The Columbian headline on Nov. 5 reads “Clark County backs home rule.” Interesting that after such an unprecedented night of national, state and local elections and controversial ballot measures The Columbian should lead with a headline about the home rule charter. Clearly, it was the issue of most importance and interest to The Columbian staff and editorial writers but the numbers say something different about how much interest there was on the part of Clark County voters.
According to The Columbian only about half of registered Clark County voters even cast a ballot. As a result, 25 percent of those registered to vote were able to throw out our long-standing system of county governance. How could that happen? Not without the shameless, relentless and even self-righteous promotion of the proposed home rule charter through numerous biased articles and editorials published regularly over the last several months in The Columbian. Lou Brancaccio even goes out of his way to give The Columbian credit, touting the power of the free press.
I can only imagine what Brancaccio and The Columbian might do when they look up and find David Madore, Tom Mielke and Don Benton elected as three of the five new county councilors.
Jim Teague
Vancouver
