Why I oppose Measure U

By Jim Larimer

The issue of representational versus a direct democracy was hotly debated when the principles that guide our nation were conceived in Philadelphia in the 1770's and 80's. The founders of our nation choose a representational democracy over a direct democracy. John Adams and Thomas Jefferson reasoned that some issues confronting the electorate are complex and require time and effort to study the alternatives and details. They argued that representatives of the people, selected by the people through an open democratic election, would study the details and make informed decisions for all of us.

The technical and economic rationale for pipe sizes 12 inches and larger would need to be understood by every voting member of our community for the Measure U process to yield informed decisions. Many of us simply do not have time in our busy lives to study choices at the required level of detail. We rely upon our local elected officials, who are neighbors and friends, to study the issues and make wise choices. If they do not fulfill their responsibilities to our community we can replace them at the next election.

The need for representational democracy is greater today. The choices confronting our community's water district are complex and multifaceted. Three separate professional licensed hydraulic engineering firms have recommended that our district up grade the water transmission pipeline system using much larger pipe than we have in place today. The technical choices and their interaction with the economic factors are complex and require a great deal of time and study to understand. These are exactly the kinds of decisions Adams and Jefferson had in mind when they urged the Continental Congress to adopt the principles of representational democracy.

Measure U is an unwise policy. Join me and vote against it on November 6.