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Minutes of a Public Hearing October 6, 2010 Page 9 ? I said at the national level we have kind of lost that ability altogether. Obama's got some wonderful proposals that are long-term, like bringing jobs back, really meaningful jobs to the United States. That's all getting lost in soundbytes in campaigns rather than talked about as a nation that faces some really deep issue that are very difficult to deal with. So, my background is I am kind of a Hamiltonian. I want representatives, but I believe they ought to act Jeffersonian. I want the best of both worlds. I refuse to compromise I guess in that sense as well. What I mean, I want to be in touch with the community but I also want them to deliberate with the other representatives and reach the best decision possible: It's not going to be 100%. Very seldom do you get a win-win scenario though it happens sometimes. So, it's a tough process ; and that's why I like working with charter commissions and charter review commissions because these people are making a huge commitment of time and effort which oftentimes ends up in a very contentious environxnent and that can be very frustrating because they've spent weeks and months talking in depth about these issues and they are confronted with people who oppose them who lacked that deliberation. So it can be very frustrating on both sides. That's kind of what you face. Well, what does all this mean for zoning referendum and other types of things? One of the things we did in the last Lakewood Charter Review Commission was take off referendums on water rates. Water rates in Lakewood could go to referendum. Why would we do that? Well a couple of reasons. Number one, elections are not a very good process for deliberating on issues. Elections stand up with soundbytes and other kind of campaigns. They emphasize only one point. It doesn't generate the kind of discussion that leads to thoughtful deliberation. That's why it was interesting to watch a couple court cases historically. People have watched the O.J. Simpson trial on television who I am pretty sure would send him to the electric chair. But the jury acquitted. The Rodney King trial was very similaz. The police were acquitted in that trial. Why? Because the jury sat and listened to all of the evidence and when they listened to all of the evidence, it was very different than if you just watched parts of it. So, elections are very difficult to deal with complex issues because politicians very seldom are rewarded if they try and deal with: a complex issue and things tended to be broken into soundbytes that present the candidate in the best way. We are kind of a media nation. It's a,real problem if having referendum where one out of many issues which the council may have deliberated on, it doesn't mean they're right, all of a sudden goes to election and the election may not have any kind of deliberation built in or really thoughtful discussion of that issue.