Editor of the Richmond Review - District Electuions Are A Failure

Dear All;

The Editor of the Richmond and Sunset Review has these thoughts on district elections and what could be done to change the scenario. Makes for interesting reading and a possible action plan.

http://snipurl.com/uwzxp [www_sfrichmondreview_com]

Ron Getty

LPSF endorsed RCV, didn't we? Un-American? Really? This sounds more like a pissed off Republican who's upset that the GOP is heading toward fourth place in SF politics. :slight_smile:

Rob,

  While I sadly fear that reports of the GOP's impending local demise are exaggerated, I agree with your basic point. Ranked Choice Voting is a voting method that more accurately reflects the wishes of voters and is more likely to allow for the election of alternative parties and candidates than traditional winner-take-all ballots.

  The desirability of district elections strikes me as more of a mixed bag, buton balance I tend to support them becuase they offer a grassroots approach to representation that is more empowering of the citizenry. I don't find any of Paul Kozakiewicz's rationales for getting rid of them to be particularly persuasive. The hybrid system he proposes (five at-large supervisors and six elected by district) sounds like it would make districts so large that district representation would become rather pointless. If there is a good reason to scrap district elections, it is that they encourage NIMBYism.

  But while NIMBYism is admittedly a major harmful negative right now, it also reflects a positive reality, namely that residents, especially as organized in neighborhood groups, have significant political power. In the big picture, in a country in danger of sliding into a police state, that is an important bulwark against government becoming too abusive of the citizenry. Reverting to citywide elections would lessen the influence of neighborhood groups while increasing that of larger organizations less accountable to San Francisco residents.

Love & Liberty,
        ((( starchild )))

Dear Starchild;

In part you wrote re the editorial about district elections;

namely that residents, especially as organized in neighborhood
groups, have significant political power In the big picture, in a country in danger of sliding into a police state, that is an important bulwark against government becoming too abusive of the citizenry.

from Thomas Jefferson:

"The strongest
reason
for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last
resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government"

We the people have the right to stop the abuse and if necessary to have another revolution to stop the abuse. Hello Obamacare aka HellCare.

Ron Getty
Hostis Res Publica
Morte Ai Tiranni
Dum Spiro, Pugno

Ron,

  Definitely. But it's far better if stopping the abuse doesn't require violence, and to the extent the citizenry is politically empowered, chances are greater that it won't.

Love & Liberty,
        ((( starchild )))