Comments on: Levy Passed By 6.5% Of Eligible Voters

By: Paul

Paul — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 22:09:17 +0000

We have a system of minority rule. They are the only ones who care enough to turn out for elections. Majority rule is an oxymoron when you think about it in elections with so few of the electorate who take the time to show up and vote.

One answer is to have elections at only two times of the year…May and November. Special elections are by design used to limit voter turnout.

By: ericn1300

ericn1300 — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 22:28:12 +0000

Mr Watcher, if we had a 50% turnout requirement very few elections would be valid. Even here in Idaho, with the relatively high voter turnout, few elections would meet that threshold including the general election on most occasions.

As far the consolidation of elections, I have some misgivings. If every taxing district were included in the general election the ballot would be so crowded it would be overwhelming. Here’s the list of tax districts on my bill:

Ada County
Emergency Medical
ACHD
School District 2
Meridian Library
Meridian City
Meridian Cemetery
Mosquito Abatement
Western ADA Recreation
College of Western Idaho

For a list of taxing districts on your house look at your tax bill or go to http://www.adacountyassessor.org and put your address in. Even if you’re a renter, you pay those taxes by proxy.

Rather than rolling these elections into the general election I’d rather see a separate date established for consolidation of the the district elections along with the caveat that the super majority law be repealed.

By: dog

dog — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 19:05:51 +0000

Yeah, I’m pathetic but the powder at Bogus was awesome! All elections should be at the designated election time. That is when we elect stuff. Why does this not make sense?

By: JIMV

JIMV — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 18:19:50 +0000

At least it takes an election to raise taxes and not the vote of some town council or worse, a town hall meeting that can be packed with union folk of special interests, as I grew used to in Maine….

By: Nemo

Nemo — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 16:54:15 +0000

Could you post a link on the group levey bill?

Reading your article it seems that it is just applying for school elections, or is it a broader spectrum than that?

Considering the cost of holding any election…it seems wise.

By: Clancy

Clancy — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 15:46:20 +0000

A quorum makes some sense. A quorum of 50% would be fairly high, but even 30% would be much better the Meridian example.

But I don’t buy the fact that the electorate is apathetic. The school district can’t rely on the main stream media to get word out. A an ever increasing amount of people are turning to the internet to get their news. The school district needs to figure out ways to reach these people.

The legislative proposal started out with two dates but has since expanded four dates from what I understand. These election will be run by the county at an increased cost. But the electorate gains standardized elections at regular polling stations.

By: Calvin Jones

Calvin Jones — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 23:17:39 +0000

I first heard of this levy vote over a month ago so I can’t buy into this “stealth election” conspiracy. And no I do not have any children or grandchildren in the Meridian district. So to quote the great Canadian philosopher Getty Lee “If you choose not to choose then you have made a choice”.

By: Mike Murphy

Mike Murphy — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 15:37:27 +0000

For my money, the story here is – well – the story.

“…from a tiny fraction of the registered voters–about 6.5% of those who could have voted…”

These numbers are in no way restricted to this one issue or election; but are indicative instead of a well earned cynicism and apathy amongst the electorate.

Disheartening at a minimum.

By: Zippo

Zippo — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 15:28:25 +0000

All of the problems we are having in this country, including those thug like people who get elected to national politics, are because people with a vote are apathetic. TV and beer more important than long range planning. The grouped election bill is a great idea… make sure it includes even little peewee stuff like this election. You in government who may think this sort of stealth election is a victory… we the people will run out of money at some point… your shrinking budgets will continue if you don’t become a better caretaker of what you’ve taken.

By: Mr. Watcher

Mr. Watcher — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 15:17:31 +0000

What we need is a law that clearly states that if there is less than 50 percent of the voters turning out for any of these special elections the election is nil and void. This would force the election to be held on the two year cycle or once every four years.
This one pretty much was the icing on the cake for me. I am having meeting with Wyoming state offcials to move my national, international business to that state. This is going to cost Idaho many hundreds of thousands of dollars in unemployment insurance. To say nothing of the huge loss of money coming into the valley from across the nation and around the world. I’ve had it with this demeanor that the citizens serve parasites in Idaho government. I’m voting with my feet.