In November 2010, over 60 percent of Lake County voters made their wishes known when they cast a vote on Proposition 20's amendment to redistricting. It was a statement of the will of the people.

Lake County voters mandated by a vote of 11,933 to 7,908 to change the politics of the good old boys club controlling their lives. Voters clearly called for the end of party politicians and connected special interests controlling the make up of electoral districts. The electorate chose a new way to set up representation in Sacramento and in Washington.

Our hard working Lake County Registrar of Voters showed the June 8, 2010, election tally of 15,559 total votes in the county. Of those votes, Supervisor Rushing received 1,625 votes or roughly 10 percent of the votes cast in the entire county. She won her district by 54.6 percent.

The Lake County Registrar of Voters showed the November 2010 election with a total of 19,841 votes cast on Proposition 20, the congressional redistricting measure: www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/ROV/Final_Election_Results.htm.

Supervisor Rushing has decided receiving 1625 votes in an election means she does not have to listen to the majority voice of 11,933 voters. She has chosen to go against the majority of voters in our county. She is ignoring the fact the voters asked for a fresh new approach to governance. She has chosen a politics as usual alliance with special interest groups, and state and federal representation that has led our county to be one of the poorest counties in the state.

Our representation in both Washington and Sacramento has awarded us with the 51st worst position in unemployment out of 59 positions available in the state.

We are in the 54th spot as a high poverty level county with only five counties in the state poorer than we are. We are also the second most impoverished county in Northern California, being slightly less poor than Del Norte County, which, is represented by the same Washington political machine as we have representing us. In fact, almost all of the coast district is made up of severe poverty level counties.

What is even more appalling, over 30 percent of children ages 0-17 in our county live in poverty. Think about that for a moment, almost one third of all children living in Lake county are living in poverty.

Our state and federal representatives; policies have awarded one third of Lake County's children with a life of poverty trophy for 54th place in standard of living: www.ers.usda.gov/data/povertyrates/PovListpct.aspst=CA&view=Percent&longname=California.

That leaves real questions Supervisor Rushing should be addressing.

Why is she going against the wishes of the majority of voters in the county after she received clear instructions by a sound majority in an election?

Why would she continue to support and push for maintaining a failed representative body that has not looked out for the interests of Lake County's working class?

Is blatant partisanship more important than following the will of the voters even if the system has harmed the economic stability of her constituents?

What private sector job creation by way of federal grants, or funding has found way to producing new jobs?

Why was our local private sector overlooked by our representatives when all the government corporate welfare money was handed out over the last two years?

Are we being represented for the people in the county, or are we just a stop off for some photo opportunities, a little wine sipping and some glad handing?

According to comments left in an article, a couple million dollars went to school districts and hopefully some money found its way into county protective services. But how does money going to support public sector jobs address the issue of loss of revenue from tax paying private citizens who no longer pay much in taxes because they are unemployed?

There are a people in our county faced with losing hours in job cutbacks as local businesses try to survive. Others are losing their jobs as more businesses cut back to cut labor costs. Some businesses have failed and closed their doors.

There are citizens trapped in the maze of continued unemployment for over a year because there is no affordable work within 50 miles. Others can not afford a newer dependable car to drive up to 1000 miles a week to get to work in the Bay area or Sacramento.

I do not know all of the local politics, because I am not a politician. I met Supervisor Rushing at a campaign stop during her 2010 election run. I was doing research on ways to bring the politicians and the business community together to help the city of Clearlake.

Supervisor Rushing made a striking statement that threw me back at first. It was a warm sunny day with a gentle breeze coming in from the Lake. The breeze had a cooling effect and I commented that it was nice the breeze was blowing in from the right direction today. She replied with something similar to, “the wind only comes in from the left.” I was stunned for a moment until I realized she was living and breathing pure politics.

What I am concerned with is, why has she gone against the will of the people so aggressively? There was a greater percentage of voters who voted for change then there were who voted for her.

Why is she so set on business as usual that the voice of the people means nothing to her. Surely, she respected the majority that put her in office, so why does she disrespect the will of the majority of voters?

There is not a platform she can stand on that says the working class have benefited from the old political system. The platform she is fighting to retain is the cause of our county being in the winners circle of extremely high unemployment and poverty. I am sure some will attempt to blame the citizens, but it is the politicians that are responsible for the laws and regulations that stifle a healthy economy.

We are in the circle of shame as a county with a third of our children living in poverty. Is maintaining the stronghold of power by the good old boys club so important to her that poverty is acceptable as long as the control is maintained?

The voters spoke, clearly and plainly: 2010 was a call for the end of Good Old Boy politics in Lake county. Denise Rushing needs to listen to the voters' voice.

Keith Buter lives in Lucerne, Calif.