Politics 2000

First, condolences to those affected by the shootings at Fort Hood and at the Orlando office building this week. Such sad, senseless events.

The House Rules Committee adjourned shortly before 2 a.m. eastern. The committee had been considering amendments that will be put into the health care bill. It also decided the rules by which debate on the House floor will be allowed. In contrast, the Senate allows for near-unlimited debate without a successful cloture vote.

The House will be in session Saturday at 9 a.m. eastern. Tomorrow’s session is a rarity. Typically, Congress does most of its business from Tuesday to Thursday so members can be at home Friday through Monday in order to talk to constituents.

The House passed a resolution Friday to adjourn until Nov. 16 as soon as the health care bill is passed. It’s clear Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Democratic leadership wants to hurry final passage of the legislation through the chamber before members are allowed to take another week-long barrage of angry messages from voters.

The U.S. unemployment rate spiked to 10.2 percent, according to the jobs report released today. Ten percent had been considered a psychological barrier. The figure is the worse since 1983.

Many economists say employment is a lagging indicator of a recovery. In other words, just about everything else will improve because businesses finally decide to hire more people. Retailers are expecting another rough year, considering the number of sales already advertised.

Change was the prevailing theme of Election Day this year. The governorships of New Jersey and Virginia switched parties to Republican. The hotly-contested 23rd New York Congressional District elected a Democrat for the first time since the 19th century.

In New Jersey, Christopher Christie defeated incumbent Gov. Jon Corzine, 49 to 45 percent, with 99 percent of precincts reporting. In Virginia, Bob McDonnell cruised past Creigh Deeds, 59 to 41 percent, with 99 percent reporting.

Mayors generally bucked the anti-incumbent mood. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg was elected to a third term after getting the city’s term-limit law changed. Bloomberg edged William Thompson, 51 to 46 percent. Boston Mayor Thomas Menino earned an unprecedented fifth term by defeating Michael Flaherty, 57 to 42 percent. Detroit Mayor Dave Bing was elected to a full term after replacing convicted felon Kwame Kilpatrick.

John Garamendi leads David Farmer in the 10th California House race, 55 to 40 percent, with 59 percent reporting. Bill Owens edged Doug Hoffman, 49 to 46 percent, in the 23rd New York House election.

All 11 of Texas’s propositions were approved as were all three of Ohio’s measures and both of New York’s constitutional amendments. New Jersey’s “Open State Bonds” question leads, 52 to 48 percent, with 90 percent reporting.

Washington’s Referendum 71, which allows domestic partnerships in the state, passed 51 to 49 percent. Senate Bill 5688 had been sent to a veto referendum thanks to more than 120,000 signatures opposing the law. Had a majority voted no, the bill would not have taken effect. Initiative 1033, which would have capped government spending increases to the rate of inflation and population growth, failed 55 to 45 percent.

The headlining items on Tuesday’s ballot are probably the governor’s races in New Jersey and in Virginia. President Obama carried both states last year but Republicans are confident in both contests. More so in Virginia where Republican former state attorney general Bob McDonnell leads Democratic state senator Creigh Deeds in polling. Virginia is unique that governors are allowed to serve one four-year term.

New Jersey’s incumbent governor, Democrat Jon Corzine, is seeking re-election tomorrow. However, he trails Republican Christopher Christie, a former U.S. Attorney, slightly. Independent Chris Daggett, a former governor’s chief of staff, is also expected to garner a lot of votes. Pundits are looking at the two races as a gauge to what will happen during next year’s midterm election. Expect the winning party to proclaim the beginning of a positive trend. Anticipate the losing party saying Tuesday means nothing in the big picture.

There will be two House seats filled tomorrow. One is the 10th district in California. Democratic Rep. Ellen Tauscher resigned to become the Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security. The district lies in the East Bay, slightly east of San Francisco. A Democratic stronghold since the 2002 redistricting, longtime politician John Garamendi led Republican lawyer/author David Harmer in the most recent polling.

The 23rd district in New York has gathered more national attention. Republican Rep. John McHugh quit to become Secretary of the Army. The northern district borders Canada and includes Oswego and Plattsburgh. By law, there was no primary to fill the open House seat. Five state parties nominated three people. The Democratic and Working Families parties chose attorney/businessman Bill Owens. The Republican and Independence parties tabbed state Assembly member Dede Scozzafava. The Conservative Party selected businessman/accountant Doug Hoffman.

The district is a longtime Republican stronghold. However, having both Scozzafava and Hoffman on the ballot was splitting the vote. Owens has led narrowly in polling. Scozzafava, more moderate than Hoffman and badly trailing both men, officially suspended her campaign Saturday. In essence, she dropped out of the race but it’s too late to pull her name from the ballot. Some people undoubtedly voted for her via absentee balloting before the weekend and others will choose her without hearing that she quit the campaign.

The national Republican Party backed Scozzafava until her suspension. Now its resources have shifted to Hoffman. Locals are complaining about the heavy influx of outsiders trying to influence their race. Residents forget they aren’t choosing a city alderman, a state legislator or even a governor. The person they send to the House will influence the entire country through his words and votes so of course political insiders throughout the land are paying attention.

There will be 26 statewide ballot measures Tuesday. According to Ballotpedia, 26 is the fewest total measures in 20 years. Maine will have seven “questions.”

Question 1: Would repeal the new same-sex marriage law
Question 2: Would reduce taxes for people who follow certain energy reduction requirements
Question 3: Would repeal the school district restructuring law
Question 4: Would tie governmental spending increases to inflation and population increases
Question 5: Would decriminalize medical marijuana
Question 6: Would allow the issuance of $71.25 million in bonds for transportation and energy projects
Question 7: Would extend the time allowed to certify signatures for future questions

New Jersey has one measure, Open Space Bonds, that would issue $400 million in bonds for open space, farmland and historic area preservation. New York has two “proposals.” Proposal 1 would retroactively approve a power line along State Route 56 on six acres of forest preserve land. Proposal 2 would allow state prisoners to perform volunteer work for nonprofit organizations.

Ohio has three “issues.” Issue 1 would allow the issuance of $200 million in bonds to compensate recent war veterans who are state residents. Issue 2 would establish a board to set livestock care standards. Issue 3 would permit casinos in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus and Toledo. Washington has two measures. Initiative 1033 would limit growth of select state, county and city revenue to the annual rate of inflation and population growth. Referendum 71 would expand domestic partnership rights.

Finally, Texas has 11 “propositions.”

Proposition 1: Would allow a county or city to issue bonds to finance buying open spaces near military installations as “buffer zones” safe from development
Proposition 2: Would call for residences to face property tax valuations as homes even if better uses for the property may exist
Proposition 3: Would offer a uniform standard by which properties are taxed across the state
Proposition 4: Would replace the state’s higher education fund with an independent research fund in hopes that seven public universities would become “nationally-prominent research universities”
Proposition 5: Would establish one board of equalization for adjoining properties
Proposition 6: Would allow the use of bonds to sell homes to veterans who are state residents
Proposition 7: Would permit state militia members to hold another civil office
Proposition 8: Would authorize the state to build more veterans’ hospitals
Proposition 9: Would guarantee the right of access to public beaches
Proposition 10: Would fix terms of emergency service district members to four years
Proposition 11: Would bar the government from buying private land for non-public use