At Large Issue
I first learned of a petition drive to eliminate the at-large positions, from the city council yesterday, during a phone conversation with the QC Times. I will never stand in the way of a group of citizens that is seeking to place an issue on the ballot and if the required number of signatures are obtained, then it should be left for the voters to decide if they choose to have eight ward aldermen and two at-large or strictly the ward representatives.
That said, at the end of the day what really matters is that the council strives to work together to build a better Davenport.
At a time when our council needs to focus on increased home ownership in the central city, joint tenant-landlord accountability, a reduction in crime, improved commercial corridors, more business in our industrial parks, a more vibrant and business friendly downtown, higher levels of city service, more efficient and effective government, and attraction/retention of a workforce; we are facing another distraction. We are not forming bonds across the city, but taking another step toward division.
posted by Ian Frink @ 1:18 PM
6 comments
6 Comments:
Just because this group doesn't like the two at large aldermen, they what to get rid of the positions. What slime balls!
If there candidates had won, they wouldn't be trying to do this.
Ian, thank you for rising above this ridiculous issue of attempting to suppress true representative democracy. It reminds me of the various attempts of the Iowa Republican party to get rid of absentee ballot voting and their other ideas of suppressing the vote. Taking away the right of the citizens of Davenport to elect two individuals that represent them equally is truly ridiculous and completely illogical. You are completely correct in attempting to “get the ball rolling” on addressing the much more pressing issues that concern the citizens of Davenport. I appreciate your effort in being a stable and steady head on this otherwise immature and incompetent council.
When we see a lock step group of people representing only special interest groups, I can see why there needs to be equal representation in Davenport. Three Aldermen in the Sixth Ward is to much. We either need to say one At-Large represents 1 thru 4 and one 5 thru 8 and make it part of the election process. I can remember when the Democrats controled the At-Large spots and they were not from the same ward. We need to reduce the size of the City Council down to Six Wards in any event!
Des Moines has a smaller City Council. Why do we continue to operate with 10 people? DavenportOne wanted four year terms to allow them a smaller group of people to support every other year. DavenportOne needs to get their hands out of local politics. It makes me think that something is wrong in Davenport. If we spent only 1/3rd what we have downtown, we could have built the West Sewer Tunnel and the sewage would not have to go east from the west and then down Jersey Ridge Road and then west again. Maybe we need to get rid of the Director of Public Works along with Malin!
Ina:
You were on the Board of DavenportOne. Is that why they lead you around by the nose?
Exactly how is it Public Works' fault that the diversion tunnel hasn't been built yet?
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