The Fargo Forum editorial below makes an interesting observation that may, or may not, have bearing on next year's City Council elections. The individual who forwarded this to me did not include a link, my apologies.
Forum editorial - 06/10/2004: Smoking ban tilted cities' vote Few elections turn on a single issue, but Tuesday's municipal elections in Fargo and West Fargo were tilted because of the smoking ban debate. Candidates who either clearly favored or were open to considering a smoking ban in restaurants won handily. , That's not to say Fargo winners Linda Coates and Mike Williams were single-issue candidates. Both displayed impressive credentials during the campaign. Both demonstrated to voters their broad understanding of challenges facing the city. They also had the credentials and experience to gain voter confidence. The same was true in West Fargo, where incumbent Brenda Warren and Mark Simmons (making his second run at a commission seat) won by comfortable margins. But in both cities, incumbents who were against a smoking ban got booted from office. In both cities, challengers who flat out opposed even a modest smoking ban finished in the losers' bracket. If there was a common factor in voting patterns in both cities, it was the smoking ban debate. Certainly more than one factor was in play. Personalities, old feuds, incumbents' records on other issues, newspaper endorsements, the rumor mill and special interest voting affected the results. But when the smoke cleared Tuesday evening, the numbers revealed that 57 percent of the Fargo vote and 58 percent of the West Fargo vote went to challengers or incumbents who favored or were open to a smoking ban in restaurants at least, and bars possibly. That's a message if there ever was one. Any elected city official who doesn't get it is in danger of losing a re-election bid. After Tuesday, that conclusion no longer is speculation. Forum editorials represent the opinion of Forum management and the newspaper's Editorial Board. Jenny Heiser East Phillips REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
