Stop waving signs; don’t ring my bell

Notes, quotes and anecdotes about Tuesday’s election, with the polite reminder to make sure you vote:

Preening pests: I hate to sound like a cranky old coot here, but am I the only one who is annoyed by perky politicians waving signs at intersections and ringing doorbells to beg for our votes? Yeah, I know, name familiarity is important in politics, but really, is anyone more likely to vote for a candidate who stoops to these kinds of undignified and invasive tactics? If you want my vote, stop distracting motorists and stay off my porch.

Primary endorsements box score: A similar question can be asked of newspaper endorsements. Is anyone really more likely to vote for a candidate because of a newspaper endorsement? I honestly don’t know. Endorsements are opinions, nothing more. They’re conversation starters, eminently rebuttable or supportable. If you’re wondering how Columbian endorsees fared in the Aug. 18 primary, five of the seven candidates we endorsed advanced to Tuesday’s general election. That’s typical; about two-thirds to three-fourths of Columbian endorsees usually win or advance to primaries. But our goal is not a high batting average. It’s simply to opine about who we feel are the best candidates and let the votes fall where they may. The only reason I bring up the batting average is to answer critics who insist our endorsements prove we’re out of touch with voters. The record doesn’t support that contention.

Do your homework: Are you one of the many Americans who demand that politicians thoroughly read and understand bills before they vote on them? Good for you! Make them do their jobs! And I’m sure you’ll be reading the complete text of Referendum 71 — all 32 single-spaced pages in the Voter’s Pamphlet — before you vote on that measure … uh, right?

Neck-and-neck coming down the homestretch: How close is the Pollard-Leavitt race for mayor? Consider that Pollard is endorsed by firefighters; Leavitt by police officers. Pollard is endorsed by Gov. Chris Gregoire; Leavitt by Dino Rossi. (Rossi carried Clark County in 2008, but Vancouver voters are more liberal than countywide voters.) Pollard is endorsed by three city councilors; Leavitt by two county commissioners and a former county commissioner. Pollard voted for Leavitt for city councilor; Leavitt voted for Pollard for mayor. More telling than endorsement lists, in the Aug. 18 primary that included more than 20,000 voters, these two men finished 43 votes apart.

The real story behind Initiative 1033: Danny Westneat reported some startling statistics about Initiative 1033 in his Oct. 14 Seattle Times column. Tim Eyman, the anti-government rancor monger and initiative hawker, promises that, if passed, I-1033 would lower property taxes for “struggling working families” and “fixed-income senior citizens.” True, but according to Westneat’s calculations, Bill Gates eventually would get a “$571,000 break on the $1 million in annual property taxes he pays on his Medina mansion” if I-1033 passes, and I-1033 would “(s)lash the taxes on billionaire Paul Allen’s waterfront home, on Mercer Island, by up to $150,000.”

Westneat’s conclusion: “Forget all the caterwauling about spending cuts. At its heart (I-1033) is a massive giveaway to the rich that does little to nothing for the poor” except, of course, deprive them of vital programs and services. According to six-year projections of the state Office of Fiscal Management, I-1033, if passed, would slash state revenue by $5.9 billion, revenue to cities by $2.1 billion and revenue to counties by $694 million.

Westneat added: “To their credit, both Gates and Allen appear to know this. They are trying to defeat Eyman’s initiative … even though it would mean huge tax windfalls to them if it passes. I have a feeling it’s because they actually believe that quote Gates repeats so much: ‘To whom much is given, much is expected.’ “

Looking ahead: For confident campaign managers who plan victory parties for 2010, mark these five Tuesdays on your calendars: The dates for special elections next year are Feb. 9, April 27 and May 18. The primary (partisan races next year, unlike this year) will be Aug. 17, and the partisan general election will be Nov. 2.