Beacon Dispatch

Getting out the vote

While some reduce Tuesday's presidential election to a horse race, and others rely on superstition, I prefer to believe in good old fashioned voter turnout. While the Republicans have been able to rely on church groups to rally conservative Christian voters, Democrats have been able to register thousands of new voters with help from groups like MoveOn.org and legions of volunteers.

My predicton: whoever wins will do so by a much wider margin than most people think. Newly registered voters simply aren't showing up in these deadlocked polls. If you believe Salon's Eric Rorer, more and more people are starting to "wake up" and support Kerry. If Kerry does win, he'll have a hell of a mess on his hands in Iraq, as a major offensive on Fallujah seems imminent. Iraq will then become Kerry's war, in the same way that Somalia and Mogadishu became Bill Clinton's problem. At that point will Iraqi troops be able to defend their own country? If not, will Kerry be able to bring our troops home? Will the Republicans let him do so with dignity?

If Kerry wins, I have a sneaking suspicion the Far Right Christians who believe in the End of Days (the Rapture Index ticked up a notch to 156 on Tuesday) will feel their prophecy has been denied to them. And they'll do everything in their power to bring another Republican back to the White House. Whover wins will certainly have their work cut out for them over the next four years...

Campaign Signs Disappearing

A couple of weeks ago I put a Kerry/Edwards sign in my front yard, in a traditional show of support for my candidate during an election year. A day later, the sign had somehow ended up in the street, something I naively attributed to a stiff breeze. This morning, the sign is gone. No sign of the sign. And I'm told another friend's front yard Kerry/Edwards placard was recently ripped up and tossed to the winds. This kind of politlcal vandalism is hardly effective -- I'll get another sign at the local DNC HQ later today. But it does speak to how nasty this campaign has become. Take a look at this search result for "stolen election signs", and you'll see this is something that is happening to both parties around the country.

Not sure where to vote?

If you live in Dutchess County, just fill in your zip code and street address here:

http://64.65.211.198/dutchessboe/pollingplacelookup.aspx

and you'll see your specific polling place...

Register to Vote by October 8!

If you live in New York state and want to have a voice in the November 5 presidential election, you need to register by October 8. There's a lot at stake this time around. As we saw in 2000, when the race was decided by less than 550 votes, every vote counts. And you can get registration forms at most state agency offices, post offices, or the county board of elections. You can also call 1-800-FOR-VOTE.

According to a recent story in amNew York, only 49.4% of eligible New Yorkers voted in the 2000 election. Nationally, only 51.2% of Americans voted. Personally, I think voting should be required by law. Seems a small price to pay to live in a democracy.

Red or Blue -- Which Are You?

Check out this quiz from Slate.com:

"If you're a blue-stater, you might happen to have learned how often Rush Limbaugh is on the air, but if you're a red-stater, chances are you know it off the top of your head. That instinctual knowledge is what this quiz intends to judge, not how smart you are about the other side. And there are many people who are purple—neither red nor blue, or both red and blue."

Kerry to Announce VP to Web Supporters

Said Kerry in a recent interview, "The folks who are going to learn first about my choice are going to be the people on JohnKerry.com," Kerry said. "They're the people who've helped carry this campaign. They're the folks who've been part of our effort across the nation. And they'll be the first to know what my decision is."

Kerry has raised about a third of his $180 million war chest online. The announcement is expected to come sometime in the next week.

Wine & Cheese for Kerry

The Dutchess Democratic Unity Coalition will be hosting a wine and cheese fundraiser in support of John Kerry on Friday, June 18 at 7:00. The event will be held at the Howland Cultural Center, and will be hosted by Neal Rosenthal, a specialty wine importer, and Allison Lankin of Sprout Creek Farm. Tickets are $100 per person. Attendees will include Congressman Maurice Hinchey, Dutchess County Chair Joe Ruggiero, and other local luminaries. If you're interested in attending, call Charlie Kelly at 845-831-8721.

Follow the Money

Curious who the biggest political donors are in Beacon, and where their money is going? Check out the Open Secrets site, which lists the top donors in town.

You can also see who's getting the lion's share of the money...

Don't Forget to Vote Tomorrow

Polls are open from 9am to 9pm. The main item on the ballot is the approval of the 2004-05 budget for the Beacon school district, which comes in 4.6% higher than current year. The increase is needed to cover the costs of the expansion of Rombout Middle School and new school buses. So get out there and cast your vote.

Understanding Local Government

from a recent press release:

The Beacon Democratic Committee is holding a forum open to the public to help explain the various Beacon City boards, committees, councils, commissions and departments. One topic, for example, will include the differences between the Planning Board and the Zoning Board, and the roll of the City Council regarding zoning.

This is the first in a series of informational forums presented by the Beacon Democratic Committee.

The forum will be held Saturday, May 1 at 1PM in the Howland Library Community Room. Call 831-4261 for more information.