It's been completely overshadowed by the presidential race, but there are a number of other critical issues facing voters on November 2. Among other things, Seattleites will help choose a new governor, a US senator, control of the state legislature, and whether to proceed on a new monorail system. None of these issues, in the shadow of the presidential race, have gotten the attention they deserve.

So, herewith are the ETS! recommendations for these races. The usual caveats apply. This is one opinion; take it or leave it, but don't rely wholly on it. Do your own homework. And no matter whether Bush or Kerry wins, we'll have a lot of work ahead of us. That's the nature of voting. In the words of eco-guru David Brower, politicians are like weathervanes. It's our job to make the wind blow. Voting alone doesn't do it.

US President & Vice President: See the articles elsewhere in this issue. There's no consensus among ETS! collective members, so different ones will make the cases for their own candidates.

US Senator: Democratic incumbent Patty Murray is being challenged primarily by Republican Neanderthal George Nethercutt. Murray, alas, is better, but not good enough; beyond an unexpectedly courageous vote against war in Iraq, she's done little in 12 years in office other than worm her way into the heart of national Democratic Party fundraising. The "Mom in Tennis Shoes" has become very much a part of the problem. Fortunately, there's another alternative: Green Party challenger Mark Wilson. Wilson is, among other things, a mainstay in Kitsap's Veterans for Peace, and has been running a spirited independent campaign for nearly two years. He's much the superior choice here.

US Representative: None of the Seattle area Reps up for reelection--Jim McDermott, Jay Inslee, Norm Dicks, Adam Smith--faces a serious challenge. The only real race is for the open Eastside seat being vacated by Republican Jennifer Dunn. For the first time in memory, Democrats have a real shot at winning this seat, with radio talk show host Dave Ross. We endorse Ross with some ambivalence. He's an independent thinker, but primarily in ways to the right of the Democratic mainstream. But his opponent, King County Sheriff Dave Reichert, is an empty-headed cop with pretty hair who will do whatever party leaders and the wrong corporate interests tell him to. Ross.

Governor: Centrist Democrat Christine Gregoire is more of the Gary Lockean same. Republican Dino Rossi is John Carlson with a nicer smile. What to do? You could skip it, but we suggest Libertarian Ruth Bennett. Bennett is among the best Libertarian candidates out there, from the civil liberties/drug war/social conscience side of the Libs, not the capitalism uber alles side. She's worth a protest vote here.

Lieutenant Governor: This is a worthless, utterly worthless office. Worse, incumbent Dem Brad Owen uses his copious spare time to mount his personal War On Drugs crusade, all at our expense. Better option: Libertarian Jocelyn Langlois, who wants to abolish this expensive, pointless position. There's also a Green (Bern Haggerty) running, but a lucrative non-job is no more defensible for having a friend in the position.

Secretary of State: Republican Sam Reed has been mostly competent, but he's been a defender of touch-screen voting machines, slow to acknowledge the possible problems, while Democratic opponent Laura Ruderman has made this a primary issue in the race. Libertarian Jacqueline Passey is also worth a look. She identifies both electronic voting and Instant Runoff Voting as issues she'd pursue, but in the end, a Libertarian philosophy isn't what we need to rein in these machines and their manufacturers.

State Treasurer: Incumbent Dem Mike Murphy should, justifiably, coast to reelection.

State Auditor: The same is true of Dem incumbent Brian Sonntag, but check out the "Republican" challenger, a Tacoma gadfly named Will Baker who snuck onto the ballot when the Republicans decided not to mount a campaign. He's a genuine nutcase, notorious for getting himself arrested or thrown out of Tacoma City Council meetings. For amusement purposes, vote Will Baker!

Attorney General: Green Paul Richmond has withdrawn from this race, leaving it an easy choice: former Insurance Commissioner and anti-corporate advocate Deborah Senn over Republican challenger Rob McKenna.

Commissioner of Public Lands: This little-known office actually controls a huge chunk of the state--acreage four times the size of King County--and this year, there's a stark choice. The Democrat, Mike Cooper, has every environmental endorsement imaginable. The Republican, incumbent Doug Sutherland, represents the forces of nature's rape and pillage. Cooper.

Superintendent of Public Instruction: Current SPI Terry Bergeson faces her predecessor, Judith Billings,, in this nonpartisan race. Here's a nod toward Billings on the basis of her support for teacher funding and her skepticism toward mandatory testing.

Insurance Commissioner: Democratic incumbent Mike Kreidler has done a lukewarm job, but he'd be far better than the stooge for insurance company interests that is his Republican opponent, John Adams.

