RSSSome council candidates have spotty voting records
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YAKIMA -- Voting records show that of the eight candidates for Yakima City Council in Tuesday's election, incumbent Sonia Rodriguez and her challenger, Dave Ettl, failed to vote the most in elections since 2001.
Rodriguez, a family law attorney appointed to the council last December, moved to Yakima in 2000 but didn't register to vote here until 2006. She voted in seven of the 10 elections since then.
Ettl, the KIT-AM morning show host, didn't vote in 10 out of 26 elections since 2001, including general elections in 2002 and 2003.
Ettl didn't respond to a request for comment Friday.
Rodriguez explained that she felt like a newcomer when she first moved to Yakima in September 2000 and wasn't familiar with civic politics or the personalities.
"I think I didn't feel very connected to local government here for a long time," she said. "I think I felt more connected to national elections."
Elections she missed included the presidential race in 2004.
Rodriguez said she deals with the same kind of apathy on the campaign trail on a daily basis now that she had several years ago, which presents both challenges and opportunities.
"I've done a lot of educating people about the City Council, what it does and why they should care," she said.
Here's how often the other six council candidates have voted since 2001:
* Bill Lover (incumbent), 24 of 26 elections
* Ben Soria, 21 of 25 (he wasn't eligible to vote until the second election of 2001, the year he started as Yakima school superintendent)
* Micah Cawley (incumbent), 20 of 22 (he wasn't old enough to vote until 2002)
* Mary Place, 26 of 26
* Maureen Adkison (incumbent), 25 of 26
* Paul George: 25 of 26
And the point is....? Are you insinuating the people who didn't vote are unpatriotic?
Questioning someone's patriotism, if so, would be an interesting position for a liberal newspaper that propagandizes as much as it publishes, the news. I seem to read from the YHR that they are usually on the side of those who want to now call true patriots, who actually believe the Constitution means something, "Domestic Terrorists".
Meanwhile, I have seriously questioned the value of my own vote these past several years. It seems we truly aren't getting credible and worthwhile candidates from EITHER party, to vote for. I'm questioning it again.
The only reason I can think of now that I will choose to vote in the next National election, is to vote AGAINST the Liberals' adopted wonder, the new Messiah, the Obama.
And I may not vote Republican either, depending on who shows up for the party, (no pun intended). Certainly not someone like that slick-talking McCain - that Democrat wearing Republican clothes. I wonder who the Libertarian candidate will be, or Independent.
Oh, that's right - are they still allowed on the ballot?
I find that people such as Paul George and Mary Place who voted the most means we should vote for them when they are the ones who have screwed Yakima up the MOST !
Report ViolationDid you notice who the first two listed in the article are..
I think this is another shot at Dave Ettl by the newspaper..
and the explanations Soria gave...
If I was Dave Ettl I wouldn't respond either. I don't think he would get a fair shake.
That is my opinion.. I think I am still entitled to an opinion???
Oh, well, Tuesday will tell..
I voted for Dave Ettl.
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