Democracy hits a speed bump

By Carter Bundy

I’m not exactly a saint on our freeways. But I like speed bumps in neighborhoods with straight streets and Unser wannabes. Unless the bumps are shaped like Lincoln Logs. You know, the ones that make your car fall apart like the Red Sox in September even if you’re only going 5 miles per hour. Those are bad. The elongated ones that are tame at 25 but punish you at 45 make more sense to me.

Some people disagree and want no speed bumps at all. Others, mostly mechanics, prefer the Lincoln Logs. Safety vs. freedom. Community vs. individual. It doesn’t get much bigger than speed bumps.

In America, we resolve this epic battle as follows: A few folks run for office, taking stands on the issues and exposing their values and personae to all voters at the one time when most citizens know elections are coming. Then, on that predictable, well-publicized Election Day once every four years, voters pick the one they trust most. Or, in the case of the presidency, the one they’d most enjoy getting drunk with.

Regardless, voters choose someone they trust to make good decisions for their community for a set, predictable period of time, even when they understand that no politician is going to vote the way they want each time.

Sometimes your candidates win, sometimes they lose. We all know the rules going in, most of our elections are fair, and we all agree to live with the results until the next election.

An Honest Republican. Honest.

That’s exactly what the voters of Southeast Albuquerque did in October and November 2005. They even had a runoff – a whopping two chances to elect the best person! Republican Don Harris won both elections.

Most of you have probably figured out that I’m a Democrat. By way of full disclosure, my union’s members and I chose to support Harris’ Democratic opponent in the October election, and I personally worked against Harris. When the Dem lost, members mildly supported Harris.

Since then, Harris has had an open-door policy and has been supportive of funding for basic government services like the jail. Fine. He is not, however, César Chávez. Harris is what he is – a Heights conservative, not my ideal councilor. But he’s respectful, fair, willing to listen, and doesn’t have the slightest whiff of scandal about him. Heck, maybe Don should primary Heather or Pete just so Republicans can distance themselves from Alberto “Amnesia” Gonzales. (I’d have said Alberto “Pinocchio” Gonzales except for that cute button nose and my alliteration affinity).

So why is this honest Republican (don’t count on my using that phrase too often) at the center of a recall? Speed bumps. Well, at least that’s the top reason cited by recall zealots. Some are speculating that, since the Democratic mayor gets to appoint Harris’ replacement, it might be a move by partisan Democrats. Maybe one of Harris’ defeated opponents is trying to back into the position denied by the voters. Maybe it’s an executive branch power grab. Beats me. Maybe it really is about speed bumps. Remember, they’re a big deal.

Republican Democracy 101

Someone appointed by Democratic Mayor Marty Chávez would probably be more to my personal and professional liking than Councilor Harris. Tempting. But to my ears, “republican democracy” has an even stronger sweet siren sound. What is “republican democracy?” The voters elect someone (“democracy”) who then serves out a set term representing an area (that’s the “republican” part). Simple, but awesome.

Sometimes councilors vote their constituents’ wishes, sometimes not. Often, most constituents don’t have the time to follow every issue in-depth. Can you imagine sitting down in front of C-SPAN or Gov-TV for even half an hour a night? Sure, I do it, but it’s a bit strange and not recommended for normal, happy adults.

Most commonly, there are a few active constituents on each side of an issue, and the councilor has to choose what he or she thinks is best for the district. Whichever way the vote goes, some constituents may go Bobby Knight.

Albuquerque’s recall rules set such a low threshold for recall that a small group of angry voters can fire every single councilor. Replacing the voters’ choice with the executive’s buddy is pretty much the opposite of republican democracy. Bonus point: That same executive is supposed to be checked and balanced by those very appointees. Best of luck with that.

It gets worse from a policy perspective: Imagine, on every vote, councilors worrying about looking over their shoulders like the Red Sox in June. Ugly. (Boston fans have different neuroses for each month. So much fun).

Why the GOP Love?

There have been three recall attempts in six years under Albuquerque’s poorly written rules. One attempt went after Democrat Michael Cadigan for supporting smart growth. One targeted Republican Sally Mayer following her ordinance requiring that dogs be given Hi-Def TVs, filet mignon and waterbeds. Now another Republican comes under the gun.

The only thing the three councilors have in common is that none was accused of unethical behavior. People just disagreed with them. Despite the temptation to get rid of councilors with whom I disagree, I’ve opposed all three recalls. Few things are more important than zoning minutiae, doggie pampering and speed bumps. But in my book, the right of Americans to vote for their leaders trumps all those issues. Even if voters elect Republicans.

Bundy is the political and legislative director for AFSCME in New Mexico. The opinions in his column are personal and in no way reflect any official AFSCME position. You can learn more about him by clicking here. Contact him at carterbundy@yahoo.com.