12 August 2016

Open Competition in Mesa City Council Elections? Shelly Allen Has NO RESPONSE To Two Reporter's Questions

One mission in the public sphere of journalism is to provide information to the public on the views and issues of candidates who want votes to get elected in a public campaign to gain office.  
To that end both the East Valley Tribune and the Arizona Republic - mainstream media that cover the City of Mesa - published brief profiles of the candidates and one reporter sent a series of questions to every candidate who entered in the current municipal election for City Council in Districts 1, 2, and 3.
The only candidate not replying was Shelly Allen in District 3.
Why? . . . does she have something to hide?
Or is it that she's riding on the tail-winds of the entrenched LDS political machine here in Mesa where incumbents pass power onto a selected member of their religious organization, then immediately endorse and run their election campaign with the same-old claims on heritage organized in LDS wards and stakes to deliver the votes for one-of-their-own in the political machine that's controlled the City of Mesa for years? It's a formula that works in spite of the fact that Mormons represent only about 6% in a population of over 465,000 people here in Mesa, while other demographic groups have been under-represented in holding elected office.
Many are discouraged feeling local elections are rigged.
The majority of Mesa residents are not engaged or active in local government and probably don't even care what's going on in the Mesa City Council thinking they have no influence.
That is so wrong for so many reasons . . . and when Shelly Allen willfully neglects to reply to questions from reporters in a public forum, she no doubt figures she's a member of "the establishment" where the election outcome is all but guaranteed . . .
No need to answer questions from reporters. She's got it made - free ride on the political machine!



Map of District 3

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