Wyoming Vote Tracker

Yes, after a couple days of posting press releases, I figured I’d wax eloquently (or should it be elephantly, given my party registration?).

• Park County Residents: Sample ballots for the upcoming General Election are available at the county courthouse, or online at parkcountyelections.net. It’s quite a ballot this year. My two biggest surprises are that the Constitution Party ticket led by Chuck Baldwin made it on the Wyoming ballot as an independent, as well as the independent ticket led by Ralph Nader. The Libertarian Party already has ballot access in this state, so I was not surprised to see Bob Barr’s name on it. Of course, I found delight in seeing John McCain and Sarah Palin in print on the sample.
• Taxes abound on the Park County Ballot. YUCK!!!!!! I’m getting really sick of voting on a tax proposal every two years. First it was the prison, then it was the lodging tax, then it was the library and pools, now we’re talking about an events center tax (hopefully that’ll never make it to the ballot), and then what do my eye’s behold on this ballot? Two tax proposals! One is to renew the lodging tax. I know, our total tax rate for tourists is relatively low compared to other destinations (if we could ever get by without a cap-facilities tax, it’d be 8%, but alas, for now it’s 9%). I know, the tax funds advertising and promotion of Park County Tourism, and somehow, the advertising needs to be funded, and yes, I’ve supported the tax in past elections. But, it’s really starting to rub my Republican beliefs the wrong way, and I can’t bring myself to vote yes on taxing above and beyond the sales tax a traveller that needs a bed for the night. So, I’m voting no on the lodging tax.
  As if that weren’t taxing enough, try this one on for size:
• Shall the Park County Commissioners impose a conservation district
  tax, not to exceed one (1) mil, on all property within the Cody
  Conservation District of Park County for the purpose of providing
  natural resource programs directed by the Cody Conservation
  District?” If this proposition is approved, the same proposition shall be
  submitted at the second following general election and thereafter at
  succeeding general election or by mail ballot pursuant to W.S.
  22-29-114 and 22-29-115, and thereafter at succeeding general
  elections or by mail ballot pursuant to W.S. 22-29-114 and 22-29-115;
  every four (4) years until the proposition is defeated”.
  So, while everyone’s clamoring about how high property taxes are, let’s put a proposal out there on raising them? Sounds like a real winning strategy there! By the way, renters, don’t think you’ll be unaffected by this if it goes through. A property tax increase has a potential of leading to a rent increase.
• We get two Constitutional Amendments from the Legislature this year, Amendment A modernizes and simplifies the Oath of Office. Seems reasonable enough to me at this point.
  Amendment B is going to be one to think about:
  The passage of this amendment would change the requirement for
  petition signatures for an initiative or referendum. Currently a petition
  must be signed by at least fifteen percent (15%) of the qualified voters
  in at least two-thirds (2/3) of the counties, as determined by those who
  voted in the last general election. This amendment would change the
  requirement to at least fifteen percent (15%) of the qualified voters in at
  least two-thirds (2/3) of the senate districts, as determined by those
  who voted in the last general election.
  An interesting concept to change the voting block for petitioning to Senate Districts instead of counties (which are much easier to identify as you go door-to-door, town-to-town, and county-to-county. For the Senate Districts, you’d have to have a special map to ensure you were getting enough area covered. I know some will bring up the fact that our state legislature is by districts and not counties (as it was in the past), but there are no signs along Wyoming’s highways and byways that say “Thanks for Visiting Senate District 18; Senate District 20 Welcomes You.” This proposal is a clear violation of the KISS rule and it will discourage the initiative/referendum process, thus Amendment B needs to be voted down.

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