Home 
Opinion Editorials Disappointing to see uncontested races
Disappointing to see uncontested races
|
If it weren’t for Colleen Johnson and Dan Pokorney, the public could snooze right through this year’s La Grande City Council elections. Pokorney, whose term on the city council expires in December, is challenging Johnson, the incumbent mayor, for the mayoral seat. It promises to be an interesting race. But beyond that, there’s nothing shaking. Check the scorecard: incumbent Councilor Todd Richmond is running unopposed. Kelly McGee and Les Balsiger, looking to fill the No. 2 and No. 3 positions being vacated by Pokorney and Di Lyn Larsen-Hill, also face zero competition. So here are the choices: check the ballot, leave it blank or write in Mickey Mouse. They’re the same as no choices at all; no matter what, the result is pre-ordained. This isn’t to find fault with the unchallenged candidates, or to say they’re doing anything wrong. They all have good qualities and no doubt will serve the city well; that they’re unopposed certainly is not their fault. Richmond is known to be a forward-looking and outspoken activist with the community’s best interests at heart. McGee runs a business downtown, and likely has some good ideas on revitalization of the central business district; Balsiger works at Eastern Oregon University and could be a help in strengthening the city’s ties with the school. For leadership, especially unpaid, volunteer leadership, La Grande could do a lot worse. But the problem here is that unopposed candidates have no reason to debate anyone. They can just keep quiet and take their seats at the appointed time, no questions asked. That’s a shame. In a real campaign, a candidate would sooner or later have to give his or her thoughts on issues like land acquisition for the river greenway project, library construction cost over-runs, the condition of the city’s streets and sidewalks, the challenges of filling the La Grande Business and Technology Park with tenants. Like it or not, in a city of more than 12,000 souls, a total of three cared enough to try for a councilor’s position. That’s just the way the cards fell, but it’s too bad all the same. It would be nice to hear the candidates’ views. These people do, after all, hold the future of the city in their hands. |
