. His record points to liberal ideals such as gun control, more government regulation, and higher taxes. You can find this out for yourself. Herndon has a reasonably visible record in the Eighth District Court as Chief Judge of the court’s Homicide Case Team. I recommend Herndon.

Mark Amodei has a proven record as our representative. I respect Janine Hansen on the Independent ticket but I just can’t see her getting enough votes to beat Amodei. Our state Assemblywoman, Dina Titus, is running unopposed. I have found her to be easily accessible and willing to listen.

Locally, the one contested Commissioner race is for District 3. I worked with Greg Koenig when we were on the school board together. We were in agreement on issues about 98 percent of the time and the disagreements were based on logic and fact, not emotion. I don’t know his opponent, Kelli Kelly, and somewhat lost track of the school board after I exited. My only observation is that Ms. Kelly seems to deliberately omit her party affiliation whenever possible. I don’t know the reason, but is raises questions for me. I firmly support of Mr. Koenig.

As I indicated, I have lost track of school board issues lately so I have no opinion on those running. I just find it sad that there are only five candidates for three positions.

There are five statewide ballot questions. Question Five was removed. I don’t have a position on Question Three. The remaining questions, One, Two, Four, and Six, all appear to me to be nothing more than attempting to add the liberal legislative agenda into our constitution. There doesn’t appear to be any logical reason to make the proposed changes. I am voting NO on all four of these.

The local Question One merely extends the existing property tax levy for the fire department. Having been the recipient of their services, they provide a vital service to the community and deserve the best equipment they can obtain. The alternative is a paid fire department, which would significantly increase your taxes. Vote YES.

As always, do your own research, ask questions, and vote accordingly. Don’t be a sheeple and rely on input from others. Be an informed voter.