The State house overrules local elections?
The State legislature just decided to overturn the residency rule in Ohio. Governor Taft hasn’t yet signed it. This brings a question to mind- what right do the “representatives of the people” have to overrule the will of the people- as witnessed by Dayton voting to retain the residency requirement?
Shouldn’t a popular vote overrule that of the electeds?
What’s next- Congress suggesting that we don’t hold an election in 2008 for President- because we’re at war- and GWB should be president for life?
The way to battle the state on this is not in the courts- but to put legalizing casino gambling in Dayton (specifically the Arcade) on the ballot as soon as possible and point out- if you will ignore our laws- why can’t we ignore yours?
I’m not really a huge supporter of the residency rule- but I wasn’t around to solve the busing issue in the sixties that really forced this to the forefront.
When school busing for “integration” was mandated by the courts- I would have pushed to desegregate Oakwood and the suburbs as well. One unified school district with a true balance of not only race- but also economic status. Dayton would have been a different place today if someone had seen the bigger picture and had the guts to do something about it.
I understand the rationale behind home rule, but it is not the end-all, hard and fast rule.
Let me ask you something; Little Rock, Arkansas–What do you think the “will of the people” would have been in Little Rock when they were having their little desegregation issues? What was it the local politicians and authorities were espousing?
It is my belief that I should be able to live somewhere other than in an extremely violent and sub-standard (to say the least) school system. Isn’t there something somewhere in the Constitution about that stuff (both the Ohio and the U.S. Constitution)?
We all have options on where to live- and where to work.
If you don’t want to work for a city that has a residency requirement- there are many places that don’t. I’m not saying that I agree with the residency rule- but, the will of the people was to have it- and that was by popular vote. Why vote if representatives are going to overrule you.
It’s a slippery slope.
Deseg in Little Rock was a different issue- in a different time.
And there was no vote involved- as there was no vote in deseg in Dayton- except the vote of money marching out of town.
And- as to calling the entire Dayton Public School System substandard is pure BS. There are good opportunities- and good schools- and good kids. I doubt that city employees kids are showing up unfed and unprepared. There are other factors at work here.