Delano, Griffin: Foolishness on the airwaves

Updated for clarity on Nov 5, Interview happened on Nov 4.

Marty Griffin on KDKA Radio says politicians need to take their lumps. Get into the game. "click." Then I'm off the air.

The quickest way to get clicked off the air is to say the media is to share in the blame for the poor voter turnout. So, Griffin says politicians and candidates take the bumps but he can't. He clicks me off the air when it is suggested that he should look in the mirror.

Democracy is messy. Our system is frail too. Marty says, and I agree, "The process stinks."

However, I feel strongly that it is better to stay home and not vote rather than be a clueless voter. People are smart. People let others who are more aware make decisions for them. That's prudent and good judgement. Some have said that everyone should pass a test before they voted, then we'd want everyone to vote. That is not my plank, but it does speak to the need to filter out the clueless. But people filter themselves quite well.

People vote with their feet. We need to respect that.

If a school has fewer kids than expected, let it die. Help the others migrate elsewhere. Be free. Be flexible. Allow people to make choices and we all win and never feel enslaved.

We do need an election overhaul. The machines are not up to snuff. We can have super voter centers at the malls on the weekends before our Tuesday election days. We can do plenty of things to help our system.

I'd love to see NOTA = None Of The Above, on every ballot.

But more shameful than the scorn that Marty Griffin wants to heap upon the citizens is the need to rest the blame on the lack of candidates. Too many of our elections go uncontested. I don't think that there was a single school board race that was with two or more candidates in the city. Half of the school board was up for election.

November mattered. That is something to celebrate.

A friend said that the mayor doesn't matter anyway as we've got two sets of overlords. They are the ones that really run the city. They have the mayor on a tight rope.

There are plenty of things to do in these regards. One of the most important is to find, recruit and nurture candidates and provide meaningful media coverage to them and their ideas.

So let's take it to the Allegheny County Board of Elections. Humm. The meeting prior to the recent election wasn't held because a quorum wasn't able to gather. And, there are only three members on the board. Where where you Dan Onorato?