Voting is the most important fundamental right, the most important civic duty citizens have
In the scandal-ridden city of Bell, barely a third of voters recently
turned out at the polls to throw out the officials who allegedly looted
the treasury.
That was nearly three times the percentage that
cast ballots in the March 8 Los Angeles municipal election, in which six
City Council members were returned to office despite widespread
discontent over closed libraries, parks and fire stations, soaring
utility rates and a worsening budget crisis.
Only 14.3% of
registered voters could bother to participate in Burbank’s recent
primary election and the turnout will surely be lower for the runoff
between Emily Gable-Luddy and Bob Frutos on April 12.
Glendale turnout rarely goes much above 20% and that is likely what will occur at the city elections on April 5.
Even
in presidential elections, one in five of those registered in
California doesn’t vote, and one in four eligible voters don’t even care
enough to register.
The right to vote and choose our leaders –
something oppressed people across the Arab world are putting their lives
on the line to get — is taken for granted here in the land of the free
and the home of the brave.
It makes you wonder what would happen if they held an election and no one came.
Or better yet, what if they held an election and everyone came out and voted because it was compulsory?
(READ FULL STORY)
Seeing is believing, then it is too late…we have been spoon fed psuedo-democratic tendencies, this reminds me of Plato’s Crito..we have been programmed “to obey one’s government without question”….the Boiling Frog analogy suits us just fine…Makes me wonder what the students in school are learning in their social/civic classes…the more you question the more the gov’t tightens its fist (more rules, and regulations to control their citizens; whereas these same rules do not apply to the rulers)…we should have recalled the Mayor when we had the chance…
I disagree. We are not perfect. But when
we receive good counsel, we can learn and change.
Thank you for your good essay and advice, Ron.
LA sublIME
…we USUALLY act with efficacy when efficiency is SUSPECT…
If voting is a “fundamental right” as stated in the first paragraph, then like the right to freedom of religion, it means we have the right to vote or not vote. I’m not saying that’s right, but that’s the way it is.
I wish the people of Los Angeles were more interested in getting off their fat asses and waddling over to their local polling station, but let’s face it, they’re not and every resident of this city has to fight to keep up with local politics.
Oh, they’ll get some political factoids in the L.A. Times, but all they’ll get in the Daily News is press release re-writes from their main political reporter.
How many people are aware of the few local Web sites such as this one where they can keep caught up on local political skullduggery?
Local radio does the best job of covering local politics. I pick up more information on KABC’s John Phillips show and Redeye Radio with Doug McIntyre than from any TV or newspapers where most people get their information.
As for local TV, with rare exceptions coverage of local politics is non-existent, and until the money is taken out of TV news coverage, it ain’t gonna happen. For most, unless there’s a huge scandal, politics of a big fat yawn and there are no good eye-catching graphics that TV news relies to heavily upon.
Lastly, I don’t know about anyone else, but I don’t want American citizens who haven’t bothered to learn English to vote; or trailer park trash; or bikers; or petty criminals; or anyone who hasn’t bothered to at least read the voters’ pamphlet.
But then, as a survey by former Mayor Jim Hahn proved, about 60 percent of Angelinos are functionally illiterate, so I don’t want them making decisions for me either.
Quick and simple, you’re dead wrong Ron.
While there might be a fair amount of complacency, I think it’s reasonable to suggest that there’s a lot more disgust with the way we now do politics. The evidence for this is clear. Every election features the same useless junk.
Voters get inundated with 15 to 30 second lies spewed out their TVs and radios. We see billboards with some politicians name, yard signs and bus benches with the same. We get mailers that are little more than propaganda. We get nothing of value.
You want greater voter participation? MAKE THEM DEBATE!
It’s a reasonable to require participation in a minimum of 20 out of 25 scheduled, open, public debates within each legislative district. It’s reasonable to require wannabees as well as incumbents to gather in a single place at the same time and actually face voters in a truly competitive/comparative theatre. It’s also reasonable that the events take place in places that are convenient for voters to attend, and that are neutral in their setting.
Voters should be able to, first hand, observe their choices, by going to a neighborhood facility and seeing, on stage, everyone who will appear on the ballot. Also, there is no more powerful method of castrating the power of money in politics than to swing open the doors of democracy.
A final note: In the middle of the nineteenth century, Abraham Lincoln and Steven Douglas participated in no fewer than seven public debates for a legislative office that wasn’t even up for popular vote (the 17th amendment was still more than five decades away), and I think it would be a gross understatement to say that the voters in that era were, by many orders of magnitude, better informed about the issues of their day, and who stood for what, than we are in this great age of communication.
Ron identifies one issue, I wish to address 2 related issues — (1) those who do vote are fools (2) those who oppose incumbents are fools.
The 11% Who Do Vote are Fools!
LaBonge reduced the 2 acre Fire Station 82 by 75% and moved it farther away from the hills increasing response time. 53% of The central part of the Oaks, who are most likely to die in a fire, voted for LaBonge. 28% voted for O’Grady who was silent about the 75% reduction. Box, wanted a full 2 acre FS 82 on the westside of the freeway with shorter response time, got 17.4%. [Precinct 9003981A)
The north part of the Oaks, which is most in danger of a fire, voted 42.4% for LaBonge, 47.2% for O'Grady, but only 08% for Box -- the only candidate who had favored a full 2 acre FS 82. [Precinct 9000712A]
Beachwood Canyon, whose response time is also reduced, voted only 20.3% for LaBonge — that makes sense, but 64.8% for O’Grady who was silent about FS 82 and only 12.5% for Box. [Precinct 9001191B]
Thus, 85% voted against the only candidate who wanted the full 2 acre FS 82.
Next issue — The Candidates are Fools:
Unfortunately, Box failed to let any of the homeowners know about the downsizing of FS 82 by 75%. These 3 precincts rejected LaBonge [38.67% average], but gave O’Grady the most votes [46.6%] despite his never advocating for a full 2 acre FS 82, and Box got only 10.23%.
Rather than complaining about those voters who we know will not vote, it makes more sense for those who do vote to inform themselves better and beyond that, candidates have the duty to inform voters of their positions.
How many voters in Beachwood Canyon and The Oaks think it was a good idea to reduce FS 82 by 75% and move it to a location that increased the response time to their homes so that the CRA would have space for another mixed-use project on Hollywood Boulevard?
The city had selected a full 2 acre site west of the 101 Freeway before Garcetti and LaBonge called for a closed session and in secret reduced FS 82 by 75% and moved it to gridlock hell.
It’s all about seizing POWER, not CIVIC DUTY!…”Children of our Times”….
I don’t blame people for failing to participate in a system all think is rigged. It is sort of like blaming people for refusing to play a game when everyone know the refs have been bought off.
Until there is substantive reform in the way we elect politicians and the way they are required to legislate, many will rightfully believe that elections have little consequences.
I voted in the last general election (not the one for LA, as I live in the county).
Maybe Australia has the right idea: move election day to the weekends. I don’t know if making voting compulsory would pass constitutional muster, however. It’s worth considering.