Oh Well

My two preferences not only lost, my first choice turned out to be Rancho Palos Verdes voters (the extremely few that bothered to vote) last choice.

I can certainly congratulate newly elected council member Mr. Brian Campbell.

I hope his Real Estate knowledge and skills will serve our residents well. He is a stand-up gentleman.

The TOT increase measure I voted Yes on fell by 148 votes. Unfortunately, only 5,530 voters voted on that measure out of a registered voter number of 27, 022.

This brings up a real problem for those who believe in democracy and have even defended it with their service in the military and sadly, with their lives.

It appears that only less than 21% of the eligible voters in our city bothered to mail in absentee ballots or go to the polls.

That is about 33% more than voted in 2007 for three spots on the council, but democracy still is not represented well with voters turning out is such low numbers.

That is shameful, disgusting, and disheartening no matter what side of the political spectrum someone is on.

That type of turnout sometimes allows extreme voters and machines to put candidates into winning positions.

When someone supports a development that is opposed by so many of his neighbors in Miraleste and an majority or residents in Eastview, that becomes a problem, I feel.

When some one's campaign distributes probably very misleading mailers, that too, is a problem.

When someone claims their feet bled walking 30 of 37 precincts in a city the L.A. County Recorder only states the results for the 18 precincts the city actually has, might that cause one to pause?

When the least experienced candidate receives the most number of votes in this election, that really says something, doesn't it?

It means a machine was built using many dollars to misinform potential voters and guarantee a base of voters who wish to make more of a political statement than to actually improve the governance of our city, I feel.

This has unfortunately come to pass in Rancho Palos Verdes. The candidate who has served Rancho Palos Verdes the least among the seven candidates and the only candidate to serve as Honorary Mayor of a community within the city of Los Angeles, received the most votes.

Oh well.....