Food for thought

Anyone who drops by this blog, or knows me personally, knows that voting is a pretty big deal to me. I think of the suffragettes every time I stand at a polling booth and send out a little thank you to them.

Before each election I try to do a little homework while completely ignoring all television commercials. It can be tricky but I think it's important.

My big beef lately is that I think it shouldn't be difficult to figure out who is supporting candidates and propositions. I don't believe big business should be allowed to hide behind bogus names to hide their identity. If a company is supporting something or someone, I think voters should know it and that information should be mandatory on all proposition/candidate advertisements and web sites.

While searching for who supports who in the upcoming election, I found the following rather intriguing sites. I'm incredibly suspicious of most everything having to do with politics but these seem like pretty good bets:

This one is fascinating! I love being able to see where Chevron is sending checks.
Check out who's spending what and where?
I've just discovered Vote Circle and so far I like it.
Of course, there is the old reliable League of Women Voters if you're looking for an impartial set of facts. (Here is the site for the LWV for California. )
If you aren't registered to vote, for the love of God, do so here or here or here or many other sites.
Oh, and do read your voter guide.

And for the record, I think most people in this country share the same "values" and that we basically want the same things. I blame politicians, and their campaigns, for polarizing our country and distracting us with emotional issues. Issues that, frankly, will never really effect those so upset by them. Please try not to get caught up in these tactics. Keep your facts straight and don't side blindly with anyone. Whatever you do, stay well informed and vote accordingly.

Happy decision making!


Disclaimer: My intention is not to be preachy. I just like the idea of folks being as informed as possible when voting. Above all, I like to share helpful sites as I find them. I hope you find something of interest here.