Thank you for your “Thoughts from the Publisher” in the Feb. 20 issue regarding the upcoming election. I was beginning to wonder if it had actually been cancelled!
I am baffled by this agreement not to use campaign signage. Personally, I would view the agreement more as an effort to continue the “status quo” rather than to make “!for a less cluttered landscape!” I would challenge the City Council to walk the city, all areas of the city, every so often to see what really “clutters the landscape” and to get a real feel for each area.
Yes, signage can be an eyesore. But I do believe that they remind voters that there is an election!
As to any mailers I receive, they go directly into the shredder. If the mailers actually listed the pros and cons of the candidate, then I might see some value to them. Of course I do look at them as continued support for our U.S. postal system.
I think that a better way to make an election of more importance to the general population of voters is to create City Council districts. We may be a small city, but, frankly, I view the west side of the city as underrepresented. Having a council representative that lived on the west side of the city might lead to a better understanding of traffic concerns when designing new affordable-housing and other issues. I can only guess about the concerns of the north side of the city. Aren’t the current City Council members mostly located on the east side of Cherry, south of Willow?
Regardless of anyone’s political “bent,” I would encourage every registered voter to participate in this election. To me, by not demonstrating your right to vote, you are giving tacit approval to the direction your city government is moving and their actions, which may be okay with you.
Remember, even if you turn in a blank ballot, you are participating in the election process. I would like to believe that there would be a bigger message sent if there were a whole lot of blank ballots “voted” than fewer voters going to the polls!
Everyone seems to have an opinion about their government, local or elsewhere. Now is your chance to make your statement, locally. Vote!
Marc Solomon
Signal Hill
