Meyer, Fischer Return to Office

Members or the American re-elected incumbents Jon Meyer (secretary) and Newell Fischer (treasurer) in the 1998 election. They defeated Sheila Hafter Grey and Jonah Schein, respectively. Both Meyer and Fischer received better than two-to-one margins, which appears to indicate a general satisfaction with the current policies and direction of the American. In the election for councilor-at-large, Leon Hoffman and Robert Galatzer-Levy were chosen over Judith Chertoff and Arthur Rosenbaum.

“I feel appreciative to Sheila Grey, an opponent who did a lot to help define current issues in the American,” Meyer commented shortly after the election. “I am grateful that in the end the membership felt I was doing a good job as secretary and representing them on the Executive Committee.”

Fischer said, “I believe the significant plurality in the election reflects the organization's increasing awareness of how essential it is that we have a thoughtful and well-articulated budgetary process and a budget that all can understand and all can participate in shaping.” He added, “Jonah Schein, my friend and worthy opponent in the recent election, is a creative and hard-working member of our Budget and Finance Committee. Though he came in second, we must be certain that his talents are fully utilized by the American.”

The turnout of only 47 percent of the membership was particularly disappointing when contrasted to the previous year's presidential election, which saw a record turnout. As in the previous election, the American's e-mail elections list served as a major venue for communication. However, the intensity of the exchanges did not reach the pitch of the 1997 election's discussions. It is an ironic footnote to the low election turnout that the hottest political issue in APsaA e-mail during the election was the question of full enfranchisement of non-certified members.

The high number of voided ballots for councilor-at-large was due to an Australian ballot which required preferential numbering rather than a simple check.