The LOWV should open its event to all candidates (Open letter)

Don Macleay Mon, 13 Sep at 3:54am
Photo credit: Julia Cane/www.macleay4mayor.org

Photo credit: Julia Cane/www.macleay4mayor.org

Dear League of Women Voters, Oakland Branch:

I am writing with concern about the event you have planned for Sept. 23. My concern is about the “viability” standards I have received as a requirement to participate as a candidate in this event.

It is my firmly held belief that all ballot qualified candidates should be allowed to participate. If you do not believe that so many people should be on the ballot, then just say so and advocate a change in the city charter.

We did not respond to your “qualification test” because we do not feel that there should be any other criteria than that of the city of Oakland.

It was my understanding that the Oakland branch of the League of Women Voters had the missions of including and informing the public away from our money dominated, media advertising politics. The “viability” standards seem to be based only on media, money and existing political connections.    

Do you now want to make sure that some people get exposure and others do not? It does not really matter what your intention is, that will be the effect. Now one place where all candidates were to be given a chance to make their case in front of the public and see their message distributed by the broadcast media has become one more place where the citizen candidate has been excluded.

The current press coverage is already strongly biased towards a pay-to-play model of politics, which creates a self-fulfilling prophecy of who is viable. The public is poorly served by the press, which has done nothing to inform the public of their choices in this election. Why has the Oakland branch of the League of Women Voters become part of that process that does not fully inform the public?

Other events have taken place and other people have found ways to deal with the large number of candidates. In our modern media age, I think you could find a way to deal with this as others have.

What in effect will happen is that you will end up holding an event that tells the public: There are people you are allowed to vote for and all the others are not viable.

Is that really the mission the League of Women Voters has now? So I ask you to reconsider.

Don Macleay
Green Party Candidate for Mayor of Oakland, 2010
(510) 866-7488
candidate@macleay4oakland.org

P.S. We have received “consolation prize” invitations to at least one other Oakland branch of the League of Women Voters sponsored events. This does not address the issue I raise here and I wonder who is served by these second string events.

About Don Macleay
As a local citizen, Don is an activist who attends meetings, volunteers at his kid’s schools and puts up flyers in the park. He calls the police when necessary and takes time to make sure the area around his home is safe. He has been involved in progressive politics since he was a teen in his school and his union. Later he moved to Nicaragua and worked there for several years. Since living in Oakland for the past 20 years he has been a member and supporter of local progressive groups. He donates regularly to the KALW, KPFA and supports the San Francisco Mime Troupe along with more political groups like GreenPeace, the ACLU and Amnesty International. As a responsible local small business owner, Don has been managing a business in Oakland since 2000. Currently he has invested in an Oakland building for his business and home. He participates in the Oakland Chamber of Commerce. He has helped with the Oakland Small Business Symposium on most of the years it was produced. He does what he can to help with public safety in his work. He has twice hired workers who have been on parole. He has also provided internships to local kids.