Vote for single-member districts
To the editor:
The Jim Crow at-large system replaced single member districts in Lee County School Board and County Commission in the mid-’50s as the concept swept through Florida. People have given voice service to returning Lee County to single member districts for over 40 years. The Jim Crow inspired at-large system does not provide for a truly representative government because it moves the candidate too far away from the electorate, even though they maintain a district designation with the very weak statement that they must live within the “district.” Every “district” in the county has instances where the local electorate either supported or defeated a candidate only to have 80 percent of the county outside the “district” provide the deciding votes.
The Lee County School Board took the politically risky path to support changing the school board structure to 7 members -five elected locally at the district level and two at-large. They stood up against a racially inspired system and supported returning the choice to local voters. Every member of the School Board voted in favor.
But residents, caught up in the Tea Party concept that anything beneficial costs too much to implement, are questioning the cost to achieve beneficial change. The cost is 15 cents per citizen. Fifteen cents – total annual cost. Fifteen cents to have a more representative school board. Fifteen cents to have your voice heard in your district. Just 15 cents to end the Jim Crow laws. Just 15 cents to have a representative answerable to you and your district.
I voted to expand the School Board -I hope you do the same. The best way to enhance freedom in other lands is to demonstrate here that our democratic system is worth of emulation.
Steve Sherman
Cape Coral