Single Ticket Voting and Garbage Cans

 

Preserve single ticket voting

     We do not agree with the Press Citizen’s recent editorial advocating for legislative action to eliminate the ability to vote for all candidates of a single party by filling in a single oval. Although there is no evidence to support whether straight ticket voting negatively affects independent candidates, retention of judges or the outcome of ballot issues, it seems to us that people who want to vote for or against something know it when they enter the voting booth and will do so (if they don't know maybe it's best they not cast an uninformed vote.) Do you want to vote for all Democrats or all Republicans, but want to vote against the proposed new jail? Simply fill in one oval for the party of your choice, then flip your ballot over and fill in the ‘no’ oval on the jail. Do you want to vote more selectively? Simply go down the list and vote as you want. 

     Many voters prefer straight ticket voting; forcing every voter to go down a sometimes long list of candidates and issues and vote separately for each one would lengthen the time it takes to vote, lead to longer lines during heavy voter turnout elections and perhaps discourage some from voting at all. This legislation is promulgated by the Republican Party, which is working across the country to make it harder for people to vote.

   Carol deProsse
     Caroline Dieterle 

Council says 'no' to garbage container ordinance; good riddance to a bad idea

     Prompted by complaints from some residents in the North Side the proposed piece of legislation, which would have required residents to keep their garbage cans behind the building line, appeared on the Council agenda last week. We are glad the Councilors decided to shelve it. This ordinance would have created unnecessary expense for many home owners, would not have solved the problem of some people allowing unsightly trash to bulge out the top of their bin, and it would have punished the many residents who do not over-stuff their garbage containers. Those who recycle and compost do not produce enough garbage to necessitate the behemoth containers the City makes us use and we are already having to haul these monsters back and forth from house to curb; doing this from the back yard would double the insult. Some lots in Iowa City are so small that residents really do not have a choice about where to keep their behemoth containers; in front of the building line is the only or the best and easiest option, particularly for the elderly or infirm.

    A few random thoughts on garbage containers:

Smaller cans for smaller producers.

      
Provide a smaller size as an option for many;
No matter how big a can is given to some people they will still overflow it;

Provide more aesthetically pleasing cans; and

Enforce the ordinance requiring garbage to be inside the can with the lid shut, which is a public health issue.

Larger cans for larger producers.

    Carol deProsse
     Caroline Dieterle