Illustration by Josh Hagler

So... have you voted yet?

Better question: Did you know that today is Election Day? Granted, it's an odd-numbered year, and nothing earth-shattering is going down today. But today's election will likely affect all of us in Tucson more than last year's presidential election, and next year's gubernatorial race.

So if you haven't gotten to the polls yet, good. I implore you to give me a couple minutes of your time to try to prevail on your intelligence and provide you with some Tucson City Council information that may have passed you by.

I've seen firsthand how nasty the Ward 6 race has gotten between Democrat Gayle Hartmann and incumbent Republican Fred Ronstadt. Last week, I was sent a couple of political ads in the mail, which didn't endorse Hartmann as much as they attempted to bash Ronstadt. Nonetheless, Tucson Democrats see this race as the more likely of the two to win. After all, this is a predominantly liberal town, especially when compared to the rest of the state. So how could a Republican have stolen away a seat from a Democrat?

It seems as though most Tucsonans don't vote as strongly along ideological lines as in most parts of the country. In November 2000, Pima County voted Al Gore over George W. Bush by a 7-percent margin, but overwhelmingly picked incumbent Republican Congressman Jim Kolbe over Democrat George Cunningham.

Even the Arizona Daily Star, a historically left-leaning newspaper that endorsed Gore last year, backs Ronstadt for city council.

In the Star's Oct. 26 edition, its editorial board praised Ronstadt's handling of city business thus far.

"Ronstadt has served well during his first term," the editorial said. "The outcome we believe best for Tucson would be for Ronstadt to be voting on the City Council, and Hartmann to be on the sidelines as a leader of the loyal opposition."

The Star also assesses one of the possible reasons for Ronstadt's support in a left-wing town. "(Hartmann) contends the city's streets are not so bad as people say. (Ronstadt) thinks maintenance of the roads is 'horrendous.' All evidence is that more people agree with Ronstadt."

The editorial refrained from portraying Hartmann in a negative light for the most part, but did go on to say, "While Hartmann probably would deny this, the impression is strong that she would attempt to bottle up the city's growth and put a cork in it."

It does seem to be true that Ronstadt is a staunch conservative. He is in favor of cutting unnecessary government spending, fighting gun control regulation and not treating smokers as outcasts in our city restaurants. This is another possible reason explaining the bipartisan support he enjoys in Tucson: Regardless of ideology, his actions reflect his words. That is a rarity in both local and national politics today.

Kathleen Dunbar isn't as conservative as Ronstadt, nor does she claim to be. But she has experience - and dare I say, a lot of funding - on her side. This is a candidate that people believe in.

Dunbar, the Ward 3 candidate, served in the Arizona State Legislature for a term and was selected nationally as rookie legislator of the year in 1998. While her views are more representative as a moderate Republican, she has a very strong understanding of local issues and finances.

In the same Oct. 26 column, the Star recognized and praised this ability. "Dunbar appears to have a better understanding of the city's transportation and traffic issues and offers more workable solutions," the editorial stated. It went on to say, "Dunbar outshines (Democratic candidate Paula) Aboud and all the other candidates in her understanding of economic development."

"If we stick to the issues, we prefer Dunbar," the Star concluded.

Fred Ronstadt is a man who sticks to his ideals, as controversial as they may be. It goes to show you that honesty and integrity should always trump party-line voting, as it does in Tucson.

Kathleen Dunbar has the knowledge, experience and common sense to help make Tucson a more effectively governed and fiscally responsible town. We should all be so lucky to have her pragmatic approach in our city's politics.

I encourage all of you to vote for Ronstadt in Ward 6 and Dunbar in Ward 3 today. But above all, I simply encourage you to vote. Local elections are as important as state and national ones. Please take a few minutes to help make Tucson a better place to live.