Blazing in NYC: To Partisan or Not to Partisan, That is The Question

Last week, Citizens Union came out in support of nonpartisan elections in New York City.  California voters approved Proposition 14 with a margin of 54% in a partisan primary election on June 8. (Prop 14, by the way, had the editorial endorsement of most major California papers...) NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg, now an independent, has supported nonpartisan elections as a campaign promise since he campaigned to take Rudy Giuliani's job in 2000. Nationally, voters are fed up, going independent at the rate of 43% and growing, and increasingly interested in third parties.

Today's Wall Street Journal carries a blazing headline over MICHAEL HOWARD SAUL's byline:


Nonpartisan Elections Unlikely to Make Ballot

Highlights include: 

• Matthew Goldstein, the commission's chairman, said in an interview that "the likelihood is low" that the commission would place nonpartisan elections on the ballot. But he stressed no final decision has been made.
• Lorna Goodman, the commission's executive director, declined to comment...
• Hope Cohen, a member of the commission, said she personally doesn't support placing nonpartisan elections on the ballot. "I don't think at this point we've had enough time to really get full input from the public on a change of [such] significance as that," she said.
• Carlo Scissura, another commissioner, said the issue of nonpartisan elections is worthy of debate.
• Rev. Joseph McShane, a commissioner and president of Fordham University, said the only issue that will "definitely" be on the ballot come November is term limits.

Wall, I wouldn't wanna be in the commission's Street shoes!  Let's see some shootin', y'all -- and Journal on, by golly!  Ahhh... I'm so ti'ad.. tired of playing the game... Ain't it a friggin' shame!

And as a head's up, in July, the Commission will release a preliminary report of findings based on the first two series of hearings, then hold a series of public hearings throughout the five boroughs on the preliminary report, soliciting feedback and public comment. The dates for those hearings are July 19, 21, 26, 28, and August 2 (locations and times will be announced at a later date). Stay tuned!