It was standing room only Monday, March 23 as over a hundred motivated voters gathered to learn how to pass a needed ballot issue. Was this just an angry and disorganized mob of disgruntled voters?
After the last city charter review, your city rulers responded to criticism by finally moving to a district system. But those in control left themselves a “backdoor” to gerrymander every election. All the votes are counted at-large. The whole city gets to vote on each district.
We are the only major city in the country that has this voting system.
Read that last sentence again.
Nobody else uses this system since it promotes city leaders to ignore the needs of the citizens. In other words, it works exactly as designed.
Another problem is that as an at-large election the effort needed to run for office comes down to big money and “who you know” within the Franklin County Democratic Party.
If this strikes you as being as stupid as serving hot dogs for Thanksgiving dinner then you’re not alone.
It takes hundreds of thousands of dollars to run a city-wide campaign and even if you win the voters of your district (like Vogel did twice) you can still lose the election. “Our City Our Say” is going to change it.
“They should have a say in their own government. An opportunity to vote for their neighbor. We are going to change the way politics is done… when this wins,” said Willis Brown
How many members of City Council attended?
None.
Here were over a hundred residents who had concerns about our democracy, but not a single member of City Council took the effort to attend. Nobody.
Yes, being on City Council is a “part-time” job without any job description, but you’d think they would care about the concerns of the residents?
What’s the hidden surprise?
There’s a part of this ballot initiative that makes every member of City Council scared.
Sure, it will make members of City Council dependent of the votes of the citizens they represent, but just as important it will make the recall of a member of City Council possible by gathering signatures from only their district.
Remember Remy who abused his legislative aide? She sued the city and was awarded $84,791 dollars of our taxes. He attended a management class and still gets his paycheck every two weeks plus the gold-plated health insurance and a pension.
He walks the corridors of City Hall with a big smile on his face knowing that there’s next to nothing anyone can do to challenge him; and now he only works for the man who saved him – Shannon Hardin.
Right now, if you want to recall him from office you’d need to gather signatures from the entire city.
When this ballot initiative is passed that will change
Does your member of City Council abuse women in City Hall?
Want to start the recall process?
When this ballot initiative is passed that’s no problem. Collect signatures from just your district; not the whole city.
That alone is a reason to volunteer. Men in positions of power should abuse women.
Volunteers for better democracy
Is this effort another organized way for the “Epstein Class” to soak more money out of the middle class and working poor?
Nope. It’s the opposite.
The rich and powerful who control the mainstream media and pour hundreds of thousands of dollars into every local election hate “Our City Our Say.”
These are the volunteers of a city who love their neighbors but know that the city government they pay for has been failing them year after year. City Hall works for the wealthy first and everyone else last.
Democracy only works when people participate
You might have been disgusted with how corrupt and inefficient City Hall has operated over the years; and you’d be right. Earn the right to complain about this failure of leadership.
Get off the sidelines and volunteer to collect signatures.
Columbus is your city. https://ourcityoursay.com/
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https://freepress.org/article/columbus-deserves-democracy
https://freepress.org/article/more-just-democracy-our-city-our-say