Thursday, November 3, 2016

Without Turnout, How Can You Have Turnover?

It's another case of compare and contrast between neighboring counties, as told through the medium of headlines.

Almost 40 percent return ballots in Jefferson County

More than 28 percent return ballots in Clallam County

Those are the latest headlines, but the earlier versions had shown a similar split - 19% vs. 14%. And, if history is any guide, that split will hold right down to the end, with Jeff Co. having a higher percentage of their ballots returned than Clallam.

Which brings us to a version of the chicken or the egg question. Does Clallam County have lower turnout because it has lousy candidates, or does Clallam County have lousy candidates because the slackers and creeps that usually run for office know there's low turnout (and thus a lower bar to clear)?

And that question leads to another one. We all know there is a great, great deal of dissatisfaction with the (overall low, low, low) quality of people who get elected in Clallam County and Port Angeles. Citizen, and thus voter, dissatisfaction and distrust is very high, as is, it seems, the desire for change. So you'd think there'd be bigger turnouts during elections...Only, well, there isn't. So how do you achieve any sort of change and turnover without better turnout?

Sure, it's the fundamental building block
of our democracy, but...Whatever.


23 comments:

  1. Can anyone who is at all familiar with Port Townsend or Jefferson County even imagine someone like Pat Downie being competitive there in an election? Cherie Kidd? I think not.

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    1. Is 28% of Clallam County more people than 40% of Jefferson County?

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    2. I think they'd do very well in Quilcine.

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  2. What we have allowed to happen is complete abdication from our responsibility for oversight of our governing structures. That is the only reason Brad Collins, Pat Downie, Dan Gase and Kidd could rise to the top. We will not be so lazy from now on. Now we know what happens when four paternalistic constipated cretins run a city. Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

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  3. But the question remains, why? Is it just demographics? That the average income is lower in Clallam? Oh, wait, it isn't.

    Or, do we have a higher number of people who just think everything is for somebody else to do? Just flat out lazy people who don't mind complaining, but won't do anything.

    But wait! A couple days ago, the day of Halloween, the streets of downtown Port Angeles were packed. Consistently, the most people you will ever see in Port Angeles is Halloween afternoon.

    So, it isn't that people in Port Angeles are completely lazy. All those people had to make plans ahead of time with other people, get off work early, get their kids (if they had kids), load up and drive downtown, and get really creative in finding parking. And then, horrors of horrors, many had to WALK blocks to get to downtown!

    Now, sit at the kitchen table and mark a piece of paper once every couple of years? Why bother?

    And, you're right. The local what-passes-for-leadership know a relative few follow what they do, and virtually none hold them accountable.

    People come up with all kinds of reasons why their votes don't count, and why they should bother marking that ballot. The system is rigged, etc. The reality is the special interests like timber (here), Big Oil, Big Pharma, etc get what they want, because of the disinterest and apathy of the voters.

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  4. We have a depressed economy. The high levels of drug abuse here speak to high levels of emotional depression. Winding up with depressing choices on the ballot seems almost logical considering the circumstances.

    We all live at the intersection of depression and apathy.

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  5. We haven't gotten so desperate that we've actually elected Peter Ripley.

    Yet.

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    1. But you may well have a chance to do so again, if I know Peter...

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  6. It's a numbers problem, as well as a turnout problem. By numbers, I mean we have trouble getting a majority of good people elected at once. They either get elected and leave like Max Mania, or even Larry Little) or get elected then go soft headed (like Sissi Bruch does too much of the time). So we end up with a good person or two, when what we need is a group of four or more good people ALL AT THE SAME TIME. That hasn't happened yet. That then leads to the voter apathy. It's possible that when Pat Downie dies or is term limited out, as is Cherie Kidd, there might be an opening. But who will run? Precious few seem willing to step into that mess, and I can't blame them.

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    1. Thanks to those like Max, and Sissi, and Lee, who try.

      BUT....here we are, still spinning our wheels. Things are in many ways worse than ever. Vigilantes? Really? It's come to that?

      Mean Acres and then some.

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  7. And per an earlier topic...I think it's safe to say that "The Vine" has withered and died. The GoFundMe effort is still stuck at a measly $370 - out of a (wildly unrealistic) goal of $10,000.

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    Replies
    1. When you consider Chelsea Ward's fake pledge of $200 you are really down to $170 IF those are real true pledges. $170 will buy you about one column inch in the daily fish wrap.

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  8. Finally, just a note that Saturday is Guy Fawkes day.

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  9. CK, your blog really is an amazing service to Clallam County. Such a breathe of fresh air. But how many comments don't you post?

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    1. The vast majority of comments, probably 98%, get posted. But some, for a variety of reasons, don't make it through. This is especially true for late-night trolls who sometimes post the same sad message over and over again, often on different topics - as if that will work. But again, almost all get through.

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  10. On a somewhat related subject...I do want to note the recent City Council meeting where they spent hours and hours in an ever-more extended meeting discussing their own rules and procedures...Only to end up exactly where they started.

    Time wasted, people frustrated and no progress: That's the Port Angeles City Council. Some things never change. Literally, they never change.

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    1. And, as it keeps being asked: What is it about Port Angeles? What is this special mix that results in such apathy and resistance to change?

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    2. we need to change the name to the Port Angeles Silly Council.
      Not only they spent hours and hours, they had -- at one time -- six (6) open motions on the table. The Mayor does not seem to be in control of anything other than screwing around with the agenda times (several times now he has changed the time of the public comment, and rearranges things in an illogical order).
      At this last meeting Collins was whining about needing to get up early, and instead of pardoning him, and asking him to go ahead and leave, the Mayor just put up with the nonsense of three time motions in 15 minutes. (Collins insisted on having a motion to extend the meeting by 5 minutes, then by 10 minutes....)
      These meetings are getting stranger.

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  11. Frankly, I'm hoping the low ballot submission numbers are due to people doing some thoughtful consideration of the numerous items on it. That's the case for some of my friends. Plus, there is always the procrastination factor. I wouldn't be surprised if the final count is well into the 70% range. That's reasonably acceptable for an election. But, I'm one who believes it should be 100%.

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  12. One of the problems the city council wrestled with the other night was an attempt to define: disrupt. The more they tossed it around the more I realized, in the years I've been watching city council Cherie Kidd is the only one to disrupt a meeting when on February 2nd she banged it adjourned when there was still business to attend on the agenda. For this there was formed an ethics committee to investigate. They decided she was in error and should be admonished. The city council spent two or three meetings deciding if they would admonish her. Gase, Downie, Collins could not bring themselves to scold the Kidd. So really she is the only disruptive element so far and the other 3 of the fluoride four are determined to let it pass. The first order of business for the new city council in 2017 should be to pass a resolution scolding these four constipated cretins for holding the city back for so long.

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    1. Change the balance of power a year from now, and how many ethics violations do you think The Four would then be guilty of? Hint: I don't have that many fingers.

      But, the better course of action would be to pass some resolutions to put in writing the issues that need to even be acknowledged. That would be a good place to start.

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  13. I voted but I was honestly sickened that our choice against Mike Chapman was Vrable. I had to just write in some random name but this is the problem. Mike will rise to a higher position now and pat himself on the back and really believe he is all that. The ultimate demonstration of the Peter Principle but he reached his maximum level of incompetence years ago.

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    1. Yes, but, the "system" is us.

      We would do well to keep reminding everyone to stop blaming some "others", and remember it is each of us that is responsible for all this. Including Trump.

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