John Laird Dec. 14: Partisans, bean counters and atheists

Notes, quotes and anecdotes while wondering why no one ever told Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich that bangs are for girls:

A refreshing pause in the rancor — Partisan extremists will have to cool their heels in 2009, at least when it comes to local politics. Odd-numbered years are when Clark County voters elect people to nonpartisan offices on city councils, port districts, fire districts, school boards and other entities.

These are public servants who are unaffiliated — at least officially — with political parties, and most of ’em love it that way because they’re more into public service than party feuds.

Among the offices that will be on local ballots next year are those currently held by Vancouver Mayor Royce Pollard; Vancouver city councilors Pat Jollota, Jeanne Stewart and Jeanne Harris; Port of Vancouver Commissioner Nancy Baker; and many others.

Also, jurisdictions could be placing issues on ballots for one of six election dates (in February, March, April, May, August and November), although local elections officials say they’ve heard no rumblings in that direction so far.

Come 2010, we can all return to the petty, unproductive, demonizing and stereotyping of the enemy that we all enjoyed so much this year.

For more information about local elections, visit www.clarkvotes.com. And this reminder from the Elections Department: If you have moved recently, remember to update your address as a registered voter.

Target-rich environment for amateur bean counters — A great new resource has been made available by the Legislature to anyone seeking details about state budgets and appropriations. Thanks to action by the Legislative Evaluation and Accountability Program Committee, with help from the Washington Policy Center, fiscal.wa.gov was launched last week.

As John Barnes of the WPC explained in his blog, the new Web site “allows users to comb through state spending all the way down to the program level, compare budgets from one biennium to the next, compare the various budget proposals to actual enacted budgets, and more.”

Barnes added: “Links to important information on program performance indicators are also available, so taxpayers can see how effective state programs are.”

The Web site is a “work in progress. Much of that progress will be determined by what users want and ask for. The new site is a floor, not a ceiling.”

For many years, Washington state has been a pioneer in transparent government. This new source enhances that reputation and track record.

Tie-hi-hi-hime is on my side — Boy howdy, I can hardly wait for that leap second that the atomic clocks will give us at the end of the year! How will you spend your leap second? Liberals can spend it digging up more votes for Al Franken. Conservatives can spend it looking for a new leader for the rudderless Republicans. Mariners fans can spend it being thankful they’re not Seahawks fans. Seahawks fans can spend it being thankful they didn’t spend a hundred million bucks on baseball players who lost a hundred games.

A crusade without a consequence — That atheist sign (“Don’t look, Ethel!”) has been displayed in the state Capitol for a couple of weeks now, and this inquiring mind has a few questions:

How many people have become atheists as a result of the sign? Any converts? My guess is zero. How many individuals have been cast upon the slippery slope of paganism because of the sign? None, likely.

On the other hand, how many personal faith lives have been strengthened after being challenged by the messages of the atheist sign? At least one that I know of. Mine. And probably a whole lot more, too.

Other than a few wounded feelings and some figurative thin skins that have been punctured, how much pain has been inflicted by the atheist sign? None, I suppose.

Then, could someone besides Bill O’Reilly remind me exactly what we’re fighting about here? Like, excessive freedom, maybe?

You know the way we adults laugh at the clumsy, innocent children in their Christmas plays? Sometimes I think that’s the way God looks at us adults.