Letters to the editor

Measure A
DEAR EDITOR: I want to thank you for running Gerry DeWitt’s thoughtful piece about his opposition to Measure A. Gerry spoke with the knowledge of somebody who served on the Council for 12 years, and has participated in numerous elections. His words were extremely pragmatic when he described how municipal elections would be buried under federal, state and county elections if Santa Barbara City elections were conducted in even numbered years and why municipal elections would become even more partisan.

Gerry wrote that he did not oppose Measure A because it would be give the present council members another year in their terms of office, but because of the disastrous impact that it would have on the local democratic process. Gerry tells it like it is, and I urge every member of the electorate to consider his words before they vote on Measure A.
The ballot pamphlet Argument in Favor of Measure A states:
“Convenient and Efficient — Elections Imagine a year without the repetitive ads and junk mail of an election. Measure A will give a year off to Santa Barbara voters, making elections more convenient and efficient because voting only happens every two years.”
I do not believe that Santa Barbara views local elections as a bother, but appreciates and cherishes them as a right and privilege. VOTE NO ON MEASURE A SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO ENJOY OUR RIGHT AND PRIVILEGE OF HAVING ELECTIONS WHERE LOCAL ISSUES ARE VISIBLE AND PARAMOUNT.
But I suggest that everybody watch this election closely because if Measure A passes, future Santa Barbara City elections and the related local issues will receive little publicity, and we should have a memory of what it was like to have elections that are focused on local issues.

Jim Kahan
Santa Barbara

Measure A again
DEAR EDITOR: I was surprised to read Gerry DeWitt’s op-ed piece against Measure A. He has always seemed to be a man of the people. So it was disappointing that he would oppose a measure that would nearly double voter turnout. Worse, he makes the argument that there are good voters and bad voters. I call that political elitism.
Measure A aims to bring more voters to the polls during city of Santa Barbara elections.
Our organization, the Santa Barbara Clean Elections Working Group, wants everyone to vote: working people, students, Latinos, newly naturalized citizens, conservatives, and liberals. We want to see voter turnout from people who live by party politics and from those who hate the system.
With the electorate engaged and voting, city government will be influenced by true democratic involvement and, we hope, by everyone’s best ideas. We want the Santa Barbara City Council to be accountable to all members of our community. I encourage Daily Sound readers to go to our website (www.YesOnMeasureA.blogspot.com) for a full explanation of Measure A.

Cathy Murillo
Santa Barbara