Letter: It's Time to Address Climate Change; RCV May Break Partisan Gridlock

We have to do something, and fast, about climate change. I've devoted my career to it. Polls show again and again that 2/3rds of Americans agree with me – and likely you do, too! Yet, time and again our elected representatives fail to take climate action. Part of the problem is our gridlocked two-party system. Luckily, there's a solution.

Ranked-choice voting is in use all over the US, and even in some cities here in Minnesota. The cities and states that use ranked-choice voting see the will of their people more directly exercised. Here in MN, the three cities that use RCV all made 100% renewable energy commitments! Because people rank their choices 1, 2, and 3 for an office, candidates don't mudsling. Instead, they tend to adopt popular measures into their platforms in order to compete for voters' second- and third-choice rankings.

It's time to take real climate action to protect people and the planet. It's time to break through partisan gridlock. It's time we use ranked-choice voting here in Rochester and in Minnesota.

Rick Morris, Rochester

Rochester Post Bulletin, July 25, 2020