Taxation Without Representation - An opinion

Submitted by Phil Scanlan

January 15, 2015 9:00 a.m.

In school they teach that our revolution in 1776 was to make sure we did not

have taxation without representation. USA would have a right to

vote for our representatives. Unfortunately, that is not always true today in Nassau County, and it seems like thinks are going to get worse.

In a recent election for Nassau County Commissioner only two Republicans

were in the race for County Commissioner in District 2, which happens to be the County District that I live in. Commissioner Steve Kelley was challenged by past county commissioner Mike Boyle, both in the same party.

By state law if the only candidates running in a race are from the same Party then the Primary election becomes the General election, because that election will determine who is elected to office. However, an individual who lives in the same Home Owner Association as Mike Boyle filed as a "write-in" for the election, which prevented all Democrats (35% of Nassau voters) and all Independents (23% of Nassau Voters) from voting in the real election race, which was the Republican Primary between Commissioner Steve Kelley and past Commissioner Mike Boyle.

Commissioner Steve Kelley won the Republican primary and Democrat and Independent voters were excluded from voting in that real race for county district commissioner. In addition, a General election had to be held for Commissioner Kelly to run against the write-in candidate later, which was an uncompetitive waste of time and tax payer money.

Uncompetitive write-in candidates have been used before in Nassau county elections which results in Democratic and Independent voters to be excluded from voting in the real election. The prior time this was done I could not even find out the write-in candidate's name when I actually tried to vote in the meaningless and wasteful General election after the Republican primary had already decided the real winner.

Republicans have filled all elected offices in Nassau County since 2002. We have not had any Democrat candidates running in Nassau County since 2006. Hence, the Republican Primary in all Nassau partisan elections has been the real election in Nassau County since 2008.

Having 100% Republican government and 100% Republican candidates in Nassau should not result in excluding 48% of voters from voting in Nassau elections for their representatives.

Port Authority elections in Nassau County have been held as partisan elections even though the Florida state law required they be held as non-partisan elections. Partisan elections show the party of the candidates beside their name on the ballot. The dictionary defines partisan as a firm adherence to a party, exhibiting a blind prejudicial and unreasoning allegiance to a party. In elections this is characterized sometimes by a strict party vote for all candidates on the ballot from the same party, regardless of individual candidate qualifications. I understand this is what some party leaders and party members want.

Non-partisan elections are not influenced by a party. Non-partisan is defined as free from bias and objective. In a non-partisan election without party affiliations voters must assess individual candidate qualifications and their positions for an informed vote.

Our current Port Authority commissioners were all elected in an illegal partisan election process. Nothing is going to be done about those past illegal elections; we are told that simply a mistake was made. If I rolled through a stop sign I do not think I could expect to simply say I made a mistake and have no consequence. But for an illegal election that is OK?

Our two local state representatives just held a public hearing on 1/14/15 to get input on how to conduct future Port Authority elections in Nassau County:

•  Follow the current state law to have non-partisan elections.
•  Change the current state law to have partisan elections.

All community input at that hearing was to hold non-partisan elections for the Port Authority commission in the future, as the current state law requires. Both our Republican state representatives decided to support the Port Authority commissioners request to change the state law to have partisan Port elections in the future.

Why does this proposed state law change really matter to Nassau voters? This change may result in excluding 48% of the voters here in future port elections anytime an uncompetitive write-in candidate files to run.

While a lot of citizens do not exercise their right to vote and may not consider their right to vote important to them, my right to vote is very important to me. I always try to vote in elections, unless excluded as explained above, and I do not like my right to vote taken away from me.

Remember a long time ago we had a revolution to obtain that right to vote for our representatives.

Some will say they have the “legal” right to prevent me, and all non-Republicans in Nassau County, from voting for our elected officials, and they may actually feel very clever in being able to take away our vote. They are right my vote, and 48% of the county, has been taken away in real elections here and it is legal to do so. Sad but legal.

Some Republicans have told me they do not want non-Republicans voting in “their” Primary, However, when there is no other major party candidate running then a Party Primary election actually becomes the General election that all should be voting in.

When I was 18 years old I wrote my US Senator complaining that the legal age to vote should be changed from 21 to 18, since those who were between 18 and 21 were paying taxes and being drafted to fight for their country. When I was 24, in 1968, I got a letter from my US Senator to let me know he had submitted a bill, and it finally had become law, to lower the voting age from 21 to 18. In 1968 when I got that letter I was in Vietnam fighting for my country. I was legally denied the right to vote when I was young and now, as a veteran, I am legally being denied the right to vote again.

Shouldn't Republicans be satisfied with having 100% of all elected offices in Nassau County filled by Republicans and not also have to create a situation that enables "only" Republicans to have the right to vote for elected officials in the Nassau County real elections?

Shouldn't my state elected officials be concerned about the potential loss of a right to vote by 48% of Nassau County voters and therefore not propose changing the state law for Port Commission elections in Nassau County from non-partisan to partisan?

Shouldn't my state representatives be working on the election laws to restore my right to vote in all elections by simply requiring write-in candidates to participate in one Primary/General election when there are only major party candidates from one party in partisan elections?

Phil Scanlan

Editor's Note: Phil Scanlan retired to Amelia Island from AT&T in 1999 and had been the AT&T Corporate Quality VP for his last dozen years during which time three company units won US quality awards, more than any other company. Since moving to Amelia Island Phil has been involved in organizing and leading teams to help improve the quality of life on Amelia Island.

Phil’s Amelia Island non-profit activities have included leading team efforts to: establish tree ordinances, create a new tennis club, develop an Adult Bikes for Barnabas program (providing for 200 bikes to those in need of transportation to work), and develop a trail network whose goal is to make Amelia Island the best place to walk, run or bicycle safely in all of Florida.