Dysfunctional Democracy
Kamala Harris has the credentials, the temperament and the vision to lead our country in the right direction if elected president, but regardless of her fitness for the presidency, the method of her ascent should cause concern for the integrity of our democracy.
I do not fault Kamala Harris for following the rules as written to secure the Democratic nomination in this year’s election, but the impact of those rules should raise eyebrows to anyone concerned with the transparency and accessibility of our democratic institutions.
For a democracy to thrive, elections must give voters (and if not voters, delegates to the Democratic Convention) meaningful choices. With Joe Biden’s unprecedented departure from the presidential race, Democratic leaders quickly scrambled to anoint Kamala Harris as the Democratic candidate for president. In doing so, they have deprived Democratic voters the chance to weigh competing visions for our country in the marketplace of ideas. Without a meaningful choice for one of our major party candidates, this represents another step in the degradation of our democracy.
I would be remiss to ignore the fact that party procedures, and ballot access deadlines in various states have tied the hands of Democrats and created this crisis that makes grassroots decision-making untenable.
The biggest threat to democracy right now is Donald Trump and his reactionary sycophants, but after we beat them, we need to take a good hard look at how we run our democracy, if we truly value its preservation.
—Thomas Wrisley
BPRD needs to make public dog parks safer for all!
There needs to be better safety policies that protect Bend Park and Recreation District workers, dogs and their owners in public dog parks.
On July 11, a BPRD maintenance worker ignited his gas-powered blower without notice in the presence of off leashed dogs inside Alpenglow Dog Park. My dog, being nearby, turned and bit him!
This is a highly trained certified therapy dog who visits retirement homes without incident and has never bitten anyone else in the nine years that I have owned her. Local veterinarians confirmed that ANY dog put into this situation can bite out of fear.
She was placed in quarantine and we are excluded from Bend Park and Recreation District property for 30 days. I went to the BPRD district office to speak with staff as I feel much can be lost in written communication, however, no one was available. Later I incredulously received a threatening email to have me arrested for criminal trespass because I entered the district office!
These policies are in the job description for maintenance workers:
Promote safe conditions
Maintenance and safe operation of powered equipment
Safely operate powered equipment
BPRD also claims:
Running and screaming can trigger a dog’s instinct to chase.
So, isn’t BPRD violating their own policies?
I appealed and was denied because in part “everyone should take responsibility for their actions and I showed no responsibility.”
By staying in the park and cooperating, I demonstrated responsibility and shouldn’t “everyone should take responsibility for their actions” include BPRD?
BPRD has not taken any responsibility, yet they claim that dog parks are to be a safe place to take dogs where “they can play, walk and run.” Shouldn’t they make dog parks safer for all?
We deserve better!
—Mary Robinson
RE: On E-Bikes in the Forest, Data Brings Clarity. Opinion, 7/11
The Source’s 7/11 editorial offered biased interpretations of e-bike data. Impacts of e-bikes on trail systems in Madras and Prineville are of questionable relevance to Bend given our higher trail pressures here. Tahoe National Forest trails are steeper and more technical than Bend’s, which raises some rationale for pedal assist and decreases the likelihood of overuse. Plus, dirt in the Sierras does not pulverize to dust as in Bend. Anecdotal data that e-bikes don’t increase maintenance doesn’t mean they don’t increase damage unless trails are maintained to the same standard, and the degradation of Phil’s Trail shows they are not. The Source’s 7/25 article presented e-bikes as a way for seniors to extend ridership, but ignored additional demographics that pedal assist will attract, including the 30% of people in the e-bike advocacy group who are not seniors. Thinking pedal assist in Phil’s Trail won’t attract new demographics is like thinking that permitting motorboats on a lake will appeal only to aging paddlers. Moreover, research shows it is possible to build strength into your 90s, so seniors can turn to strength coaches, not motors. The article brushed off the increased damage that e-bikes will inflict by noting the trails are terrible already. But new users will only make a bad situation worse and more dangerous, as berms degrade and trails turn to sand. The Source did not just take the wrong side of an issue, contrary to good journalistic practices it also took it one-sidedly.
—Matt Orr
Letter of
the Week:
Helpful points, Matt. Come on by for your gift card to Palate.
—Nicole Vulcan
This article appears in Source Weekly August 1, 2024.
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Re: Thomas Wrisley and his concern for democracy.
The Democratic Party allowed their electors to vote for whomever they wanted as party nominee for president. They nearly all chose President Biden. President Biden then asked his electors to now choose Ms. Harris. These delegates individually elected to choose Ms. Harris,,,by a wide margin, These delegates were NOT obligated to do so. But the overwhelming response the electors heard from party members is: like, President Biden, we want Vice President Harris to run for president. Democracy in action.
Hello Thomas.
I write this in February, months after the election.
A month after Donald started his second term.
I like you, but I disagree with you.
I wonder if you are yet honest with yourself about why Kamala lost,
and how she was chosen, by Joe.
You know that I don’t like Donald,
but I have watched your ‘resistance’
cause him to be elected twice.
In August, you seem to be pretending that the democratic process was somehow not available last year to Democrats, and that you conclude that their Party rules were paramount.
While you-Blue were all calling Donald a cheater, and a Nazi, the DNC cheated Dem-Voters literally, of democracy, but it was beyond their control. Right.
Are we still pretending that we didn’t watch this same Party cheat Senator Sanders in 2016, and then cheat him again four years later?
Why are we surprised that this Party hates democracy?
They are well-known for suing other Parties off the ballot.
This is what Dem-democracy looks like!
So, are your local Democratic Party leaders wanting to talk to you about this?
Please contact me with the actions the Deschutes Democrats are going to take to call attention to your concerns, Thomas.
~Rondo
ron.boozell@gmail