By Scott Edger
Little Apple Post
With contentious issues boiling the Manhattan ballot pot and election day only three weeks away, the League of Women Voters of Manhattan-Riley County is hosting an online forum today to help inform voters and offer candidates a civil structure in which to outline their goals for the city and schools.
Cathy Hedge, Legacy Director at the League of Women Voters of Manhattan-Riley County, said candidates will answer a series of non-partisan, issue-based questions of concern to the community. The League will live stream the forum on its Facebook page and the forum will be recorded for later viewing.
The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan group that does not endorse candidates but will formulate positions on issues. Hedge said that official positions are formed from the grassroots, local level so that a broad consensus is reached nationally.
“We have positions that we believe are for the good of society and our local community,” Hedge said. “We feel the public needs to know and that's our goal, to educate the public about who is going to be representing us.”
Hedge emphasized that today's forum is intended to be a civil presentation of candidates' positions and ideas. It is specifically not a debate. All candidates are asked the same question and will answer in order, one at a time.
“We've had a couple of very fractious school board meetings,” she said. “That was difficult. It was very concerning.”
In July, a USD 383 boardroom had to be cleared when the meeting degenerated into vitriol. For the third consecutive meeting critical race theory, which was not on the agenda for discussion or action, was brought up - this time sparking a conflagration that ultimately led to Board President Jurdene Coleman closing public discussion and clearing the meeting room. Board member Karla Hagemeister contacted the Riley County Police Department and three patrol cars came to the location.
Hedge feels the flood of contenders for each position facilitates a greater degree of transparency from the candidates.
"The candidates have been very accessible and willing to talk to the community.” she said.
She also thinks the impact of elections and the choices of elected officials is more evident than ever before, so people are more apt to run for office or passionately show their support or opposition.
“It's a reflection of the troubling times that we've been through for the last two years,” Hedge said. “The whole idea of how do you deal with a pandemic. Government has to make a lot of choices and the public is supposed to trust those choices. We all ask what are the best things that a government should do to keep it citizens safe and there is a huge gulf and big divisions and that's reflected in both races.”
The League of Women Voters previously submitted a list of questions to each candidate and their responses can be found on vote 411.org. Hedge urged voters to view the site and see the candidates’ responses in their own words.
All candidates actively campaigning will be attending this event. The forum co-sponsors are the Manhattan Branch of the American Association of University Women and the Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce.
The public can submit questions for the candidates to lwv.manhattanks@gmail.com.
The USD 383 Board of Education forum begins at 1:30 p.m. with the Manhattan City Commission forum begins at 3:00.