Strategies for Opposing Chris Cannon

What are the issues that affect voters of the 3rd District? Well, there's transportation, housing, welfare, schools, crime, land use, and urban planning. Most of the voters in the 3rd District live in urban or suburban settings, and make a living working for someone. The Olympics are coming our way in 2002, whether we like it or not. Is Cannon doing what we want him to do? Or is he spending his time in the House Committee on Resources, trying to prove that Clinton slapped Republican Utah in the face with the designation of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in southern Utah?

Get Involved

Most communities have monthly citizen meetings where you can talk to your elected officials and vote on some of the day-to-day issues that come up. In Salt Lake City each neighborhood has a community council. Call the mayor's office to find out when and where your community council meets, and start going. Don't let a handful of people decide for you.

Both the Utah Democratic and the Republican Party are always looking for volunteers. You can take phone calls, distribute campaign literature, or host mass meetings.

Push for Publicly Financed National Elections

So how would such a law prevent wealthy candidates from adding their own dough to the public monies? The Supreme Court has ruled, after all, that we can't stop them because of their 1st Amendment right to speak. Well, I think that the law would offer to pay the first portion of expenses in such a way that any money that the candidate gets from other contributors, including him or herself, is subtracted from the payment. So if the payment is up to a million bucks, and the candidate wants to spend 500 grand, then the payment is only another 500 grand. If the candidate wants to spend two million, there's no payment at all.

Well, you say, that's all very fine, but do you really want to pay people to make fools of themselves, trying to get elected? No problem, is my answer. We are now, after all, paying them to make fools of themselves after they've been elected. And consider: for the cost of a single F-16 fighter airplane we can put our national elections back into the hands of the people.

What's that worth?

Vote

It's easy to register. These days you get registered automatically when you get your Utah driver's license (if you are 18 or older). If you need information, call your county offices. They are listed in the phonebook.

Once you are registered, you get your voter registration card mailed to you. It tells you where you vote on election day. Make sure you know where that is, especially if you are new to your neighborhood.

In the case of Chris Cannon I urge everyone to come out and vote, even though there's no one to vote for. Write in a candidate. Draft Bill Orton. Draft Megan Holbrook. Draft me, I don't care. Let's make this the first time that an unopposed candidate got fewer than half of the votes cast in the election!