DOG IN THE MANGER?

Give them credit for a clever and potentially effective strategy. If you can keep people arguing over the detailed differences in the two performance auditor proposals, they will be distracted from the larger strategic intent, which is to kill the project altogether.

Given the ease in collecting the 13,000 signatures to put an elected performance auditor initiative on the May ballot, it is reasonable to expect that Measure 20-283 would pass. I’d guess at around 60 percent yes to 40 percent no, but it could be much closer.  

If the city accedes to the request to place its competing measure on the same ballot, a yes vote would inevitably become split and the no vote would win. In a 30 yes-30 yes-40 no split, for example, the 40 no vote would have the majority.

It’s a perfect way to argue with tongue in cheek for choice and democracy. Honest democracy is to let people vote on the measure they have worked so hard to put on the ballot and then, if that measure is defeated and an auditor is still desired, to modify and improve a next proposal.

Competing for the elected auditor yes vote is just a veiled strategy for supporting no.

Jerry Diethelm, Eugene