Hostettler Projected Defeated in Indiana

CNN has projected Democrat challenger Brad Ellsworth to win Indiana's eighth Congressional seat from Republican Incumbent John Hostettler. This is the first projected loss of a seat for the Republicans, a blow to Conservatives in Indiana, and yes, I picked and voted for John Hostettler.

Brad Ellsworth, in favor of amnesty for illegal immigrants, is a Sheriff from Southern Indiana who ran on the promise that he would listen to what Hoosiers want when he goes to Washington.

Joe
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More On Voter Turn-out

My wife, who STILL hasn't updated her voter registration, had to drive clear across town again to vote. And when she arrived at the same firehouse that SHE voted at in 2004, she found the same thing I found this morning: no polls. Her polling location had been moved ANOTHER ten minutes away to a volunteer firehouse. This is the biggest downfall of our current electoral process: nobody really knows where to go to vote.

Is it just us, or are others having the same problem? Do you have to watch the local news and read the local papers to vote? That's crazy, too.

I have another idea. If they can't just let you vote at any polling location, they should mail you a simple postcard that tells you where and when you can vote based on the address on file. Seems simple enough to me.

Joe

Voter Turn-out

It is no wonder that voter turn-out is always so poor on election day. Some places just don't make it easy to vote.

In 2004 I drove to the polling location closest to my home -- a school just two blocks away. I was told that I was at the wrong location and couldn't vote there. I was redirected to a firehouse that was over five times the distance from my house. I voted there, but my wife couldn't, because she had forgotten to update her voter registration. She had to drive fifteen minutes away to vote at the polling location she would have used when she lived with her parents.

This morning I woke up and headed out to vote. I drove to the same firehouse I voted at last time only to find that there were no polls at that location this year. So I returned home and attempted to find more information online about where to vote. I found a list with more than thirty different polling locations in the area, but the list did nothing to tell me which one of those locations I could vote at. So I returned to that same elementary school just two blocks from my home, hoping to be pointed in the right direction again. This time I was directed to yet another elementary school even further from my home that the firehouse had been.

Luckily I chose to take the day off from work today so I could vote. I work two hours from home. The polls in Indiana close at 6pm. I could have worked today and left at 3pm, giving myself an hour after getting home to get to the polls and vote. But what would have happened? I very possibly could have run out of time trying to find out where to vote and never made it to the polling location on time.

Why is it that we can't just vote at any polling location in the state? I understand that there are different ballots for different districts, but in this age of technology, could they not all be loaded as PDF files onto a computer and printed for you to vote if you were voting at a polling location outside the district you live in? It seems that, more than just the polling equipment, the whole process of voting in America needs an overhaul. Some states vote online. Why is that not good enough for the whole country? Some states allow you to vote early (Indiana is one, and I will probably do that next time, though there is something patriotic feeling about voting on election day that I imagine I won't feel voting early).

We need to get this process streamlined to allow everyone to vote -- and to maybe even encourage those apathetic citizens who wouldn't vote if you brought the ballot to their front door. I think that unless and until that happens, we will continue to see lower than desired voter turn-out.

Joe

Nothing But Net

It can't all be about politics.

My son's fall basketball season came to an end tonight, and he was presented with his first ever trophy at just three years old. It was a pretty exciting event (maybe more for me than it was for him).

The picture is a bit grainy, but I had to snap it with short notice using my Palm Pilot, so I'm lucky I got the picture at all.

His winter basketball season will be starting up soon. It's amazing how much he has improved in just eight weeks. Tonight he actually made his first in-game basket ever! He can hit the basket in practice, but has always passed the ball during a game rather than shooting. Tonight he took his first shot and -- SWOOSH! -- nothing but net!

I'm so proud of him! And to think I almost didn't make it there in time tonight.

Joe
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From Joe's Average Americans

Join me for discussion in the Joe's Average Americans forum at Google Groups, where you can comment on the following, or anything else that's on your mind.

Date: Nov 6, 10:13 pm
Subject: Politics
To: Joe's Average Americans

The economy isn't getting the press that it should be getting at this time of the election season, and that should tell you something. What you should be hearing about is that the Unemployment Rate is at the unbelievably low rate of just 4.4%. Statistically speaking, our nation is more than fully employed.

And all the talk from Democrats about wanting to raise the minimum wage should worry us. Only 2% of American workers are paid minimum wage. Only 2%!!! Who are MOST of those 2%? High school students working their first job, living at home. They SHOULD be making minimum wage while they work their way up in the workforce. As for the portion of that 2% that are NOT high school students? They are mostly unskilled or low-skilled single adults who, if the minimum wage were raised, would probably lose their jobs to more skilled workers.

