Palm Springs - A Democracy Beacon!
Palm Springs, CA. - Free, fair and public elections are the bedrock of functioning democracies. Without them no true democracy is possible. It's the ability of voters to select their leaders, by vote, from a choice of candidates that most often produces the ones who best represent the interests of the community. Occasionally the system falters a bit with a less desirable candidate managing to slip through the cracks and actually take office. When that happens it's only natural that politicians, members of the Fourth Estate, and others look for solutions. In Palm Springs it appears there may be some light at the end of that particular tunnel.
The City of Palm Springs elects council members to staggered terms every two years. Last year two council positions were up for election. Eleven candidates qualified to appear on the ballot by filing the required paperwork. The candidate names were Barbara Beaty, David Carden, Alexander Dobrecevic, Michael Gallardo, Eloise Garcia Mohsin, James Osterberger, Drew Sweatte, John Tymon, and Mark Walthour, plus re-election seeking incumbents Ginny Foat and Chris Mills. What a list! Imagine - eleven candidates vying for one of two seats. That's plainly ridiculous! Those people can't all be qualified and there should have been a way to do some careful list pruning. Don't you agree? Besides, think of the incumbents seeking re-election. They depend on these jobs as income supplements and failure to win another term could result in serious financial hardship. It's clear a way needs to be found to trim the list of those who wish to run for office down to an acceptable number.
Now comes the good news. A Palm Springs city father and a city mother (Chris Mills and Ginny Foat), acting as an ad hoc committee of two, have tackled the issue of undesirable candidates for election. They have offered the full City Council their recommendations designed to clean up the mess. After much burning of midnight oil the Mills-Foat team have devised a devilishly clever way to discourage some of those unacceptable, obvious publicity hound candidates from filing the required paperwork needed to run for local elective office.
First off the bat will be a requirement each candidate submit a nomination petition signed by not less than 200 (nor more than 250) registered voters. The reason for 250 is to compensate for those that may not survive the signature scrutiny validation process. Incumbents, with their army of supporters should have little difficulty in coming up with the necessary signatures. Those without ties to large supportive sources will surely find the signature gathering process daunting, time-consuming and possibly even fruitless. But, of course, that's the intent. Those who don't have a list of 200 registered voters shouldn't be allowed a spot on the ballot. After all, the Democratic Process only works well when appropriate constraints are in place.
Second new requirement will be to impose a $750 filing fee. It's purported purpose is to help defray the costs of verifying all those signatures. However, it's obvious the real intent is to discourage the less well-heeled from entering the political contest. Look at last year's list of candidates. One was a student, one a store clerk and others ordinary wage earners. Surely that non-refundable $750 filing fee will discourage them from cluttering up the election ballot. Besides, if they can't afford the hefty filing fee, perhaps that's an indication they wouldn't be able to dress appropriately when attending to their official duties. Keeping them off the ballot is probably doing a kindness.
On December 10th city council members in Palm Springs will have the Mills-Foat Incumbent Protection Act (IPA) recommendations ready for adoption. Mayor Steve Pougnet, Mayor Pro Tem Rick Hutcheson, and Council Member Lee Weigel, who are all up for re-election next year, will have a chance to cast their votes. Will they step up to the plate and help rid Palm Springs of unwanted candidates from the elective process? Of course they could sort of punt and order the recommendation placed on the Consent Calendar where it will surely pass with little notice.
Whatever the outcome, it must be comforting, in the aftermath of City of Bell hijinks revelations, to realize the Palm Springs city council may take a step to ensure local elections consist of only the most acceptable of candidates. Since Charter City councils have almost unlimited powers, keeping the hoi polloi away from public office and reserving those spots for a chosen few surely represents a genuine public service commitment.
Bond Shands
Palm Springs
The City of Palm Springs elects council members to staggered terms every two years. Last year two council positions were up for election. Eleven candidates qualified to appear on the ballot by filing the required paperwork. The candidate names were Barbara Beaty, David Carden, Alexander Dobrecevic, Michael Gallardo, Eloise Garcia Mohsin, James Osterberger, Drew Sweatte, John Tymon, and Mark Walthour, plus re-election seeking incumbents Ginny Foat and Chris Mills. What a list! Imagine - eleven candidates vying for one of two seats. That's plainly ridiculous! Those people can't all be qualified and there should have been a way to do some careful list pruning. Don't you agree? Besides, think of the incumbents seeking re-election. They depend on these jobs as income supplements and failure to win another term could result in serious financial hardship. It's clear a way needs to be found to trim the list of those who wish to run for office down to an acceptable number.
Now comes the good news. A Palm Springs city father and a city mother (Chris Mills and Ginny Foat), acting as an ad hoc committee of two, have tackled the issue of undesirable candidates for election. They have offered the full City Council their recommendations designed to clean up the mess. After much burning of midnight oil the Mills-Foat team have devised a devilishly clever way to discourage some of those unacceptable, obvious publicity hound candidates from filing the required paperwork needed to run for local elective office.
First off the bat will be a requirement each candidate submit a nomination petition signed by not less than 200 (nor more than 250) registered voters. The reason for 250 is to compensate for those that may not survive the signature scrutiny validation process. Incumbents, with their army of supporters should have little difficulty in coming up with the necessary signatures. Those without ties to large supportive sources will surely find the signature gathering process daunting, time-consuming and possibly even fruitless. But, of course, that's the intent. Those who don't have a list of 200 registered voters shouldn't be allowed a spot on the ballot. After all, the Democratic Process only works well when appropriate constraints are in place.
Second new requirement will be to impose a $750 filing fee. It's purported purpose is to help defray the costs of verifying all those signatures. However, it's obvious the real intent is to discourage the less well-heeled from entering the political contest. Look at last year's list of candidates. One was a student, one a store clerk and others ordinary wage earners. Surely that non-refundable $750 filing fee will discourage them from cluttering up the election ballot. Besides, if they can't afford the hefty filing fee, perhaps that's an indication they wouldn't be able to dress appropriately when attending to their official duties. Keeping them off the ballot is probably doing a kindness.
On December 10th city council members in Palm Springs will have the Mills-Foat Incumbent Protection Act (IPA) recommendations ready for adoption. Mayor Steve Pougnet, Mayor Pro Tem Rick Hutcheson, and Council Member Lee Weigel, who are all up for re-election next year, will have a chance to cast their votes. Will they step up to the plate and help rid Palm Springs of unwanted candidates from the elective process? Of course they could sort of punt and order the recommendation placed on the Consent Calendar where it will surely pass with little notice.
Whatever the outcome, it must be comforting, in the aftermath of City of Bell hijinks revelations, to realize the Palm Springs city council may take a step to ensure local elections consist of only the most acceptable of candidates. Since Charter City councils have almost unlimited powers, keeping the hoi polloi away from public office and reserving those spots for a chosen few surely represents a genuine public service commitment.
Bond Shands
Palm Springs
Posted by Desert Observer at 11/16/2010 5:45 PM 
Categories: Politics
Tags: City of Palm Springs Palm Springs City Council
Categories: Politics
Tags: City of Palm Springs Palm Springs City Council
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