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# Don’t Blame the Candidates, Not in LA’s DNA to Vote
May 06 2013
Written by Joel Stein.
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ICYMI, THIS FROM TIME MAGAZINE - I spent a decade debating whether to move to Los Angeles, and not once in my deliberations did I consider the city's government.
This, it turned out, made me perfectly suited to live in LA. In my seven years here, I have not had one conversation about what our mayor does, and I have talked to our mayor several times. There is no social shaming that comes with knowing nothing about local politics. Fewer Angelenos can name the mayor of this city than can name the mayor of Pawnee, Ind., on Parks and Recreation. I am assuming here that the cast and writing staff of Parks and Recreation know who the mayor of Pawnee is.
Only 20.8% of registered voters--fewer than 400,000 people--went to the polls in the March mayoral primary, despite the fact that the candidates had 40 debates and spent a record $19 million. That may sound like a lot to you, but to us it's just the budget of a Philip Seymour Hoffman vehicle.
Our previous mayoral election attracted 18% of voters. Bill Clinton, when he visited last month, called the low turnout "ridiculous" and something "we can't tolerate." When Angelenos heard that Clinton was in town and said that, we thought, That explains the traffic on the 405. *[(Read the rest here)](http://www.time.com/time/subscriber/printout/0,8816,2142491,00.html%20%20)*
-cw
CityWatch
Vol 11 Issue 37
Pub: May 7, 2013
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