Tyranny of the Minority in Tempe!! Ben Arredondo got 8,348 votes in yesterdays election which is a lousy 5% of Tempes population of 160,676. But still those stinking 5% of the voters will get to force their will on the other 95% of Tempes population and Ben Arredondo will get another term on the Tempe City council. They like to tell us that democracy is when the majority of people all get together and decide to do something. But thats 100% rubbish. Here a minority of 5 percent of Tempe voters is all it takes to get their guy into office. Yes democracy is the Tyranny of the Minority as its practiced in the USA! Original Article Arredondo, newcomer Ellis nab seats Copple, Shekerjian to face off in May 16 runoff Jahna Berry The Arizona Republic Mar. 15, 2006 08:15 AM Councilman Ben Arredondo and newcomer Shana Ellis landed seats on the Tempe City Council. Councilman Len Copple and researcher Onnie Shekerjian were pushed into a May 16 runoff, while challenger Corey Woods was eliminated. The result came after early returns had all five candidates headed for a runoff. "The good thing is we are ahead," Arredondo said Tuesday evening from his home as he watched results. "Everyone else has to catch us." And they could not. The election ran smoothly, much to the relief of election workers. City Clerk Kathy Matz was bracing for confusion at the polls because of Proposition 200's new voter identification rules. "I was amazed, to be honest with you. I think we were expecting the worst," Matz said. But when she made spot checks with Tempe election workers at the polls, there were only a few incidents where voters had ID difficulties. "I asked if people were prepared for this, and they said, 'Everyone is ready,' " Matz said. Tuesday's vote was an early test for stiffer identification rules. Under Prop. 200, voters were required to show valid identification before they could vote on election day. The change may have had less of an impact in Tempe, where more than half of the vote is traditionally cast by mail. Residents who voted early or sent mail-in ballots were not subject to the rule. One resident who had to show ID at the polls criticized the rule. "It's ridiculous," Connie Neal said. "It's absolutely racist." The thought of refusing to comply crossed her mind, she said, but in the end she decided it wasn't worth it. The 51-year-old nurse practitioner has been voting since she was 18. "I'm still not happy about it," she said. Few controversial issues defined the Tempe City Council race. Most candidates supported increased scrutiny on rental housing, steps to address airport noise, and making Mill Avenue more vibrant. With the candidates pushing similar platforms, the race, like many, became a contest of personalities and political camps. Some planned to return the incumbents to office. "They're doing a good job," said Tempe voters Bob and Mary Plotner who said they cast ballots for Arredondo as well as Copple and Woods at the Pyle Adult Recreation Center Others gave incumbents mixed reviews. Herbert Fibel,75, was going to cast a vote only for Ellis, but recently decided to vote for Copple, too, because he was angered by an anti-Copple campaign ad he received in the mail. "The Republicans launched a campaign attack against Copple the other day," Fibel said. Teacher Ana Mallett declined to say how she voted but said, "Just because you have a Hispanic name (as a candidate) doesn't mean you look out for our interests." Many voters embraced political newcomers Shekerjian, Ellis and Woods. Tuesday was Karen McNeil's first Tempe election. McNeil bought a house in the city about a year ago and, as a new resident, voted for other new people. "I think some incumbents might need some fresh faces to help them out," she said, after casting a ballot marked for challengers Ellis and Shekerjian, and incumbent Copple. "I think Shana is very, very connected to the community," said McNeil, a 41-year-old city worker. "She'll be able to bring the city's focus on community issues like homelessness." Voting for Corey Woods was an easy choice for Nina Cunningham, 65. As a retired General Motors quality control inspector who volunteers at Wood Elementary in Tempe, she said she looks for candidates who are supportive of unions. "With all the jobs going away, we need ways for young people to keep their jobs in the U.S.," she said. So once she got literature in the mail and talked to a Woods phone campaigner about his pro-union stance, she was hooked. Reporter Katie Nelson contributed to this article.