Public financing of elections might help

It might make more sense to blame the candidates who dropped out. But that’s weird, too. They’re all intelligent, dedicated, committed individuals exercising their personal right to make decisions.

No, as the old saying goes, we have met the enemy and he is us. It’s clearly in the community’s interest to have a good selection of potential leaders to choose between. What’s missing is a willingness by the community to invest in what it says it wants.

Running for office, even on the local level, is expensive. I know that from personal experience. It’s not unusual for a city council campaign to cost in excess of $30,000 and require hundreds of hours of personal time. It’s not a job your average citizen can afford to pursue.

Why not consider public financing of elections? And perhaps even public systems that simplify reaching out to voters to make a candidate’s case? With resources allocated based on what a candidate can bring to the table, or on the number of voter signatures gathered, or something else?

Sure, it wouldn’t be a perfect solution. But it would provide us with more choice. And let us tap more broadly into the collective talent and wisdom of our communities.

Mark Olbert

San Carlos