Saturday Mornin' Chit Chat With Folks in Esther Short Park, About Why We Should Vote YES On A New Government For Clark County This November

Charter YES! Campaign Sign. www.charteryes.com

O Vancouvria! spent a very pleasant morning today, Saturday, September 13, deep among the beautiful ancient oaks and sequoia trees of Esther Short Park, Vancouver's "living room", and crown jewel of our City's many fine parks. I was there in order to lend my voice, and service, to the Charter YES! Campaign - greeting people, showing my support through wearing campaign flair, handing out flyers, and talking with interested folks at the park (there for today's Peace and Justice Fair) about why they, and their friends and colleagues, should vote YES! for a new responsible Clark County government that meets our rapidly growing metropolitan County's needs. 

While folks against a new County government (we haven't had a change of government form since we were founded as a County, in 1855 - 34 YEARS before Washington became a State) were NOT present at Esther Short Park this morning, they were in fact present on the front page of The Columbian (below the fold), thanks to Tyler Graf's efforts (reporter for The Columbian). This anti-Charter PAC, unfortunately supported by both Commissioners Tom Mielke and David Madore (and ran by David Madore's personal assistant, Anna Miller, and her husband, Chuck), has just gotten off the ground and already raised $4150 ($500 donated by Mielke, and $3000 by Commissioner Madore). 

I'm thankful Charter YES! folks, led by Sheriff Gary Lucas and former Camas Mayor Nan Henriksen, as well as by the capable hands of Senator Ann Rivers, Representative Jim Moeller, and others, have gotten their funds well in hand, to the tune (per The Columbian) of $70,000. However, I'm even more thankful to hear from nearly 100% of the 75 or so people I talked to today that they are voting YES! for a change to a responsible form of County government that meets our growing County's needs. It's sad that folks like Commissioner Mielke (perhaps enamored of his $102K per year salary?) can't see the light and support the Charter YES! efforts that HIS VOTE (in allowing the Charter process to go forward) started over a year ago. 

What does the new County Charter that we are voting on this November provide for us, in terms of new responsible government? Four key points here: 

-the new County Charter provides for more representation, by district, for urban, suburban, and rural voters, with FOUR County Council positions, each voted by DISTRICT (currently each seat is voted on County-wide in the general election), and a County Council Chair elected COUNTY-WIDE - so as to have a mandate of ALL the people. 

-Each County Council member will make only $53,000 per year, rather than the current $102K per Council member. This means a savings, in terms of elected Council salaries, of $30K total. 

-A SEPARATE County Administrator, similar to a city manager, will be hired by a majority vote of County Council members. This person will govern the day-to-day administration of Clark County staff, and day-to-day implementation of regulations on the ground - rather than such oversight being in the hands of a County Council, like it is now. 

-The PEOPLE of Clark County will have FULL POWERS of initiative, recall, and referendum, to the best of our abilities under State law. We have NO SUCH POWERS currently. 

More about this new proposed responsible government for Clark County can be found at www.charteryes.com, the campaign site for Charter YES! folks. 

However, back to my volunteering this morning with Charter YES! folks: I had a lovely time, ranging from visiting with folks at the Northwest Gender Alliance (and handing out flyers to them and their group to spread the word), to Habitat for Humanity (who wanted flyers to share with their membership), to St James Episcopal, who also wanted flyers. A lovely time was spent chit chatting with a Skyview HS civics teacher of 12th graders, who wanted flyers to show her students WHY they needed to make their first votes COUNT this November. A great time most of all was had with a mother and her two young sons, who wanted Charter YES! buttons to wear (and Dum-Dum lollipops to suck on). Best of all was my chit-chat with other Charter YES! volunteer folks, who had this to say about all the support we received in Esther Short Park this morning: 

"Its just awesome to see so many people supporting us...the (feeling) is incredible...I'm awed". 

That about sums it up right there for me too. I'm awed and humbled at the outpouring of support, from political candidates on down to young boys. I'm blessed to live in a County filled with folks who recognize WHY its high time we had a government that works for US, rather than a government whose spokespeople (such as Chuck Miller of the "Don't Lose Your Voice" anti-Charter PAC) have "NO COMMENT" (at least they don't to The Columbian). 

I'll be at Esther Short Farmers' Market next Saturday, manning the Charter YES! booth. Come on down, and let's chit chat about the new Charter, and why YOU SHOULD VOTE YES! on a new future for Clark County this November 2014.