[To be clear, I am writing here as a private citizen, not as list moderator]<div><br></div><div>Melissa,</div><div>The issue of low participation in voting in general (in the U.S.) and, in particular in local and "off-year" elections, and especially in elections for mayor and council representation in Riverdale Park is a critical one. I have been concerned with it as long as I've lived in town, and in fact researched and posted some data on RP elections on the RP Wiki (see:
<a href="http://rpwiki.wetpaint.com/page/2009+Election+Results">http://rpwiki.wetpaint.com/page/2009+Election+Results</a> ) a few years back. I compared our data with Hyattsville's at the time (we actually discussed this on the Hyattsville podcast radio 4HAX at the time) and found them to be similarly dismal. Turnout goes up a bit when seats are contested, and down when they are not. I took from this some encouragement that at least people are paying attention.</div>
<div><br></div><div>While I am sure any of us who is concerned with the health and vitality of our democracy and community shares your consternation with low voter turnout, I am not sure how this point can be flipped on its head and used as a critique of the very representatives who did step up and make themselves available to serve. Seems to me the critique should be directed at any and all who did not vote - not at those who volunteered to run and now serve in office. While it is true that in many places where only one candidate appears on the ballot, this is taken as evidence that the elections are rigged in favor of the party in power, I am not aware here that anyone who wanted to run has been kept from appearing on any ballot. <i>Au contraire, </i>I know that the mayor has worked very hard to recruit candidates when none had as yet raised their hands to volunteer. </div>
<div><br></div><div>I, for one, as am absolutely grateful as I can be that we have the quality of representation that we do. For a town that seems outwardly -as you point out - to not give a hoot, I think we're pretty damned fortunate to find people, all of whom have day jobs, most of whom have families, and I'm pretty sure though I haven't polled them, all of whom have other things they might actually prefer to be doing rather than attending and conducting all of the seemingly endless council, committee, and town meetings that it takes to make the system work. I'd like to have a dollar for every time one of their spouses, partners or friends has questioned their sanity and asked them when they were going to spend some time with them!</div>
<div><br></div><div>If they aren't "walking the streets" in their ward it's probably because they are either attending an official meeting or preparing for the next one. I can only speak for myself, but every time I have emailed or called on of our representatives (or admin staff, for that matter) I have always received a reply, usually quite promptly. Have you thought about how many hours CMs Ebbeler and Thompson have taken to respond just to your emails on this list, on this topic? I would offer that as evidence that they are, in fact, very interested and very responsive to the interests and ideas of their constituents. What more would you expect of them? Personally, I would be abashed to ask more of any of them were I not myself ready to hold myself to that same high standard and run for the same office. </div>
<div><br></div><div>In the six years that I have lived in town, I have been represented in Ward 1 by Rob Oppenheim, Alice Ewen, and Jonathan Ebbeler. I have attended meetings, observed them in action, and discussed issues which each of them. I would rate each one of them as "awesome." (BTW, I attended the meeting on the Cafritz proposal - I believe it was last December - when Mr Ebbeler basically told Jane Cafritz to STFU and made it absolutely clear that the process was being led by the town, not by her. I can't imagine anyone would have come away from that meeting believing that the council was in the pocket of Cafritz or anyone else). I just wish that all 3 of my former and current reps would all run for higher office - district council, state legislature, or Congress. I believe we'd all be better off if they did. I can only hope that you and others who share the opinion that our representatives are only in it for themselves and are disdainful of their constituents and their views do not succeed in getting them all to quit. Where would we be then? Are you prepared to run?</div>
<div><br></div><div>Dwight Holmes<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Wed, Jul 11, 2012 at 2:49 PM, Melissa Avery <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:m.avery@rocketmail.com" target="_blank">m.avery@rocketmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div><div style="font-size:12pt;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><div><font size="3">In my </font>experiences<font size="3"> the town government is a closed society, not particularly interested in the opinion of the citizens. the entirety elected by less than 200 citizens out of a citizenry of close to 3000. </font></div>
<div><font size="3">The council people do not meet with the people in there wards, walk the streets of there wards or particularly want to hear from the people who live in there wards.</font></div><div><font size="3">The town charter has been altered to state they can conduct town meetings in any way they see fit, rather than following Roberts Rules of Order which is the accepted norm.</font></div>
<div><br></div><div style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt"><br></div> <div style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt"> <div style="font-family:'times new roman','new york',times,serif;font-size:12pt">
<div dir="ltr"> <font face="Arial"> <hr size="1"> <b><span style="font-weight:bold">From:</span></b> "<a href="mailto:barrett740@yahoo.com" target="_blank">barrett740@yahoo.com</a>" <<a href="mailto:barrett740@yahoo.com" target="_blank">barrett740@yahoo.com</a>><br>
<b><span style="font-weight:bold">To:</span></b> Melissa Avery <<a href="mailto:m.avery@rocketmail.com" target="_blank">m.avery@rocketmail.com</a>>; "<a href="mailto:jebbeler@efusionconsulting.com" target="_blank">jebbeler@efusionconsulting.com</a>" <<a href="mailto:jebbeler@efusionconsulting.com" target="_blank">jebbeler@efusionconsulting.com</a>>; "<a href="mailto:towntalk@riverdale-park.org" target="_blank">towntalk@riverdale-park.org</a>" <<a href="mailto:towntalk@riverdale-park.org" target="_blank">towntalk@riverdale-park.org</a>> <br>
<b><span style="font-weight:bold">Sent:</span></b> Wednesday, July 11, 2012 2:11 PM<div class="im"><br> <b><span style="font-weight:bold">Subject:</span></b> Re: [RP TownTalk] Cafritz Vote<br> </div></font> </div><div class="im">
<br>
<div><div><div style="font-family:sans-serif;font-size:16px">That is not very responsive. I too am interested in differing perspectives and was looking forward to a more thoughtful response. Kirsten<br><br><font color="#333333"><i><span style="font-size:14px"><font face="sans-serif">Connected by DROID on Verizon Wireless</font></span></i></font></div>
<br><br>-----Original message-----<br><blockquote style="border-left:2px solid rgb(16,16,255);margin-left:5px;padding-left:5px"><div style="font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14px"><b>From: </b>Melissa Avery <<a href="mailto:m.avery@rocketmail.com" target="_blank">m.avery@rocketmail.com</a>><b><br>
To: </b>"<a href="mailto:jebbeler@efusionconsulting.com" target="_blank">jebbeler@efusionconsulting.com</a>" <<a href="mailto:jebbeler@efusionconsulting.com" target="_blank">jebbeler@efusionconsulting.com</a>>, "<a href="mailto:towntalk@riverdale-park.org" target="_blank">towntalk@riverdale-park.org</a>" <<a href="mailto:towntalk@riverdale-park.org" target="_blank">towntalk@riverdale-park.org</a>><b><br>
Sent: </b>Wed, Jul
11, 2012 17:31:06 GMT+00:00<b><br>Subject: </b>Re: [RP TownTalk] Cafritz Vote<br><br></div></blockquote></div>
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