What you should be hearing about is that the economy -- even with gas prices a little higher than we'd all like -- is doing pretty darn well right now. And if you want to change that, well, I'm sure you can find a Democrat on the ballot to cast your vote for.

Joe

Reminder - Election Day is Tomorrow

Reminder - Election Day is tomorrow. Remember to vote tomorrow, Tuesday, November 7th. Billy Graham said it best, "If America is to survive, we must elect more God-centered men and women to public office - individuals who will seek Divine guidance in the affairs of state." This statement is directly backed by scripture and is vital for us to recognize. "When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan." -Proverbs 29:2 Let's get informed, participate in the electoral process and choose Godly leaders! Many churches all across Indiana will be gathering tomorrow morning to pray for the election. If your local church or a church near you is offering such an activity, please take part in this vital ministry. If Godly men and women are to be elected tomorrow, we must ask God to stir the hearts of Hoosiers. To view the 2006 IFI Voter Guide and learn more about where the candidates stand on key issues please click here. To find your legislative districts click here. Holding Government Accountable Congressman Mark Souder represents Indiana's 3rd congressional district in Washington D.C. In Washington, Congressman Souder is the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug Policy and Human Resources, under the House Committee on Government Reform. The committee has been working hard to investigate and hold government agencies accountable. To that end, the committee has held numerous hearings, written letters and compiled reports on a number of issues important to the public. The committee has even put out an index of links on the web so the public can track what the committee has done in its investigations and oversight of issues like the drug culture, RU-486, Plan B drug sales to minors, ultrasound keepsake images, post-abortion depression, condoms and even human cloning. Please take a moment to review the hard work of Chairman Souder and his committee by visiting the Social Register posted on the committee’s Web site. Election Night Invitation Friends of the Indiana Family Institute have been invited to attend election festivities at the Indiana GOP headquarters, downtown Indianapolis. Governor Mitch Daniels and Senator Richard Lugar will kick the evening off at 5:45 pm. If you do not have election night plans, mark this event on your calendar. To find out more about IFI or to contribute to Hoosier families visit us at www.hoosierfamily.org Indiana Family Institute 55 Monument Circle, Suite 322, Indianapolis, IN, 46204 Phone: (317) 423-9178 Toll Free: (800) 259-2959 Fax: (317) 423-9421 ifi@hoosierfamily.org www.hoosierfamily.org

Google Releases 2006 Google Earth Election Guide

Having trouble deciding how to vote tomorrow? Google can help!

Combination Will Create New Opportunities for Users and Content Owners Everywhere

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. - October 23, 2006 - Google (NASDAQ: GOOG):

WHO: Google Earth

WHAT: Google Releases 2006 Google Earth Election Guide

WHERE: Available in Google Earth (download at www.google.com/earth)

WHEN: Monday, October 23, 2006 - Countdown to the 2006 US elections

WHY: Today Google Earth celebrates the election season with the launch of the 2006 Google Earth Election Guide.

Conceived by Google Earth engineers who found it difficult to find aggregated election information online about races country-wide, the 2006 Google Earth Election Guide serves as an easily accessible resource for users to find information about candidates, voter registration, and campaign financing for the November 7th elections.

"We’re excited to connect voters across the country to timely and locally relevant information about the upcoming elections and the candidates," said John Hanke, director of Google Earth and Maps. "We continue to believe that Google Earth can serve as the ultimate tool for organizing and sharing similar geo-based information."

The 2006 Google Earth Election Guide includes clickable place marks for all 435 Congressional districts. Each place mark includes:

• The slate of candidates running for office in that district, with live feeds from Google Web, Image, and News Search for each candidate
• Campaign finance information from the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and Center for Responsive Politics (www.opensecrets.org) for the district’s candidates
• A link to voter registration and voter information sites, localized to each state

The 2006 Google Earth Election Guide is available under the Layers tab of the Google Earth sidebar.

Google Earth combines satellite imagery, maps and the power of Google Search to make the world's geographic information easily accessible and useful. There have been over 100 million downloads of Google Earth since the product’s launch in June, 2005.

About Google Inc.
Google's innovative search technologies connect millions of people around the world with information every day. Founded in 1998 by Stanford Ph.D. students Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google today is a top web property in all major global markets. Google's targeted advertising program provides businesses of all sizes with measurable results, while enhancing the overall web experience for users. Google is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia. For more information, visit www.google.com.

Press Contact: Megan Quinn
Google Inc.
meganq@google.com

http://www.google.com/press/pressrel/earth_election_guide.html