AFS Cinema
Dismayed by Letter on Council Districts
RECEIVED Fri., April 6, 2012
Dear Editor,
I read the letter by professor L. Scott Walker [“Postmarks,” April 6] about why Austin needs single-member districts so that he can get more attention to striping and other traffic issues on 620 and 2222. Of course, these are state roads and not under city control. Beyond his ignorance of basic governance issues and his expressed derision for Travis Heights and other central neighborhoods, I was dismayed by his notion that he doesn't have representation on the current City Council.
I'm undecided about the merits of moving to a single-member system. I like the idea that all the council members should be responsive to and care about the concerns of every Austinite. Under a ward system I think that kind of responsiveness will disappear. More importantly, after looking at voting turnout in council elections, it's clear that our biggest problem is a simple lack of voter participation. There may be no better illustration of the potential problems with a ward system than his letter, which reeks of the sentiment "take care of my issues and to hell with everybody else.”
I read the letter by professor L. Scott Walker [“Postmarks,” April 6] about why Austin needs single-member districts so that he can get more attention to striping and other traffic issues on 620 and 2222. Of course, these are state roads and not under city control. Beyond his ignorance of basic governance issues and his expressed derision for Travis Heights and other central neighborhoods, I was dismayed by his notion that he doesn't have representation on the current City Council.
I'm undecided about the merits of moving to a single-member system. I like the idea that all the council members should be responsive to and care about the concerns of every Austinite. Under a ward system I think that kind of responsiveness will disappear. More importantly, after looking at voting turnout in council elections, it's clear that our biggest problem is a simple lack of voter participation. There may be no better illustration of the potential problems with a ward system than his letter, which reeks of the sentiment "take care of my issues and to hell with everybody else.”
Andy Homer