Scuttlebutt Pipeline

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LYNCHBURG, Va. - The Rev. Jerry Falwell, the television evangelist who founded the Moral Majority and used it to mold the religious right into a political force, died Tuesday shortly after being found unconscious in his office at Liberty University. He was 73.

(full article)

In all honesty I can’t say I’m really sad to hear this man is gone. Death is a tragedy, yet it happens to us all. This might make me sound callous but I can’t help but see good in this. I am one who has always firmly believed that religion and politics should not be mixed. With Falwell’s death there is a possibility that the religious political community might falter and hopefully lose a lot of their momentum and power. Hey it’s a dream.

Of course if everyone shared the mindset of one of my friends we really wouldn’t have to worry about this. He’s of the opinion that the elderly (apparently anyone over 45) belongs in a nursing home. Since the majority of our troublesome politicians fit that age range we could always opt to place them in a Lubock, Miami, or Brooklyn nursing home and be done with them. This is the man that sees conspiracies under every rock though so I don’t think his ideas have much merit mind you.

What are your thoughts? Do politics and religion belong together? Can a person trully determine what is right for a country and its people when they are attempting to mold the government to fit their own religious beliefs?

We’re supposed to be able to look up to our lawmakers and representatives as the role models for this generation and future generations to come. Their behavior is supposed to be beyond reproach. I guess Governor John S. Corzinne didn’t get the memo, or else he chose to ignore this fact when he decided to go for a joy ride in his SUV while doing 91 in a 65mph zone.

Good thing the guy didn’t seem to have heard about all the Lamborghinis for sale and other cars perfect for racing.

The funny thing is people are actually sending in get well cards to him and calling this a sad accident, and in some cases, a tragedy.

I somehow doubt these same people would feel that way about a 17 year old boy going for a joy ride in his parent’s Jag and crashing it. So what’s the difference here?

The “official” outcome may not be announced until Tuesday but the fact remains, the Spaceport Tax has been approved and it is a go.

At the end of Thursday, ballots in favor of the tax totaled 8,947 — or 50.8 percent — while ballots against totaled 8,682, or 49.2 percent.Some spaceport tax proponents watching the election review appeared jubilant soon after realizing the results had gone their way. (source)

There really is no denying this no matter how much I may want to. In the end it looks like money and pretty flowery words won out over common sense. And while I realize you can’t win all the time, I had hoped that the outcome would be anything but this. I hope that this will not come back to bite the citizens of Dona Ana county in the butt, but somehow I doubt it.

“This is another situation where money topped the power of the people,” Vado resident and activist Mitch Boyer said. “If we had anywhere close to the amount of money they had we would have won it because the information we were disseminating, once people looked at it, they changed their minds. We just didn’t have the resources to do that.” (source)

Damn Straight.

The proponents of the Spaceport Tax might have had the lead in the count last night; in favor: 8,781 (50.6%), and opposed at: 8,577 (49.4%) but there still remains hope.

That hope comes in the form of 541 provisional ballots which remain uncounted and are expected to be counted by Thursday evening.

Currently those in favor of the tax are in the lead by 204 votes. Once the absentee and provisional ballots are tabulated though the positions may very well be flipped. It is this hope that I cling to.

No matter the outcome though it is without a doubt that this fight is going to be close and that neither side is going to give an inch until all is said and done and the fat lady has sung. Or in this case until the county’s canvassing board announce the official results.

Tensions continue to run high however and I wouldn’t be surprised to see a few people exchange heated words with one another over this. It’s going to be fight.

There is one thing that jumped out at me while I was reading these articles, ironically though the opponents of the tax spent only $1,000 in campaigns the proponents spent over $100,000 [source] and still the race is so close. A $100,000 dollars spent on a snow job and only $1,000 to get people to see the truth. That says a lot.

The polls have officially closed, the last vote has been received and the count is being tallied as we speak. The results will be broadcasted on the internet and the television in a mater of time.

Did you get out there an vote? If not then we don’t want to hear your bellyaching if the outcome is not as you desired. After all, you had your chance and you blew it. You really have no one to blame but yourself.

For those that voted and the outcome was not to your liking, well I really don’t have any advice. Either way this was a hot topic and the populace was equally divided on it. No matter the outcome, it’s going to be close.

An online poll on the Las Cruces Sun News homepage asked the viewers whether or not they were in favor of the Spaceport tax. Out of a total of 1606 votes 57.28% (920 votes) were opposed with 42.17% (686 votes) in favor of the tax.

Are you in favor, or opposed to, the spaceport tax?
Total Votes = 1606

In Favor: 686 Votes, or 42.17%
Opposed: 920 Votes, or 57.28%

Is this a reflection of the results we can hope to see this evening, or is it the opposite? Either way this unofficial and non-scientific poll shows just how divided the county is over this issue.

[edited at 10:43pm]

All 109 precinct’s ballots are in and have been tabulated.

Yes, For: 8,781 - 50.6%No, Against: 8,577 - 49.4%

Vote tally current as of: 10:40 p.m.
109 of 109 precincts reporting - 100%

As predicted, the election was a close one, but the outcome was not the one I had anticipated. The Spaceport Tax was not defeated in Dona Ana county and will proceed. Now we have only to see what will happen in Otero and Siera county.

Click for the official election results page.