Nope

The final numbers are in and, as predicted the Justice Center Bond did not achieve the 60% it needed to pass- final totals were 54% to 46% in favor of the bond-- the 54% is a three percentage point drop from last November's election meaning that the calculated risk they took in rushing this to the polls again so quickly actually rebounded against them.

Looking at the numbers:

Iowa City was pretty evenly split-- 13 precincts voting yes, 11 voting no.  Coralville and North Liberty both voted yes and Solon and U-Heights were the big yes votes out in the county (Solon came in with 65% yes and Heights came in with a whopping 70% yes.)   Turn out was around 15%.

I was kind of surprised that Oxford went hard no to the tune of 63% to 37% and the Rec Center (IC19) despite having a whopping 42 voters gives the No crowd its biggest win on the night with an 86%-14% drubbing.  My own precinct, IC6 (Mercer Park, woot woot!) voted yes to the tune of 56%-44%.

So what can we take away from this?  Well for two elections in a row now a majority of voters in Johnson County have said yes, they'd like a new Justice Center- it's just that the case hasn't been made to enough voters to sign on- and in general, I found the No crowd to be better organized, more visible and apparently more enthusiastic than the Yes crowd.   Lowering the bond amount was a good start-  trimming the space was a good start but you haven't made your case to enough people.  At no point did anyone give me a flyer or ask me to get involved-  the Vote YES Facebook page has been awesome about posting editorials and letters to editor in support of the Justice Center but if there's been a get out the vote effort on their part, I haven't seen it anywhere.

And I think that's something the County needs to think about.  These elections- especially special elections are all about turnout.  If it's not Election Day- and especially if it's not a Presidential Election, people just aren't paying attention.   It was about getting people to the voting booth and as the results demonstrate, the Yes crowd came up short-  I heard a radio commercial on Z 102.9 just yesterday urging people to vote No.  When the casino vote was coming up in Linn County, you couldn't turn on a television without seeing something urging people to vote one way or the other.  (As it turns out, you can't fool Lou the Meat Lady...)

If I'm the County:  the air of general complacency and the overall 'meh' attitude that seems to emanate from the 'Yes' crowd needs to end.  The strategy can't be to continually put this on the ballot until the exhausted electorate finally ponys up the 60% you need.   Tours of the jail are nice, virtual tours of the jail are nice and posting every letter to the editor that supports you is wonderful, but you haven't made the case to the voters.  The No crowd has been enthusiastic for reasons that might downright illogical or just plain insane but enough of their voters turned out.  Tonight was all about turnout and even a bare bones get out of the vote effort on the part of the 'Yes' crowd could have swung this the other way.

We still really, really, really need a new Jail.  Call it a Justice Center, call it whatever you want- the argument has not changed one bit:  the current facility is inadequate, the Courthouse is inadequate.  The problem remains.  People who want more drug and alcohol diversion programs- both wonderful, wonderful things--  where, exactly are we going to put them, without more space?  It all begins and ends with needing space.

As for the slightly ridiculous statistic that 25% of University students now graduate with an arrest record, well, I just have to shake my head at that.  I managed to go to school here for five years without so much as a parking ticket.  I know people who partied much, much hardier than I did that managed to do the same thing.  The fact that 25% of the student body can't accomplish that feat is more of a reflection on them than on supposedly over zealous law enforcement--  cops haven't changed that much since I've been in school.

If the County is smart, this won't show up again until the Midterms in 2014 at the earliest.   The 'keep voting until you get to 60%' strategy has failed.  It's time to get serious, get organized and get volunteers to get out the vote.   The people that want to make points about the War On Drugs or the drinking age need to be directed to their representatives in Washington D.C. or Des Moines and as a community, I think we all need to admit that we're not that welcoming to outsiders and that yes, that attitude has a racial dimension that's worthy of thoughtful, reasonable discussion as a community.

Sigh.  Well, I gotta shake my head and just keep on keeping on I guess...  though if Iowa City is looking for a new motto:  'We Cut Off Our Nose To Spite Our Face' might look good on the old letter head.