October 21, 2015 was Back to the Future day. I'm a little late in observing it, but in the spirit of Steven Spielberg, I offer this post:
Tomorrow, the City of Pocatello is
holding an election to determine who will fill three seats on its city council.
Council member Eva Nye is retiring, taking with her the sanity and common sense
she so often injected into the council’s proceedings. Jim Johnston and Steve
Brown are both running for re-election, and former council member Roger Bray is
vying to regain a seat after being ousted two years ago for voting his
conscience about the non-discrimination ordinance. If it sounds like more of
the same sound and fury signifying nothing, don’t be fooled. Voting for
president may not do much good in this politically lopsided state, but electing
local leaders has a direct, immediate, and lasting effect on your quality of
life.
Please bear with me as I relate a case in point. A little more than fifty-three years ago, in March of 1962, the towns of Pocatello and Alameda held a vote that had enormous consequences on the lives of all their citizens. It was the first time residents of neighboring towns in Idaho had a direct voice in settling the question of whether or not to consolidate. Debate raged back and forth. Alameda was the Chubbuck or Eagle of its time, growing faster than any other town in the state, attracting new businesses faster than they could plot the land. Alameda residents were proud of their town and many had no desire to join themselves to a timeworn municipality.
In the days leading up to the event, articles and editorials regarding the vote abounded in the Idaho State Journal. The tone was a good deal more civil than our political discourse today. Strong opinions were expressed, but the general ideology was still rooted in the social contract that had been established during the Depression and strengthened during the 2nd World War. Most people still believed in pulling together to make a better community in a way that was more than mere lip service.
The day after the election, the Journal trumpeted the results: Chubbuck would remain its own entity, but Pocatello and Alameda would consolidate making Pocatello the largest city in Idaho! When the numbers were broken down and reported, it became apparent how crucial civic participation was in making this historic move. While the citizens of Pocatello overwhelmingly voted to embrace both Chubbuck and Alameda, consolidation couldn’t happen without an affirmative vote from each municipality involved; the question came down to the 68 voters who cast their ballot for consolidation in Alameda and the 48 Chubbuck citizens who were against the move.
Take a moment and think about the difference those 116 people made in the shape of Pocatello’s destiny. What would life have been like had Chubbuck not voted to go its own way? Would Pocatello still be the largest city in Idaho? Would we have been able to keep more industry here? Would Pocatello have grown southward much earlier because that was the only way it could expand had Alameda not voted to join up?
Pocatello is currently governed by a body of six people plus a mayor. These people make all kinds of decisions regarding Pocatello life, both for now and the future. Many of the current felicities and foibles of Pocatello living can be traced to decisions of the city councils past and present. Pocatello friends, get out and vote! The city website makes it easy to see who’s running and what they stand for (http://www.pocatello.us/243/Elections). You can also see who didn’t get their information in on time for inclusion on the website. Please don’t be passive about this chance to have a say in what happens here in the place we call home. Cast your ballot! Make your voice heard! Vote!
Please bear with me as I relate a case in point. A little more than fifty-three years ago, in March of 1962, the towns of Pocatello and Alameda held a vote that had enormous consequences on the lives of all their citizens. It was the first time residents of neighboring towns in Idaho had a direct voice in settling the question of whether or not to consolidate. Debate raged back and forth. Alameda was the Chubbuck or Eagle of its time, growing faster than any other town in the state, attracting new businesses faster than they could plot the land. Alameda residents were proud of their town and many had no desire to join themselves to a timeworn municipality.
In the days leading up to the event, articles and editorials regarding the vote abounded in the Idaho State Journal. The tone was a good deal more civil than our political discourse today. Strong opinions were expressed, but the general ideology was still rooted in the social contract that had been established during the Depression and strengthened during the 2nd World War. Most people still believed in pulling together to make a better community in a way that was more than mere lip service.
The day after the election, the Journal trumpeted the results: Chubbuck would remain its own entity, but Pocatello and Alameda would consolidate making Pocatello the largest city in Idaho! When the numbers were broken down and reported, it became apparent how crucial civic participation was in making this historic move. While the citizens of Pocatello overwhelmingly voted to embrace both Chubbuck and Alameda, consolidation couldn’t happen without an affirmative vote from each municipality involved; the question came down to the 68 voters who cast their ballot for consolidation in Alameda and the 48 Chubbuck citizens who were against the move.
Take a moment and think about the difference those 116 people made in the shape of Pocatello’s destiny. What would life have been like had Chubbuck not voted to go its own way? Would Pocatello still be the largest city in Idaho? Would we have been able to keep more industry here? Would Pocatello have grown southward much earlier because that was the only way it could expand had Alameda not voted to join up?
Pocatello is currently governed by a body of six people plus a mayor. These people make all kinds of decisions regarding Pocatello life, both for now and the future. Many of the current felicities and foibles of Pocatello living can be traced to decisions of the city councils past and present. Pocatello friends, get out and vote! The city website makes it easy to see who’s running and what they stand for (http://www.pocatello.us/243/Elections). You can also see who didn’t get their information in on time for inclusion on the website. Please don’t be passive about this chance to have a say in what happens here in the place we call home. Cast your ballot! Make your voice heard! Vote!
Thanks for the link to the city's candidate page. I tried to find it on my own and clicked around for awhile to no avail. Your link saved the day. Nice article too. Didn't know that about Chubbuck and Alameda. Pretty interesting.
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