Farmer vs. Frost

Now that the Primary Election is over and Bill Farmer has defeated his Republican challenger the race for the 88th Legislative District Representative begins.

Representative Bill Farmer is an accountant and three term incumbent. Most regular readers know I have been critical of the lack of representation voters in the 88th get with Mr. Farmer in charge. In three terms as my representative he failed to pay any attention to my messages until his own party challenged him in the Primary. The challenge was a surprise since Farmer votes the Republican Party line and introduces very little legislation. A large percentage of bills introduced by Farmer are related to his profession. On the rare occasions when he introduces legislation not related to finance he tends to fall on his face. Some of my favorite pieces of bad legislation are detailed in other posts to this blog.

Chris Frost the Democratic challenger promises to mount a strong campaign to replace three-term incumbent Bill Farmer. Mr. Frost is a professor at the University of Kentucky Law School and the Democratic Party Legislative District Chair in the 88th. Readers know I have also voiced complaints about Mr. Frost as the LD chair for my party. When I spoke to Mr. Frost about my complaints he admitted they were justified and promised to do a better job, both in his duties as Legislative District Chair and, if given the opportunity, the job of representing voters of the 88th Legislative District. He has backed up his promise by giving generously of his time to assist with legal issues within the party. Mr. Frost is also taking time to listen to voters and discuss issues important the 88th district. I am inclined to think he will care more about voters and work harder for us than our current representative. We may even see good bills introduced on issues that matter to those of us who are not accountants.

Whatever the outcome, I look forward to seeing a real campaign mounted by candidates in the 88th. If you would like to know more about either candidate please click on the links in the sidebar and visit their campaign sites.

New Voting Machines Used in Today's Election

Today many voters are getting their first look at the voting machines the urban government spent $2 million purchasing. My polling place was well prepared to assist those of us who were unable to attend any of the training sessions the Fayette County Clerk's office conducted. Precinct workers were able to explain the operation of the machines quickly and unobtrusively. The machine was simple to operate and the ballot was easy to read. I guess we will have to wait until tonight to see if there are any problems with the vote, but so far it looks like all is well.

My thanks to Mr. Blevins and his office. Our Fayette County Clerk has done an excellent job of preparing for today's vote.

Since he is running in today's election, I wish him well. Win or lose, he has done a fine job of modernizing the clerk's office and conducting the many training sessions for the new machines. His efforts have helped us meet the federal mandate for upgrading Kentucky's election system.

Tomorrow is Election Day!

Whatever your political leanings it is time to let your voice be heard. Please take time to vote tomorrow!

Herald-Leader: Brown vs. the 'other' Farmer in 88th District

Today's paper shines a spotlight on the primary race for the 88th.

http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/news/14521010.htm

They also give short bios on Farmer and Brown. Guess we will have to wait for the November elections to see one for Democrat Chris Frost (running unopposed in the primary).

7th District Council Race

(NOTE: I have closed this post to comments because they degenerated rapidly to name-calling, the kindest of which was 'idiot'. I find it surprising that so much rancor arose over a city council race that didn't even have a primary. I will post again on this city council race and leave the comments open, so long as they pertain to the campaigns.)

I woke up this morning to discover the Justin Dobbs campaign had posted a sign in my front lawn. Yes, we requested the sign. I can't say that Dobbs is the most experienced candidate I have ever supported. He has never held political office. However, all the city council candidates in the 7th district are in the same position. This year, Justin Dobbs and KC Crosbie will face off for the vacant 7th District Council seat (current council member Bill Cegelka is running for County Attorney).

Donnie Hall ran a write-in campaign for the seat last term. He officially filed to run for the seat this year, but was disqualified due to not having enough valid signatures on his application. Nineteen of the signers weren't registered to vote (take a note, future council applicants!), and in several cases people signed their spouse's name as well (everyone has to sign on their own). Hall did not appeal the decision.

Background on the candidates:

For those of you who don't know, (Kristin Catherine) KC Crosbie is failed mayoral candidate Scott Crosbie's wife. As far as I can tell, her entire intention in running for council is to extend his influence. In my opinion, this is not a valid reason to elect her. Crosbie is employed by Merck Pharmaceuticals. To her credit, she serves on the Crime Victims' Compensation Board. Crosbie is also a founding member of the Republican Women's group at the Lexington Country Club. The position has made her good at throwing fundraisers, but I am not sure how serving on the social committee of a country club Republican group qualifies her for city council. In fact, one of the reasons I picked Justin Dobbs in this race was my serious doubt about her ability to understand and effectively represent the ordinary working people in the 7th District. My neighborhood doesn't have a lot of country club members.

Justin Dobbs' political activities so far have involved work to preserve funding for Lextran, promoting tax deductions for college tuition, and efforts to keep the Leestown Road VA Hospital open. If education, public transportation, and healthcare for our veterans are issues more dear to you than having Scott Crosbie's infuence back on the city council, PLEASE vote for Dobbs.