Here's an Oxymoron
Who said municipal mayoral races are non-partisan?
The whole idea of candidates running as non-partisans for mayor or the city council was proffered on the idea that city issues - garbage collection, street repairs, snow removal - are not partisan issues.
That's true, but city politics often has been among the most partisan of any government, and this year's mayoral race is no exception.
Take the recent invitation sent out by the Salt Lake County Hispanic Democratic Caucus. The invitation is for the 2007 Salt Lake City forum, Wednesday at 6 p.m. in room 315 of the City and County Building.
It's a meet the candidates night. But you don't get to meet all the candidates.
The invitation says the candidates who will be there are Ralph Becker, Robert Comstock, Meghan Holbrook, John Renteria, Nancy Saxton and Jenny Wilson. The candidates, you will notice, are even listed in alphabetical order to avoid the appearance of favoring one over another.
But what do all these candidates listed on the invitation have in common? If you answered that they are all Democrats, you can go to the head of the class. And in a Utah school, that would be the head of about 40 others. In Colorado, it would only be about 18.
And did you notice that some candidates are not on the list? That would include David Buhler, Keith Christensen and J.P. Hughes. And what do they all have in common? Well, they're Republicans.
It begs the question: Are Democrats inherently better at cleaning out gutters and replacing sewer pipes than Republicans? And, therefore, it is not necessary to hear the views of candidates on say, synchronizing traffic lights, if they happen to be Republicans in this non-partisan race?
That's a question for the ages?
Cheers,
Paul Rolly
The whole idea of candidates running as non-partisans for mayor or the city council was proffered on the idea that city issues - garbage collection, street repairs, snow removal - are not partisan issues.
That's true, but city politics often has been among the most partisan of any government, and this year's mayoral race is no exception.
Take the recent invitation sent out by the Salt Lake County Hispanic Democratic Caucus. The invitation is for the 2007 Salt Lake City forum, Wednesday at 6 p.m. in room 315 of the City and County Building.
It's a meet the candidates night. But you don't get to meet all the candidates.
The invitation says the candidates who will be there are Ralph Becker, Robert Comstock, Meghan Holbrook, John Renteria, Nancy Saxton and Jenny Wilson. The candidates, you will notice, are even listed in alphabetical order to avoid the appearance of favoring one over another.
But what do all these candidates listed on the invitation have in common? If you answered that they are all Democrats, you can go to the head of the class. And in a Utah school, that would be the head of about 40 others. In Colorado, it would only be about 18.
And did you notice that some candidates are not on the list? That would include David Buhler, Keith Christensen and J.P. Hughes. And what do they all have in common? Well, they're Republicans.
It begs the question: Are Democrats inherently better at cleaning out gutters and replacing sewer pipes than Republicans? And, therefore, it is not necessary to hear the views of candidates on say, synchronizing traffic lights, if they happen to be Republicans in this non-partisan race?
That's a question for the ages?
Cheers,
Paul Rolly
3:18 PM
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3 Comments:
Why, yes, yes we are better at those things.
Were the Republicans invited?
Thank you Paul..The first question given to the "Invited" candidates deals with Diversity, yet the debate has barriers to full participation . Elly Muth
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