My First Governor

Tuesday will be the first time I cast a vote on American soil. I've been a citizen for over a year now, and I have to say I'm looking forward to participating in the glorious democratic process of this country. Really, I have to say it. It was required when I took the oath.

To be unabashedly honest, I've never been a proponent of the "do your duty; get out and vote" school of unspecific encouragement. I'm not sure I like the people who tell you it doesn't matter who you vote for, just vote. Hey, if you don't know why you're voting, stay home. Votes with thought behind them will count that much more.

But I realize this is unhelpfully cynical, much like any other thought likely to pass through my demented brain, so I take it back. Voting is good and good for you. If you live in Minnesota, I have no interest in telling you who to vote for, but I will say something about the transportation amendment.

This proposal says that every cent of tax on gasoline and vehicle sales should be spent on transportation; ie. roads and buses. Makes perfect sense, right? How appealing. I mean, taxes on transportation stuff should be spent on transportation stuff. Any idiot understands that.

Personally, I think it would make more sense to spend all gas tax on the Iraq war, but see above re: unhelpful cynicism. Let me just point out that right now, only some of that money gets spent on transportation, and the rest of it gets spent on other things. Like schools. Actually, mostly schools. Pretty much just schools. So again, if you live in Minnesota, take a look around at your roads and buses, which are already among the best in the country, and then decide if they need more money and schools need less.

Of course, we could always have a proposal that all tax dollars on sales of pencils and erasers should go to public education. That makes perfect sense, right?

If you haven't followed my obstructive sarcasm thus far, just vote No. Please.