America: Home of the Impatient and Ignorant

Collective America seems to think it has accomplished something by completely halting progress in the legislative branch. I, as per usual it seems, disagree completely. I am not even radically liberal, but still too liberal for my own good it seems.

I wasn't able to vote, as I didn't realize until about a week before the election that I was still registered at my parents' address. The whole thing was quite distressing, but would clearly not have made a bit of difference anyway. With the exception of Jackson County & St. Louis County, Missourians painted the state red.

Andy was able to go & cancel out his father's votes, though:

Civic responsibility turned on its head

Me: "You put your sticker on upside down?"

Andy: "I did?"

He really didn't know. Sigh.

Moving along, here are the Missouri initiatives.

Missouri Earnings Tax Initiative

Prop A, popularly known as the 'Let Voters Decide' initiative. I wouldn't have a problem letting voters decide, but voters don't seem to understand anything beyond not wanting to pay taxes. This bill will put the earnings taxes currently in place in St. Louis & Kansas City on the ballot next year. Voters can repeal the levy, which would then phase out the taxes slowly, a tenth of a percent per year, over 10 years. It also prohibits the creation of an e-tax in other cities.

For 60 years, there have only been 2 cities in Missouri collecting this 1% tax. If you do not live or work in Kansas City or Saint Louis, it basically has not and almost certainly would not ever have an effect on you. It does however, potentially eliminate 40% of the cities' annual budgets. In a city that just was forced to close 30 schools due to budget cuts, that frightens me. I work AND live in Kansas City, and I would have voted NO. Not because I don't think we have the right to vote on it, because I have little faith that people will vote to keep it in place - and then what? Sales tax rates go up, property tax rates go up - it starts to affect everyone, and in larger ways. They'll get the money somehow; they have no choice, they need it.

Passed - 68.4%-31.6%

Missouri Dog Breeding Regulation Initiative

Prop B is an attempt to lessen 'puppy mills', which Missouri has more of than any other state. It's pretty straightforward and the guidelines set forth for the treatment of breeding dogs are not outrageous by any means. The one thing that I could even sort of see upsetting people is the 50 dogs breeding limit, but that's a huge number! Anyway, how this even became political is beyond my grasp - since when did the Bible thumpers not want to turn morals into laws?! When early polls were showing it losing 55-45, I was appalled.

Passed - 51.6%-48.4%

This means 934,000 Missourians just don't have hearts.

As for the candidates voted to office, I will have to save that for another day. I will close with this - If you think John Boehner has the average American in mind, or that he will be a better Speaker than Nancy Pelosi...you are a silly silly idiot.