Tax Season Over & A Few Weeks From Elections

Taxes are done for 2006, and it is the lull before next year. Time to Blog! With a few weeks to go before elections, I have a little bit to say regarding the upcoming elections. Although I have had a lot of disdain for a few of our local representatives, I have even more disdain for prominent national Democrats who would assume committee leadership positions if the Democrats succeed in defeating House and Senate Republicans. But since I have no say in national elections I will limit my remarks (except for taxes) to local representatives whom I can vote for.

I really don't want the Democrats in control of the house, mainly one committee -- The Ways and Means Committee. I love how many Democrats use a silly rhetoric regarding tax cuts -- "tax cuts only for the elite wealthy." This is false, and an open invitation to anyone who would like to have a lesson why. For the purposes of this post, I will simply say that nearly everyone of my clients at any income level has benefited from the tax cuts that have been around due to the current administration. The budget problems in Washington don't start with tax cuts, they start with spending!

Let us start with the senior Senator Hatch. This race is pretty much a vote where I cannot win. I wish a suitable Republican candidate could have made it to a primary, so at least I could have had a choice of a candidate in the party with which I choose to affiliate. That hope faded when Urquhart could not get the needed funding to fight Hatch. I have tried to hop on the Pete Ashdown parade, but couldn't get my heart behind a platform for which I had only a few points that I agreed with. So the decision I have left is to vote for Ashdown or a third party candidate, which is vote same thing, a step closer to a Democrat ran legislative branch. The other choice -- vote for the devil and hope that Hatch either has a stroke, retires, or gets embroiled in a scandal that forces his resignation. The choices are certainly bright on this one.

I am still firmly behind my congressman, Jim Matheson. However, I think he ought to consider leaving the Democrats. It is obvious that his support of Bush is too much for many Rocky Andersen/Cliff Lyon-esque "he ain't liberal enough" local and (I'm sure) national Democrats. On the other hand, I think most right-minded (an oxymoron for some I admit) Republicans would accept him as a moderate candidate. It has been rather pathetic to watch Lavar Christensen lame "Elect me, because I am warm body that claims the Republican party as its party"campaign. However, I have seen a large number of my neighbors putting out Christensen yard signs. Interesting, Interesting, hmmm.

On a local and municipal level, I will probably vote solidly Republican. I'll admit I haven't had much time to research my local candidates, I probably need to spend the next few weeks reading the voter manual that has been gathering dust on my counter.

I still get to vote for Steve U. at a local level -- HOORAY!

Just as a final note for anyone who wants to use Iraq as there ace in the whole, let me comment now. Iraq is a mess! I admit it. I've said often that I believe that this is going to be a difficult long-term commitment for which our nation probably doesn't have the fortitude to see to the end. The rightness or wrongness of the initial invasion is now irrelevant (at least to me) because we are already there. The choice that remains, is do we abandon Iraq now or do we keep trying to help a fledgling democracy survive. I'm not sure which party is best at answering this question, but I feel more comfortable with the Republicans so far.

As a stomach churning note, the Washington county Republican party really needs to act like at least a handful of people in this county have brains. I just heard a radio ad and it was the most condescending tripe I've ever heard. I felt like I was either a three year old or the only un-brainwashed person in an island of drones. Crap like this from Republicans, makes it embarassing to call myself a Republican.