Revolt!
Unfortunately, Hannah was not quite so interested in taking questions. Several minutes of showdown, in which reporter and subject talked through each other, ended in a unanimous defeat for the media. “I’ve got jobs and chores to do!” Hannah finally said. “If that injures your psyche, then so be it!” Whereupon we both had a good chuckle and I thanked him sincerely for a very enjoyable conversation. We hung up, I hope, as friends.
It took another call to get the answer to the question I had hoped to ask. In your ideal world, do we do away with direct representation entirely and across the board? Doesn’t the U.S. Congress essentially operate as a “ward system” writ large? Exactly! said former two-term councilmember Ernest Cobine, a member of the special city commission that designed the city’s current hybrid system in the 1970s.
“Scratch my back I’ll scratch yours,” Cobine said. “That’s the way it is Congress. And that’s the reason for the problems we see today.”
So representative democracy is the problem! Well, well … maybe it is, after all. We will follow developments closely.
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on the cover
Railroad!
Proposed lines ‘set rich blood a-tingling’ in early 1900s
Some Other Proposed North Coast Railroads
Choo-choo Fantasies
Exposing this east-west rail nonsense
seven-o-heaven
Undeterred Will
Will chides Andrew for lack of attention to detail and makes plans for his inevitable victory.
Recent the town dandy
Jan. 13, 2011
The Golden Boy
Dec. 23, 2010
Wish Lists
Dec. 16, 2010
The Train Geeks Return
Today
44th Annual Kinetic Grand Championship Race
STAFF PICK / events, art, outdoors, sports, for kids, free / 9 a.m.-6 p.m. A 3-day, 42-mile kinetic sculpture race over land, sand, mud and water! LeMans start at the Noon Whistle on the Arcata Plaza. Follow the race through Manila, Eureka and into Ferndale on Memorial Day for the Glorious Finish. kineticgrandchampionship.com. 889-3024.
Flow 2012 Fashion Show
STAFF PICK / events / 8 p.m. Arcata Theatre Lounge, 1036 G St. Student designed and produced clothing. Fundraiser for Arcata Arts Institute. $35/$25 students. artsinstitute.net. 822-1220.
Woodside Preschool's Rummage/Bake Sale
events / 8 a.m.-noon. Woodside Preschool, 900 Hodgson St, Eureka. www.woodsidepreschool.com. 445-9132.
Lanphere Dunes Restoration
STAFF PICK / outdoors / 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Meet at Pacific Union School. Help remove non-native invasives at the Lanphere Dunes Unit of the Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Tools and gloves provided, wear work clothes and bring water. Carpool to the protected site. 444-1397.
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ONE Comments
Comment / By Thirdeye / June 11, 2009, 6:38 p.m.
Ward-based representation would have the benefit of neutralizing ideologically-based slates of candidates and forcing candidates to focus on the nuts and bolts of City government in ways that concretely affect their wards. Are the ideological pinheads who ran slates in the last two City elections sure they would want such a system?
The downside of a district-based system is that it can severely balkanize City government. The first era of district-based elections in San Francisco was an incredibly bitter, dirty era that did lasting damage.