To The Telegram:
When the radical right began putting its choke-hold on the Republican Party, after Vietnam, it maneuvered brilliantly and methodically, taking its time to infest every level of government. Once firmly controlled, they were adept at using one level to gain control of another. Hence, the Texas redistricting debacle, the placements of Katherine Harris (Florida) and J. Kenneth Blackwell (Ohio) into positions from which they might unfairly affect the outcome of elections ... and I'm sure there are many more such examples.
Douglas County has traditionally leaned Democratic, probably because a majority of people living here share Democratic beliefs. Sounds like the way our founding fathers set this country up. In order for the radical right to get a choke-hold on this county now, they would need, by hook or by crook (you guess which one), to capture at least fifteen county board seats. Tough, in a Democratic-leaning county.
However, a radical organization might easily control this county, if all they had to capture were four of seven seats. How much discussion might there have been about the power line controversy, had radical corporatists been in control? What about wetlands? Wilderness areas? God help us if they ever gain control of our voting process, as they did in Florida, Ohio and San Diego.
Save money? From what I've read, the magnificent seven would be full-time positions. That would cost considerably more than the approximately $900/year board members earn now. More importantly, it would take county government out of the people's hands and put it into the clutches of a few. Town/county board members and city councilors are the "citizen soldiers" of our democratic form of government. They personify the "people" of whom our greatest President, Abraham Lincoln, spoke in his Gettysburg Address.
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The greatest governmental document ever written was haggled over, fought over, sweat over and probably cried over for months. But what a magnificent document our Constitution is! Let's not usurp it any more than it already has been, over the last six years. Change the county board from representative, everyday citizens to an elite few? Smells like a power-grab to me.
-- Dale R. Botten
Superior