State Senate: In the 11th District (South Seattle), incumbent Democrat Margarita Prentice will coast to reelection. Skip it.

State Representative: In the one-party city of Seattle, all the Democrats will coast to victory and most, with the exception of labor leader Bob Hasagawa in the 11th District, are incumbents. The only notable challenge comes in North Seattle's 46th District, where incumbent Jim McIntyre is being challenged by Green Party candidate (and occasional ETS! contributor) Chris LaRoche. For all the other unchallenged incumbents--Eileen Cody, Zack Hudgins, Joe McDermott, the execrable Helen Sommers, the idiotic Mary Lou Dickerson, Sharon Tomiko Santos, Frank Chopp, Eric Pettigrew, Ed Murrray, and Phyllis Kenney--skip it.

State Supreme Court Justice, Pos. 1: Jim Johnson helped craft many of Slade Gorton's worst anti-Native American initiatives. More recently, he's helped draft Tim Eyman's initiatives. Go for his opponent: Mary Kay Becker.

State Supreme Court Justice, Pos. 5: Barbara Madsen is unopposed. Skip it.

State Supreme Court Justice, Pos. 1: Richard Sanders is conservative and controversial, but he's also by far the strongest civil libertarian on the Supreme Court. For that reason alone, in these post-9-11 times, he's worth keeping.

Court of Appeals Judge, Division 1, District 1: C. Kenneth Grosse is unopposed. Skip it.

Superior Court Judge, Position 23: Julia Garrett is by far the most experienced, having served as a public defender, prosecutor, parole board member, and most recently a Superior Court Judge Pro Tem. She's much more qualified for this open position than her opponent, Andrea Darvas.

Superior Court Judge, Position 42: Catherine Moore has a background as a family law judge, working in domestic violence and as a strong advocate for abused and dispossessed women. That experience would serve her far better than lawyer Chris Washington.

Initiative 872: This is the Grange's effort to "fix" the primary system by installing a system in which the top two finishers, regardless of party, would advance to the general election. It has two serious problems. The first is that minor party candidates would almost always be shut out of the general election. The second is that both the Republicans and Democrats have said they would go to choosing primary candidates at a convention rather than submit to this system. No, No, No.

Initiative 884: This is the right issue, and the wrong mechanism: a bid to increase education funding by adding a statewide one percent increase in the sales tax. That would mean a nearly 10% sales tax in King County. The sales tax is the most regressive of all taxes. Schools need money, but not on the backs of the poor and working class. No.

Initiative 892: This year, Tim Eyman has gone to work for out-of-state gambling interests, hoping to cash in on what is now a monopoly for Native Americans by adding 18,000 new electronic scratch ticket machines and using the proceeds to offset property tax cuts. Property tax relief is overdue, but, again, this is the wrong vehicle. The last thing we need is more of those stupid machines separating the poor and gullible from their money. No.

Referendum 55: The legislature's charter schools bill, referred to voters by petition. Turns out charter schools not only undermine public education funding and support, but they don't even work all that well. No.

Initiative 297: Would stop the feds from importing low-level nuclear waste to Hanford. Likely to wind up in the courts, but anything that can force the state and feds to get serious about making Hanford less, not more, toxic is worth supporting. Yes, Yes, Yes!

King County Alternative Proposed Charter Amendments 1A & 1B: These ask, essentially, whether to reduce the King County Council from 13 to nine members, and if so whether to do it in 2005 or 2007. King County now has 1.8 million residents and growing; it's one of the most populous counties in the country. The last thing we need is less representation, particularly in the form of a fake "savings" initiative that wouldn't save all that much money but would likely throw the balance of power to Republicans. No; 2007.

King County Advisory Measure 1 & 2: These are exactly what they say: advisory measures, with no real meaning. The county is fishing for political support by asking whether voters would support a regional transportation package, and if so, using what sort of funding mechanism. It's impossible to tell, of course, because the devil is always in the details, but in principle it's a desperately needed measure, and a gas tax would be fairest. Yes; Gas tax.

City of Seattle Initiative 83: Would prohibit using city right-of-way for monorail lines, essentially making them illegal. The last time we voted on the monorail, ETS! members split, but there's no such dilemma this time. For all monorail's dubious qualities--most of them well-known as of the last vote--stopping the project at this point would make it virtually impossible to sell bonds for any capital projects in the future. Simply put, nobody would trust that the infamous "Seattle Way" wouldn't grind yet another project to an untimely halt. We've got to stop making decisions this way. No.