Luxomedia - HOME

8.5.2004

Department of Selections

This is a very important election year, and San Francisco will attempt to implement Ranked Choice Voting for the local race at the polls. There are many people campaigning for Supervisoral seats this time, and there is so much work and volunteering going on. Overseeing this election is not a small task and there is a lot of work to be done to get ready.

But, I have to say, after watching the Department of Elections John Arntz for a while now, I am very worried about this election, and I think we should all keep a close eye on him and his department.

"Florida's got nothing on San Francisco"
- Willie Ratcliffe

In the Sunshine Ordinance, Chapter 67 of the San Francisco Administrative Code, it states: Government's duty is to serve the public, reaching its decisions in full view of the public. Commissions, boards, councils, and other agencies of the City and County exist to conduct the people's business.

Another discussion at the meeting was around the fact that the DOE was getting ready to do some extra unpaid work for the state of California. My question is, what business do they have doing this work if they can't even take care of San Francisco's work? If the department is not serving the public's interest, then whose interest are they serving?

The thing that gets me the most about this is that, aside from always being neglected, District 10 has a consistently record low voter turnout. Many people finally decided to get involved and to give democracy a chance and make the extra effort to have a voice and participate, and the Department of Elections didn't do what it could to accomodate them.

Two elections commissioners, Alix Rosenthal and Richard Shadoian, both resigned from the commission this year. I wonder why.


The Green Thing | Interest Rates