Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1945-10-19
Political
Action
BY
Clayton
Rusch
Chairman
ISSUES

ISSUES
Not many days are left un-
til the time when the Toledo
voters will cast their ballots.
Many issues are at stake.
OF first importance to To-
ledo workers is the absolute
necessity to reelect Tom Burke
to City Council. Tom Burke
has consistently fought to have
labor representation on all inn
portant committees. He has
supporte d projects which
would provide employment for
Toledo workers. He has also
opposed attempts to have such
projects financed by additional
taxes on the pocketbooks OF
Toledo workers. Toledo needs
Tom Burk in city council.
Unfortunately a section OF
the population, those who rep
resent the industrial interests,
are not in agreement with
this program. They have seen
to it that the public press,
aside from the labor press, has
had very little to say on
Burke's policies. Issues which
were supported by Burke and
which were of paramount in
terest to Toledo workers were
not even mentioned in the
daily press.
Yet when Burke missed one
meeting of council, the Blade
mentioned his absence on the
editorial page.
The numerous absences of
other councilmen, on various
occasions, were not given this
kind of publicity. All this
means that the workers of To-
ledo and all those who bene-
fit by having Tom Burke in
council, must get out and vote
and encourage their friends to
do likewise. Make Tom Burke
your first choice for city
council.
PR ISSUE
Another issue to be voted
on this year is the PAC
amendment to repeal the P. r.
plan of electing city council
men and replace it with a sys-
tenn under the city manager
plan and the nine man coun-
Gil will be retained, but the
councilmen will be elected at
large by plurality vote.
There are many valid objec-
tions to the PR plan. So many
that in a column this length
it is possible to do little more
than enumerate them.
The principal objections are
(I 1t is undemocratic-only
1919 plus one of the total vote
is required TO elect a candi-
date. (2) 1t is unfair-a given
candidate could easily poll
more votes than any of his OPP
ponents and still be defeated.
CD 1t Is a lottery-after those
candidates receiving less than
500 first choice votes are elm
mated and those receiving 1919
are elected. (4) 1t is compli-
or for whom. "a 1t is compli-
cated-the transfer of votes is
so complicated that recount
would be impossible. 90 1t
perpetuates a clique in office
due to the fact that only
1919 of the votes cast elects a
candidate, it is easy for a
clique to continually get re-
elected just on the support of
their own minority following.
(6) Minorities are not repre-
sented-since the whole cleo
torite can cast their first
choice votes for whom they
choose it oftens happens that
an elected candidate is not
the choice of the minority to
which he belongs. (7) 1t dis
courages because they have no
idea for whom their vote is
counted and often lose inter
est altogether. (8) 1t creates
an irresponsible city govern
ment-due to the fact that
each councilman only has to
depend upon his own 10qo for
reelection, the city council as
a whole need not be, and is
not, responsible to the city as
a whole.
In addition to the above it
can be added that the PR
method of counting is not
mathematically correct.
Let us resolve to get out the
vote in 1945 to defeat the PR
plan and re-elect Tom Burke.