In which I can't keep quiet about politics...

VOTE YES ON PROPOSITION 1

District Only Voting is the most Fair and Equal system available to our county.

Across our nation, states and counties are divided into districts. The premise behind these divisions is that not only should we give equal populations equal representation, but that we should recognize diversity of needs as dictated by different geographical locations, e.g. cities have different needs than do rural areas. Districts allow multiple geographical areas with diverse needs an equal voice in government.

Currently, our county government has been operating under the misguided premise that it is more fair for everyone in the county to vote on every council position, and that every councilperson should represent the entire county, striving to represent all citizens, no matter their district.

The problem with this premise is that not all citizens’ or locations HAVE the same needs or community values. Effective government recognizes this truth and, by creating districts and electing representatives that are residents of each, allows a diversity of community needs and values to be equally addressed by county government.

The creation of districts, and district-only voting ensures fair and equal representation for residents of our county. In recent elections under the county-wide system, residents of some districts were not allowed the privilege of selecting their own representative. Though residents of the district voted overwhelmingly for a candidate, the population outside of their district over-ruled their choice. They were left with a representative that they believed did not speak for their concerns and values.

There’s nothing fair about that.

An example, simply put, would be that residents of Seattle wouldn’t be happy if their government representatives were chosen by the residents of Quincy or Yakima…and vice versa.

Our federal government uses district only voting in each state, and also in our nation. If we follow the logic of the current county-wide voting, our nation should allow every state to vote on every Senator or Congressman. No one would say that is fair, and neither is it fair and equitable in a county situation.

The result of county-wide voting is to disallow fair representation for the diverse communities within the county by giving power to the majority of voters who are more likely to live in urban centers.  

If we want to see fair and equal representation for all citizens of Whatcom County, we will approve Proposition 1, district-only voting.