March 20, 2013

Increasing Voter Turnout In Cambridge



Increasing Voter Turnout In Cambridge

Former Mayor of Cambridge laments low voter participation. (Denise Simmons, "COLUMN: The importance of civic engagement on local level," Cambridge Chronicle, Mar 19, 2013) She recommends lowering the legal voting age to 16. Why not  allow 5-year-olds to vote? Would toddlers be less informed than other Cambridge voters? Banning white heterosexual men would increase voting. This would make it easier to elect women, homosexuals and persons of color who are victims of white male voter suppression.

Eliminate residency requirements for voting. The City Council supports unions in California. Union members in California will help elect them. City Council opposes white racism in South Africa. Allow South Africans to vote in city elections too. 

City Council supports The People of El Salvador. Allow disenfranchised peasants of El Salvador, to vote in city elections too. Guatemalans have little effect on their leaders. If they vote in Cambridge elections they may be able to effect some change in their country.

City Council has 11 sister cities. All of their residents should be eligible to vote in  City elections. The people of former State Rep. Jarrett Barrios' sister's hometown, Cien Fuegos could vote to secede from Cuba and become neighborhood ten of Cambridge. 

An easier way to increase voter turnout is to allow anyone to vote who wants to vote. No requirements. Make voting mandatory. If people do not vote take their driver's licenses away. Not having a driver's license in Massachusetts does not  prevent anyone from driving. Why should living in Cambridge be a requirement for voting?  

Too many laws were written by dead white males, probably Republicans. Oh? Did I explain the importance of banning Republicans? Not a problem. There are few of them now, not being allowed to rent or purchase property in the city. Make voting for Democrats mandatory too. 

Cambridge City government is intensely interested in what voters think. Evidence includes when the City Council approved a major zoning change without any public hearings. The City Council hired a new City Manager with no public hearings. See!

One secret why few people vote in City Council elections is that Councilors are prohibited by state law from interacting directly with any City Manager appointed employee. The penalty for violation of that law is removal from office. So how much power do City Councilors have? Not very much.

Can voters vote for City Manager? The City Manager does not listen to the City Council. Why should the Council listen to the voters? It sounds like a great situation comedy.

http://www.wickedlocal.com/cambridge/news/x1959359535/COLUMN-The-importance-of-civic-engagement-on-local-level#axzz2O2BiKMFn

COLUMN: The importance of civic engagement on local level
By Denise Simmons/GUEST COMMENTARY
Wicked Local Cambridge
Posted Mar 19, 2013 @ 02:04 PM

No comments: