By Tony Lang
The Cincinnati Enquirer

WEEKEND MEMOS

'Weekend memos' give our editorial writers a chance to express their own opinions, comment on topics they have been writing about, or take a lighter approach. The opinions in 'Memos' do not always follow the Enquirer's editorial positions.

I wonder what our revolutionary founders would think of elections today. Cincinnati's council campaign seems almost embarrassingly tame so far, and not just in comparison with California's 135-candidate recall election. What would Jefferson have made of a bodybuilder-turned-actor-turned top challenger from Planet Hollywood? Biggest clash in Cincinnati's campaign to date is over whether candidates can accept contributions from other candidate committees. It doesn't have the same ring as "Give me Liberty or give me death," but the issue will be decided in federal court.

City council did form a commission to consider adopting four-year terms, district seats and such, but the mayor and council engineered it so the final plan won't surface until after November's election. Proposals have generated a few sparks over how district lines should be drawn or if we should take another whack at a stronger mayor system, but over-all there's a prevailing sense of deję vu. Ah, for anything a little more radical - or nostalgic.

The election for mayor of the wealthy upstate Ohio village of Hunting Valley made news this week because the incumbent is term-limited, and Hunting Valley doesn't choose its mayor the way Cincinnati or almost any other place does. Village officials over the course of many months reach a consensus over who in the village would make a good mayor, then that candidate runs unopposed. He runs unopposed mostly because the mayor of Hunting Valley, a village of about 800 where the minimum lot size is five acres, doesn't get paid. No perks either.

Last time a mayor ran against anyone there was 36 years ago, and the challenger campaigned on the theme that the mayor should be more than a part-timer. The challenger lost.

Far be it from me to suggest Cincinnati could reach consensus by making the mayor's job an unpaid position. But the part-timer or short-timer idea does honor the ancient Roman example of Cincinnatus who, after his heroic services were no longer needed, gladly went back home to farm.

One nationwide election wrapped up Thursday, only voters were picking a state, not a candidate. It's called the Free State Project, and about 5,000 Americans voted on which of 10 low-population states they could move to and shape into a national model of small government and individual liberty. Too bad most are northern cold states. New Hampshire (motto: "Live Free or Die") is one. In a few years the Libertarians hope to swell their numbers to 20,000, then all move to the winning state, to be announced Oct. 1. See Web site www.freestateproject.org.

One drawback could be that more men than women will answer the call - lots more. But a little more revolutionary thinking wouldn't hurt, even in tame, safe Cincinnati.