CommonDreams: Oregonians Exercising Democracy Through ‘Voter Owned Elections’

[marmar]

Published on Friday, March 7, 2008 by CommonDreams.org
10,000 Maniacs
Oregonians Exercising Democracy Through ‘Voter Owned Elections’

by Jeff Malachowsky


Some political scientists argue that voting is irrational, that the act of political participation doesn’t bring enough benefits to the individual to make it worth the effort.

This might be so in many places, but Oregonians don’t think so. Recently, 10,000 have declared, ‘things are different here.’

That’s how many voters coughed up $5 and gave their signatures to candidates running for mayor and city council in Portland, under the city’s new ‘Voter Owned Elections’ system. Moreover, the election is still months away, in May, and it’s only a primary, to boot. What is going on?

Yogi Berra, one of baseball’s most famous orators, once observed - “If the people don’t want to come, nobody’s gonna stop ‘em.” And there-in lies the problem with elections, and with democratic government more broadly. You can’t compel participation; you can’t stop people from sitting out the vote.

But what if you could attract people, make it more fun, more popular - and, more rewarding to participate?

Voter Owned Elections, also called Clean Elections is in seven other states and one city, does just that in at least three ways.

First, it helps give more choices to voters, meaning more different kinds of candidates who are likely to catch someone’s fancy. What’s that mean? Take the current Portland all-male city government; all white, too. They are fine men, all, but - I mean - well, you get the point. In contrast, among the seven Voter Owned Elections candidates, there’s Amanda Fritz, nurse and neighborhood activist - it’s her second time running under the system, and she might well win this time; John Branam, African American, development director for the public schools; and Charles Lewis, founder of an inner-city non-profit music program. There is also Sho Dozono, born in Japan, a civic leader and businessman, who is running in exactly the opposite way from what candidates like him would ordinarily choose. In fact, some of his major backers in the Chamber of Commerce and Oregonian newspaper have been the most ardent foes of Voter Owned Elections. Three other candidates - a software engineer and transportation activist, and two environmentalists, one who is organizing director for the watchdog Citizens Utility Board and the other chief of staff to a retiring city councilor — round out the slate. Even the most political among them - Jim Middaugh, top aide to departing Commissioner Erik Sten, describes himself this way. “I’m an organizer, rabble-rouser, activist type,” he says, adding that he’s eager to employ his “what do I have to do today to get things done” philosophy on the city council. Do these people sound like the ‘usual suspects,’ here in the City of Roses? ......(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/03/07/7531/

[WHEN CRABS ROAR]

1. We also get to vote on paper here.

[Parche]

2. I aint voting for Sho

He is nothing but a 'sho-boat', and the company he runs does not treat their employees well.......

:hi:

[Viva_La_Revolution]

3. Things ARE different here!

It's why I love this state so much. :)