I mean there are folks out there who can’t wait for my take on all things ballot-wise every November. And to be honest, nothing frightens me or depresses me more. Well, some things do, but when it comes to elections, what I think should have little effect on HOW you think.

And all the folks on the crazy left (which is basically all folks on the left) say, “A-MEN!”

Now don’t you go thinking that all of the sudden I think my way of thinking isn’t thought out. I assure you, in my mind it is. This is more about how nearly 50 different votes required on a ballot in any given year – whether for judges, politicians and ballot measures – is proof there’s little to no thinking going on in government, or conversely, way too much thinking going on.

Neither of which is ever good for the people.

So, a quick overview of some things I kind of covered in my last column.

Candidates: Do any of them excite you? I can say for certain, not over here in CraigyTown. There are more than a few who scare me to death, and they have the label of “Democrat” before their name and oval on the ballot. But as I said last week, I’ll never color inside those lines (OK, ovals) on any ballot. Democrats have always been, are, and always will be the enemy of freedom. It’s a control thing.

To paraphrase Andrew Shephard (and turn it around 180) democrats are only interested in two things, and two things only: making you afraid of republicans and telling you they’re to blame for all of it. That won’t fix anything, but it will get them elected.

And before republicans start the wave, you pretty much suck at government as well. That’s certainly why democrats dominate the politics in Colorado.

It also explains my lack of excitement to color in any ovals preceded with the word Republican. Other than Bobbie Daniel and Greg Haitz, I literally don’t know any of these folks very well. So, I can at least justify voting for them. Beyond them, you’d be correct in assuming my lack of faith in those on the right to get anything done to benefit me as a citizen. Even when republicans pass some legislation that appears to benefit me, they can’t explain how it works, or the legislation has no authority.

So why would I vote for them? It certainly can’t be past performance. Like I said: Nuttin’.

How about judges: Who knew we needed so many, let alone why we’d have any clue why we should vote for them or against them. And while my personal experience with judges has never provided good results (some deserved, others biased in the system) I see no reason to retain or dismiss any judge. So, my default is to dismiss. Simply put, we could use less judges in this country, and I have a simple solution to accomplish that. Uphold the rule of law and enforce contracts and protect private property absolutely.

And watch the caseloads literally disappear.

Speaking of supporting the rule of law, let’s stop writing and creating so many. Most law created now is to fix laws created (or worse, voted in) just a little while ago, which, if one pays attention to history, never fixes anything. But here we are with 16 items on the ballot, because they couldn’t be passed legislatively (not that they would be a good thing done that way) in the thousands or freedom-killing laws passed over just the past few years.

YES, I think we have too many laws, and passing more of them is never good. But just for you-know-what and grins, let’s follow the Yellow Brick Road to give more power and money to the men and women behind the curtain. Maybe we should pay them more attention?

For what it’s worth, here’s what I’m thinking (aside from we don’t need more laws on top of laws that don’t work):

Amendment 81: Law enforcement should enforce the law. So, enforce the law. This is a thing because government selectively enforces law.

Amendment 82: We need gas to cook meals and heat our homes. You built the infrastructure to provide it to do these things. This is about control.

Amendment 83: Is hunting really that big a problem? There will always be some out of line. For those folks, see Amendment 81.

Amendment 84: Only citizens should be allowed to vote. And if this is our most sacred right, make it a sacred holiday, and folks should have no problem proving they are who they are – even if they have to every election. This amendment will accomplish none of that.

Amendment 85: The last thing anyone writing a ballot measure wants is for voters to understand things in plain English. Where’s the power, money and control in that? This will be the least enforced law ever put into our Constitution.

Amendment 86: I take it back, THIS will be the least enforced law ever put into our constitution as they are all power hungry and control freaks.

Amendment 87: If you are robbing Peter to pay Paul you can always count on Paul’s vote. This will pass because it is rooted in envy. And no one plays the envy card like government. Plus, it needs the money to waste on things like:

Proposition NN: Even if we passed this to bring in double or triple the money, the education lobby will be right back on the next ballot asking for more from the folks who hate children. It will NEVER have enough. If I could pass one law for education, it would be to teach the meaning of the word insanity to every student or they don’t pass to the next grade level. Stop feeding the wildlife via the ballot.

Proposition 132: So we’re gonna trust the folks who wrote the current laws to write even more like, better ones? I thought this stuff was already against the law. Enforce the law.

Proposition 133: See Proposition 132

Proposition 134: Boys and girls play together ‘til they don’t. It’s human nature. But this law isn’t about that. I just can’t believe we’re fighting over it. Then again, politicians and votes. Think about it.

Proposition 135: See Proposition 134

Proposition 136: Like the education system, government itself will never have enough tax money to do all the good it claims it needs to do. Plus, this law will only be in effect until it needs more money or outlives its usefulness for votes. Like TABOR.

Proposition 137: “Without raising taxes” is the latest scheme to pass propositions to get the government more of our money by taking from this account here and using there, so we can raise taxes to fund the account we just took the money from to spend over there. It’s a shell game. That is, when it isn’t hiding taxes using the word fees. Who does this hurt the most?

Closer to home is Referred Measure 2B: My only thought: How long have we been ignoring this, and how long are we willing to Band-Aid it? This appears to be Grand Junction’s Reflecting Pool. It’s an annual problem in need of repair, which can never be repaired. Maybe it’s time the folks on Orchard Mesa built a new pool?

Ballot Issue 4A: Again, quit feeding the wildlife via the ballot box. There’s a reason it’s against the law to bait deer. Or better yet, let’s move their cheese. And if ever a ballot issue needed Amendment 85, it’s this one.

In conclusion, there’s just too much damned government. This trifold ballot is proof. No matter for who or what we vote, at some level it’s against our self-interests, for a candidate who does not have our values (not that any candidate ever could), and in the long run reduces our freedoms while taking more and more from our personal property by increasing the size, scope and power of government. Or did you not see the size of this year’s “Blue Book” trying to explain all this insanity? At least “blue book” is worded simple enough to show where all this is coming from.

We are literally voting ourselves into tyranny.

In Truth and freedom.

Craig Hall is owner and publisher of The Business Times. Reach him at 424-5133 or publisher@thebusinesstimes.com