Letter: Representation has been sidelined in favor of enforced unanimity

🎧 Camas Resident: Council Prioritizes Unanimity Over Representation

Camas resident Anna Miller says that’s not how a constitutional republic is supposed to function

Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are those of the author alone and may not reflect the editorial position of ClarkCountyToday.com

So, what does it say when a councilwoman is removed from a board, not for misconduct, not for neglect, but for voting the way her constituents have clearly and repeatedly asked her to vote? That’s a message to every elected official watching. Represent your voters if you want, but only if it doesn’t inconvenience the majority in power.

Anna Miller

That’s not how a constitutional republic is supposed to function.

The phrase “tyranny of the majority” is often misunderstood. It does not mean that the will of the people should be ignored, it means that raw majority power, unchecked, can be just as dangerous as the rule of a single tyrant.

The Founders, especially James Madison, warned about this very problem. In Federalist No. 10, Madison argued that factions, whether large or small, can use government power to override the rights of others. His solution was not to silence the people, but to structure government in a way that balances competing interests and prevents any single bloc from dominating.

That is why the Constitution established a system of checks and balances, federalism, and representative government. Elected officials are not sent to governing bodies to simply echo each other or fall in line with leadership, they are there to represent the people who sent them.

When councilors Glen Yung, Wil Fuentes, Matt Little and Sue Marshall punished Councilor Belkot for reflecting the clear and consistent views of her constituents, it raised a deeper concern. The issue is not just disagreement over policy; it is whether representation itself is being sidelined in favor of enforced unanimity. Ironically, that begins to resemble the very kind of concentrated power the Constitution was designed to prevent.

A healthy system allows for dissent. It expects disagreement. And it depends on elected officials who are willing to stand where their constituents stand, even when it is unpopular with their peers. Without that, representative government risks becoming something else entirely: not the voice of the people, but the voice of a managed majority.

The people’s councilor, Michelle Belkot, is running for election. Let’s show our gratitude for her courage by returning her to the Clark County Council so she can keep fighting for the voices she was elected to represent.

Councilor Glen Yung, who participated in her removal and then took her seat on the transit board, is also seeking reelection. The August primary is our chance to send a clear message: when given the opportunity to stand with voters, he didn’t. That’s not a passing grade.

Vote Michelle Belkot in August 2026. Proudly Serving Clark County District 2

Vote Bryan Shull in August for Clark County District 1. Bryan Shull

Anna Miller
Camas