Point - Counterpoint?

The Herald Independent ran an exchange of letters between Monona alders Scott Munson and Mike Veserat in the December 9 and December 23 issues.


Here is Scott's letter:


Dear Editor:
 Each year, three of the six seats on the city council are up for grabs. The alders that are running for re-election this year are Jim Busse, Doug Wood, and Mike Veserat. According to Monona’s City Clerk, Joan Andrusz, the only candidates that have submitted papers to run for these seats are the incumbents (as of 12/7). All three of these men are outstanding public servants and I am honored to sit on the council with them. However, a democracy thrives only when its elections are actually meaningful. Unchallenged candidates are unlikely to knock on doors, talk with their constituents, and explain their positions on the issues affecting our city. Monona’s voters deserve to be able to cast consequential ballots.


I would encourage Monona's civic-minded residents to consider becoming candidates for our common council. Our city enjoys a reputation as an active democracy with extremely high voter turnout, but we need a contested election to make that turnout meaningful. The deadline to submit papers for the spring election is 5 p.m. on Tuesday January 4, 2011. Election Day is April 5, 2011.




Here is Mike riposte:

Dear Editor:

December 9th's paper had an interesting call to civics by none other than Monona’s very own Alderman Scott Munson. This letter stated that uncontested aldermanic seats leads, to among other things, a lack of meaning. I believe this means something else. I believe that there are many qualified future council members, many of whom are worried about keeping their own lights on, let alone the city’s. The biggest omission in this letter, however, is for over a decade, we have had an uncontested race for mayor.  I hope he doesn’t consider this position meaningless.

Mike Veserat
Monona Alderman


My reaction: What the...?

I think Alder Munson was simply observing that elections only have meaning if they are contested. He did not say that uncontested elections make the elected position meaningless. Alder Munson did not address the why some people choose not to run, so he did not discuss specific reasons why some people, who might otherwise be inclined to run for public office, don't run due to their personal circumstances.

Alder Munson didn't mention the mayoral election, but I would infer that he also favors a contested mayoral contest. Now that Bob Miller and Jeff Wiswell have announced their intention to run for mayor, we are having a contested mayoral election for the first time since 1993 when then-alder Kathy Thomas and Tom Metcalfe squared off for the open mayoral position. Mayor Metcalfe held the position without another challenge until Robb Kahl won in an uncontested race in 2003. Mayor Kahl faced no opponent in any of the succeeding elections either.

(At least that is my recollection; there may have been others that I am forgetting.)