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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 30, 2016)
Page 6 November 30, 2016 Your Carpet Best Cleaning Choice O PINION Martin Cleaning Service Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning Residential & Commercial Services Minimum Service CHG. $45.00 A small distance/travel charge may be applied CARPET CLEANING 2 Cleaning Areas or more $30.00 Each Area Pre-Spray Traffic Areas (Includes: 1 small Hallway) 1 Cleaning Area (only) $40.00 Includes Pre-Spray Traffic Area (Hallway Extra) Stairs (12-16 stairs - With Other Services) : $25.00 Area/Oriental Rugs: $25.00 Minimum Area/Oriental Rugs (Wool) : $40.00 Minimum Heavily Soiled Area: Additional $10.00 each area (Requiring Extensive Pre-Spraying) UPHOLSTERY CLEANING Sofa: $69.00 Loveseat: $49.00 Sectional: $109 - $139 Chair or Recliner: $25 - $49 Throw Pillows (With Other Services) : $5.00 ADDITIONAL SERVICES • Area & Oriental Rug Cleaning • Auto/Boat/RV Cleaning • Deodorizing & Pet Odor Treatment • Spot & Stain Removal Service • Scotchguard Protection • Minor Water Damage Services SEE CURRENT FLYER FOR ADDITIONAL PRICES & SERVICES Call for Appointment (503) 281-3949 Looking to Make Democracy More Democratic Eliminating the Electoral College m arC h. m orial When the United States of America was born, emphasis was far greater on “States” than “United.” Cit- izens of the new- ly-formed nation identified first and foremost as “Pennsylvanians” or “Georgians,” for example, and as “Americans” only as a distant second. Our method for selecting a chief executive originally was devised to serve interests of each state, rather than each citizen. The idea that all citizens of the nation should have an equal say in electing the highest office in the land was far from the minds of the framers of the Constitution in 1787. The Constitution did not specify who could vote; that was left to the states and most granted suffrage only to white male adult property owners. Delegates to the Constitutional Convention consid- ered election of the President by Congress, election by state gover- nors, election by state legislatures and direct election by voters. Direct election was considered, though not seriously, and twice re- jected. It can be argued that the by framers of the Constitution were far more concerned about electing a qualified President than a popu- lar one. The Committee of Eleven on Postponed Matters came up with the Electoral College as a compromise. Today’s Electoral College would be as baffling and un- foreseen to the Framers of the Constitution as Twitter or the Mars Exploration Rover. Over the next two cen- Today, one Wyoming voter has roughly the same vote power as four New York voters. Minnesota has 22,000 more people than Col- orado and one more electoral vote, while Wisconsin has 33,000 more people than Minnesota and the same number of electoral votes. According to a study conducted during the 2012 Presidential elec- tion, the candidates conducted two-thirds of their public events in September and October in just The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact would guarantee the Presidency to the candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. turies, the United States grew to cherish democracy as an Amer- ican ideal. As the right to vote was expanded and the principle of “one person one vote” over- took the nation, the justification for the Electoral College dimin- ished. Five times the winner of the popular vote has been denied the Presidency because of the Electoral College – twice in the last 16 years. three states - Ohio, Florida, and Virginia. At the same time, the candidates failed to hold a single public event in 40 states. Overall, campaign events and advertising took place in only 12 states. As a nation that cherishes the “one person one vote” ideal, we should find these facts offensive. Abolishing the Electoral Col- lege would require the consent of the legislatures of the very states that benefit from this imbalance in power. In the current political cli- mate, chances are almost nil. However, the Constitution does not specify how each state must apportion its electoral votes. If states agreed to award their votes to the winner of the national pop- ular vote, the anti-democratic in- fluence of the Electoral College would be eliminated. The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact would guar- antee the Presidency to the can- didate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. It has been enacted into law in 10 states and the District of Columbia, rep- resenting 165 electoral votes. It will take effect when enacted by states with 105 more electoral votes. Public opinion surveys con- sistently find solid majorities in favor of eliminating the Electoral College. Even our current Presi- dent-Elect, the most recent benefi- ciary of its anti-democratic effect, has called it “a disaster for a de- mocracy.” While the road to actual elim- ination appears long and fraught, eliminating its anti-democratic influence appears to be within our grasp. Marc H. Morial is president and chief executive officer of the National Urban League.
