District-only voting
District-only voting
Perhaps all voters in all thirteen western states should vote for our two Washington State Senators to the US Congress. That way, they will represent all of the West and not just our rainy area. And a
Perhaps all voters in all thirteen western states should vote for our two Washington State Senators to the US Congress. That way, they will represent all of the West and not just our rainy area. And all Washington State voters should be allowed to vote on who we send to our State Legislature from our 40th and 42nd districts here in Whatcom and Skagit counties. That would be in line with the thinking of our county council.
They are called 'representatives' and district only voting ensures that we get representative government. We all elect our Executive, Mayor, President or Governor. But we - the we who live in a ward, district, county or state - should be able to elect our representative without voters from other areas having a say. I want someone who knows my area, listens to we who live here and represents our interests - which ever voting area that is. When all the city or county or state or national interests are the same then we get good legislation. Otherwise those elected really represent the party hacks and the big money - not the people. This is true at a national level and at a county level.
Two groups love county wide voting; The organized factions and those with money to put into candidates. They love it because they have more say on who gets elected. They fear ward or district only elections because the people become closer to their representatives than the party hacks, the paid political organizers and the big donors. Well the people and their representatives should be close.
We voters spoke on this issue - and that should be it for several years at least. The county council is acting in a narrow, self serving manner to put forth this issue again for our vote. The liberals are looking to ensure their reelection. And the county council as a whole is acting irresponsibly. This was not a priority issue.
The county council threw this bone out of the courthouse to the citizens this week and it is a great big non-issue. The political hacks who are behind this now hope we will argue about this non-issue for the next 11 months and maybe not notice the real issues that need our attention. Our vote counting is a mess. No matter how you schedule voting, if you don't count the votes accurately then it does not matter what arrangements you have for who votes for whom. And if you have public disclosure laws that invite gaming then you have no idea who is honest or deceptive. And if you have an election system that protects incumbents and prevents real choices by the voters then you will not get good candidates. And if you have a legislature that is captive to the two political parties then you end up with ballots that are confusing and use color codes in an effort to be less confusing. If we want true representatives then we have a lot of work to do that is not related to district or county wide voting.
Supposedly if you want liberal council members then you are supposed to be for county wide voting. If you want conservative, then district only. I thought the idea was a council person who represented the people of a district. Somehow that has gotten lost. Interestingly, a larger percentage of city voters actually vote than rural voters. That is why the city seems to control who is elected. Confused yet? There are more rural voters than Bellingham voters. If they would vote then our rural friends could control the elections whether county wide or district only.
My solution? Redistrict the county with five meaningful districts - with three being largely from outside Bellingham. Then have two at-large seats - one every two years. Have district only voting for the five district seats. Have instant runoff voting so there is no primary. Have free mailing of ballots in envelopes that are automatically priority mail. Now we would elect people who would represent us and prevent incumbents from staying around too long.
Maybe an initiative for a vote next November to change how we redistrict our county would be a nice poison pill for our council. You, gentle reader, perhaps do not know that the two political parties completely control how our districts are drawn. Completely. The Republican and Democratic Party hacks. Section 4.41 of our county charter. Is it beginning to make sense?
They are called 'representatives' and district only voting ensures that we get representative government. We all elect our Executive, Mayor, President or Governor. But we - the we who live in a ward, district, county or state - should be able to elect our representative without voters from other areas having a say. I want someone who knows my area, listens to we who live here and represents our interests - which ever voting area that is. When all the city or county or state or national interests are the same then we get good legislation. Otherwise those elected really represent the party hacks and the big money - not the people. This is true at a national level and at a county level.
Two groups love county wide voting; The organized factions and those with money to put into candidates. They love it because they have more say on who gets elected. They fear ward or district only elections because the people become closer to their representatives than the party hacks, the paid political organizers and the big donors. Well the people and their representatives should be close.
We voters spoke on this issue - and that should be it for several years at least. The county council is acting in a narrow, self serving manner to put forth this issue again for our vote. The liberals are looking to ensure their reelection. And the county council as a whole is acting irresponsibly. This was not a priority issue.
The county council threw this bone out of the courthouse to the citizens this week and it is a great big non-issue. The political hacks who are behind this now hope we will argue about this non-issue for the next 11 months and maybe not notice the real issues that need our attention. Our vote counting is a mess. No matter how you schedule voting, if you don't count the votes accurately then it does not matter what arrangements you have for who votes for whom. And if you have public disclosure laws that invite gaming then you have no idea who is honest or deceptive. And if you have an election system that protects incumbents and prevents real choices by the voters then you will not get good candidates. And if you have a legislature that is captive to the two political parties then you end up with ballots that are confusing and use color codes in an effort to be less confusing. If we want true representatives then we have a lot of work to do that is not related to district or county wide voting.
Supposedly if you want liberal council members then you are supposed to be for county wide voting. If you want conservative, then district only. I thought the idea was a council person who represented the people of a district. Somehow that has gotten lost. Interestingly, a larger percentage of city voters actually vote than rural voters. That is why the city seems to control who is elected. Confused yet? There are more rural voters than Bellingham voters. If they would vote then our rural friends could control the elections whether county wide or district only.
My solution? Redistrict the county with five meaningful districts - with three being largely from outside Bellingham. Then have two at-large seats - one every two years. Have district only voting for the five district seats. Have instant runoff voting so there is no primary. Have free mailing of ballots in envelopes that are automatically priority mail. Now we would elect people who would represent us and prevent incumbents from staying around too long.
Maybe an initiative for a vote next November to change how we redistrict our county would be a nice poison pill for our council. You, gentle reader, perhaps do not know that the two political parties completely control how our districts are drawn. Completely. The Republican and Democratic Party hacks. Section 4.41 of our county charter. Is it beginning to make sense?
