[img]1988|right|Alan Corlin||no_popup[/img]After last month's School Board elections, the time has come to fully value the members of the Culver City Democratic Club – all members, not just a few.
If one pays dues, one should be able to voice an opinion, regardless of whether the person attends the endorsement meeting. Imagine the cacophony if general election ballots were only available to voters who had the time to personally hear the candidates speak.
When the club started in the early1950s, it probably was necessary to attend the endorsement meeting to find out about a candidate. Now with all the different ways people can communicate, it is not as important.
That is why absentee ballots are so popular in modern elections.
If the outcome of the endorsement process of the Democratic Club is to be an affirmation of the candidate the club believes best will represent the interests of Democrats in Culver City, the endorsement meeting might be a hindrance.
Failure to endorse even one winner out of the seven recent School Board candidates is an example.
How many people at the endorsement meetings have made up their minds before the meetings start?
It is time for the club to mirror the Democrats in Culver City by allowing absentee balloting by all dues-paying members – not just the few who attend the endorsement meetings.
Casting a wider net no doubt will allow the club to project its influence to those Democrats who do not belong to the club in a more meaningful way. Likely, it will increase club membership, too.
The club’s Board should consider ways to implement absentee balloting for candidate endorsements.
It will be interesting to hear from those who espouse greater community participation yet argue against the idea.
Mr. Corlin, a two-term former City Councilman, may be contacted at ad747@lafn.org.
