I have a small concussion, it goes in and out with me, and what can be the use of it is more than I can see...

So bear with me, I’m distractible, today.

News in no particular order.

First, I know your calendar is circled for Paris Hilton. How unfair IS it that she doesn’t read her mail and the government doesn’t care? I don’t read MY mail all the time, and yet, that’s never been a reason I’ve been jailed. Of course, if I was doing something illegal, I wouldn’t take pains to draw attention to myself, and if caught I would send no particular message on the electibility of the prosecutor.

Second, I hope Larry Birkhead and Danilyn have a long and loving relationship. I hope that for all parents and children, actually.

Third, good news from the world of elections. In the state of Michigan (near South Bend, Indiana) is a spot called Three Oaks, which rejoices as part of the River Valley School District, they recently had a school board election.

Don’t bother to tell me you didn’t know that. Even people who are ‘chronic voters’ miss the occasional school board election in their OWN districts. The results of school board elections are typically reported only on bulletin boards within walking distance of the polls.

But we’re making an exception for River Valley. The results there should be more widely reported. And that’s because they not only turfed out the incumbents (almost always a good idea) but they did it by write in vote. According to this fine article in the South Bend Tribune http://www.southbendtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?Date=20070510&Category=News01&ArtNo=705100403&SectionCat=&Template=printpicart they beat the incumbents in Three Oaks itself by a FIVE TO ONE MARGIN.

That’s some nice on the ground organizing, that is. The phone directory for the River Valley School district (newly online) runs to 2 pages. The elementary school in Three Oaks has 20 teachers, looks like. But they had over 600 write in votes for each new candidate. Someone did a study in 2001 in Michigan about voter turnout in school board elections. http://www.epc.msu.edu/publications/databrief/databrief5.pdf (I love the net.) They concluded that average turnout in these elections was 7.8% among registered voters. Now I don’t know whether this turnout was substantially better than that, but it was certainly more focused than a lot of voting is.

So, three shout-outs.

One, to the newly elected members of the River Valley School Board.
Congratulations. Your neighbors have trusted you. Don’t screw up.

One, to the Social Science teachers of RVSD.
You have built in lecturers in Civics, in the parents that put this together. Get them in.

And one, to any political operative in a presidential campaign within sound of my voice.
Get over to Three Oaks and take a few notes. After you’ve listened, you’re permitted to talk, if you must. Government of, by, and for the people, remember?

The folks in Three Oaks do.

ow. head hurts. see you later.