Charter Review Proposition 1 wants us to elect our County Council members countywide. Why? I don’t want people from Mississippi or New York voting for my Congressman and they don’t want me voting for theirs. We don’t elect our state senators and representatives statewide. We don’t elect our Congressmen and Senators nationwide. And there is a reason for it.
We value representative government and electing our Council members by district gives us the greatest opportunity to elect people who will be accessible and who will listen to our concerns. We may not always agree with Council decisions but gutting the Charter the voters approved in 2005 and reverting the to Council members elected countywide is a step in the opposite direction of representative government and opens the door to the members of well-funded special interest groups to get control.
For more information on why we, the voters, should vote No on Propositions 1 and 2, please go to www.votenocharterreview1and2.com.
Please vote NO on Charter Review Propositions 1 and 2!
Art Lange
San Juan County doesn’t have three candidates who can even claim to be able to fairly represent his/her constituancy in a county wide election. The diversity of our islands is unique and every elected official must have both experience in and understanding of the geography that elected him/her. I know damn well that the good folk on Lopez don’t want me to represent their interests in Council meetings and rightfully so and…I would appreciate it they would refrain from representing Deer Harbor. Didn’t we change from 6 to 3 because what we had didn’t work? Back to 3 and adding “county wide” is like sticking your finger in the fire twice.
There were many times in the past that I, as a constituent from Lopez, found myself very well represented by the Commissioner from Orcas–who may have lived on a different island but was willing to listen to me as a constituent. The islands are very diverse, and since all of the council members make decisions for all of us, I think it is time to ensure that they actually need to pay attention to all of us. I don’t want a representative who can’t convince people throughout the county to vote for them–if they can’t they clearly can’t make county wide decisions. I think that we on the CRC have proposed changes that will make county government more representative and work better with our unique geography and I sincerely hope that the folks on Orcas also feel that our common interests are best represented when we are represented by all of the council, not just a sixth. And it would be more respectful, Charlie, if you asked us what our opinion here on Lopez was before claiming to…
…speak for us, just as we would expect the council members to do for you before taking action that affects Deer Harbor.
Sorry, Madrona – – I’m with Charlie on this one.