Second in a series. 

Re: “Hello, Culver City. Welcome to Drought” 

After more than 30 years as a public figure in Culver City’s day-to-day life, City Councilman Andy Weissman remains stumped about the many who passively observe the passing scene. He is one of the most enduring examples of hometown activism.

What about the other side?

In the context of prodding the community to a keener awareness of the four-year-old drought and new City Hall-imposed restrictions, Mr. Weissman says: “I never have known how to interpret non-participation.

“Is it because people are satisfied with their elected officials and rely on them to make the best decisions for the community?

“Or is it because they are plain apathetic? For them, it is not that they respect or trust elected officials. They just don’t care.”

Mr. Weissman will leave others to decide the question of whether the perceived apathy is long-term. “I suspect 30, 50, 70 years ago, after World War II, there was a different sense of doing, with respect to voting,” he said. “I suspect the percentage of voters was much higher than it is now.”

As an everyday, hands-on activist, not merely a talker, he is unable to understand those who are so different.  “I don’t know why so few people take the time to participate in making the ultimate decision in a community by voting,” Mr. Weissman said.

“As a local elected official – for me, everything is local – I can sort of understand distancing yourself from your state and federal electeds. Their districts are bigger. They are far away. “There is less ability for a single elected to make a difference in the daily lives of the community.”

(To be continued)