Posted by Peter Carpenter, a resident of the Atherton: Lindenwood neighborhood, on Oct 13, 2007 at 6:57 pm

The Almanac notes that 'In only three local elections in the Almanac's circulation area are there more candidates than open seats: the boards of the Portola Valley School District, the Los Trancos Water District and the Menlo Park Fire Protection District, which serves Menlo Park, Atherton and East Palo Alto.'

This is a sad commentary on the state of our democratic institutions that so few citizens are prepared to serve in public office - millions around the world would give anything for the freedoms which we enjoy and yet we seems to take those freedoms for granted. I am writing from Bhutan where they are actually holding practice elections for their first constitutional elections which will be held next year - these people are stunned when I tell them that no one in my community wants to run for public office.