While big-money influence threatens democracy on the national level, the grass-roots form of politics is alive and well in Clark County. Here exists the voter’s right to elect the precinct committee officer of his or her preferred political party.
As the spouse of a long-serving precinct committee officer, I have seen how these volunteers assure that ultimate control of the Democratic and Republican parties in our state rests with party members and not with self-selected and potentially self-perpetuating cliques.
The Jan. 22 op-ed “Political parties are not private organizations” by Daniel M. Ogden Jr. explained this. He refuted The Columbian’s editorial opposition to public election of PCOs. He showed how such public election helps carry out the mandate of the people of Washington that political parties must be regulated in their organizational and financial structure. It is the PCOs, giving of their time and effort to party offices and committee work, who largely implement these legal requirements. All politically concerned citizens of all parties should support the continuation of public election of precinct committee officers.
Jay Renaud
VANCOUVER
