The local vote

Change is possible via the ballot box, but not if you don't bother to vote.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
polling station 88 (photo credit: Courtesy)
polling station 88
(photo credit: Courtesy)
Few Israelis are cognizant of the fact that 11/11 has been designated Election Day. Perhaps their indifference largely arises from the fact that on that date we will be electing mayors and city councils rather than a premier and a parliament, and that the issues bandied about are refuse collection and local development plans rather than defense, foreign relations and the state of the national economy. City billboards and road junctions appear to be the only arenas in most localities where the low-key local bouts are at all visible. Apart from the banners and placards, there's frequently little else to attest to a campaign. Most recent municipal contests have stayed dull and sleepy all the way through to polling day. Voter turnout has reflected a lack of interest. In 2003, only 45 percent nationwide bothered to cast ballots. The upcoming November elections, the pundits say, are poised to generate an even lower turnout. Yet the ostensibly lesser issues at play can shape our daily reality and the overall quality of our lives far more - and certainly with greater immediacy - than the grander existential decisions of the central government. Decisions taken by the country's 260 local authorities can affect our environment, the quality of education and even the value of our real estate more profoundly than the actions of the ministries in Jerusalem. What we most often gripe about is primarily down to the municipalities; they also tend to be the first addresses to which we turn when peeved. Though this should heighten interest, the reverse is true. IN Jerusalem, the fact that Aryeh Deri's candidacy is likely to be stymied and Arkadi Gaydamak has yet to convincingly demonstrate that he's mounting a real campaign may mean a dearth of flamboyant and controversial contestants. Yet the issues - in a city where, to give just two examples, the rising Arab and ultra-Orthodox demographic spells a critical challenge and where the mishandled light-rail system has directly affected almost every resident - are so self-evidently important that public apathy is incomprehensible, and self-defeating. Labor and the Likud, which once vied mightily for each city council seat, only exacerbate the disinterest by no longer bothering to field candidates - in Jerusalem and plenty of other locales as well. The decision in both cash-strapped parties is to save whatever they can for the Knesset showdown. By contrast, Kadima, better-heeled financially, is investing heavily in some local campaigns. It has less of a party infrastructure and is more dependant on the mayors it drew to its side upon its inception three years ago. Additionally, Kadima's hold on the Interior Ministry gives it clout. OVERALL, however, Israel's municipalities are still stuck in the same mire as in Mandatory days. They remain highly reliant on central government budgets and are devoid of true independence even in cities that keep their books balanced and their administrations running relatively smoothly. At the same time, the mayors, once they form their coalitions, are virtually unopposed. This, coupled with the citizenry's apathy, can facilitate unethical practices and even corrosive corruption - which has been all too evident in parts of the Arab sector and some development towns which have sunk ever-deeper in the red, failing to render services or even pay their staff. Even in cities boasting shining veneers, there are sometimes real problems deeper down that require residents' attention. In Ra'anana, for instance, development is so rapid and so all-encompassing that little agricultural land is left, less greenery survives and overcrowding is beginning to be felt. Overcrowding is arguably the biggest issue in Tel Aviv, too, though it is rarely addressed directly. The nearly 100-year-old city is so unprecedentedly popular, so powerful a magnet to young Israelis drawn by its urban excitement and sophistication, that its rents are fast becoming unaffordable. Haifa, in stark contrast, has invested heavily in makeovers and infrastructure, is livelier than ever, yet witnesses an exodus of its younger generation. Tackling each locale's specific challenges requires input and involvement from residents. First and foremost, change is possible via the ballot box. But not if you don't bother to vote.