This is one of the 100 questions prospective American citizens must learn the answers to.

Last night, I was telling my Citizenship class about our upcoming local election. Using it as an example,  I had a hard time convincing my students that voting is really all that important.  It will be much easier a year from now, even though a lot of our presidential campaign rhetoric is lost in translation.

Only one item on our ballot this time. A local issue.  I have received lots of expensive mailers about this.  Of course, in Oregon, all voting is by mail as well, and I will be receiving my ballot soon.

No “going to the polls” here, and we have virtually nonexistent voter fraud.

Here’s the deal:

We need improved public transportation, and somebody has to pay for it. Ideally, the people who use it should pay for it, but this is not an ideal world. The choice on the ballot asks, “Who should pay for it?” Employers (which could be the hospital or the doughnut shop owner)? That would be a “yes” vote. Or should property owners pay? That would be a “no” vote.

As a home owner, I can see on my property tax bill that I make generous contributions to local public education and to public transportation— which neither I nor anyone in my family has every used. Nevertheless, I am happy to support both. Now, I have to decide whether I can afford to support public transportation at a higher level or whether I should look to the owner of the doughnut shop to do so.