There is always someone stirring up trouble where there is none. For what Purpose? To gain readers?

id like to see another pot smoker on the city council

Why would anyone run for city council? If this website is a fraction of the bashing they take, then why bother. You may or may not like what the council does, but until you run for the seat, or for some of you, even vote, you have no right to complain. JMO!

Nancy/Hank, diversity is sometimes coded race baiting. Coded race baiting is meant to stir up racial minorities by insisting that they are allowing themselves to be abused by another group when such isn't the case i.e. this insistence is a verbal attack.

SSNancy, you never did respond to the question why your Hank account was removed.

"I'll have my normal choice of two incumbents and a challenger."
Last I checked, there were 3, not 2, incumbents running with a challenger.
As for the lack of non-"white guys" on the council, it is kind of hard to get elected if you don't run. And it is actually fairly easy to get on the ballot. Just get 200-400 citizens to sign your candidate petition papers and you are on the ballot! Of course it is easier to just sit back and complain that a minority/rich/east-sider/connected/etc person would never get elected...
Oh and BTW, it only takes about 3500 general election votes to get a seat on the council.

Janesvillean...I believe you are more unobjective than you realize. You seem to be a 'pusher' not an earner. Or at least someone who wants others to be so. My guess is that you yourself have 'earned it', but you now lean towards an entitlement attitude for others. If so, that's too bad. I respect 'earners' (of any background!) You need to remember, the American dream was based on truths, not race, but race can't be a deciding factor in either direction. Basically, stop assuming Janesville is so much racist or biased, please.

TCB and GazetteFan. I think you bring up good points here. I will add that I think pushing for something before it is an accurate-earned representation is a sort of 'tail wag the dog'. Allow for these changes to take place without an extra 'push'. Otherwise it will carry an unaccepted and unearned status, which may make people more unsatisfied. Everything is available, so let it happen accordingly, not as a 'push'. Earn it, don't give it. If you think I'm being politically incorrect (then thank you because I that term buggs me anyway), well I am not. I want all people to be treated as though they can EARN it. That is the greatest respect. I believe ALL can do so, but the getting-something-because...well, that isn't right.
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I am all for the various race, political, and etc. backgrounds, running for any office or board spot. It has to be fair and accurate though. (I myself believe partisan-politics are a failure though.)

gazettefan, you don't seem to know what race-baiting is. Merriam-Webster says: "the making of verbal attacks against members of a racial group". Unless you think suggesting that Janesville become more diverse is somehow an "attack" on the white power structure, which reveals pretty much everything one needs to know about what type of person you are.
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Janesville may not need to seek out council candidates from non-white backgrounds, but I would encourage more political participation by anyone. I know that in the 1960 census Janesville had exactly two non-white households -- and one of them was a doctor's. Obviously that has changed and continues to do so. By 2050 we know that the US will become "majority minority", more than 50% non-white (counting Hispanics as minority although they represent a diversity of races). Janesville can pretend that minorities don't matter because they're "only" 1 in 20 people, but think of that. Everybody knows more than 20 people and somebody you know is very likely not part of the political environment.

By the way, Steve, the only person in the area yammering about diversity -code word for race baiting and demagoguery- is B'moon.

Steve, the emptiness (and possible race baiting and demagoguery -unintended, we're sure) inherent to your point demands the following question:

How are the people of your concern supposed to end up on the council but for the process that's available to them now?

A description is required too. Name the ethnicity or gender or group that would be represented by one of the people you have in mind and describe the change(s) that that person would effect.

This a municipality of 62,000 people. This isn't the entire country back in the 1950s. If a white male were to represent "pro-diversity", what would his platform be if he ran for council in Janesville?

Steve,

The 2000 census data shows that Janesville is 95.27% white. What do you think the racial demographic was in 1990--20 years ago. ~95% white. On the other hand you could say that the hispanic population has increased by50% over the past 10 yeras and you'd probably be correct. But on balance, Janesville, Milton, and Beloit have a very similiar racial mix today as it was 20 years ago.

By diversity do you mean only racial diversity? What about political diversity? Is this an important characteristic?

I'm still waiting for the "other white gal" to win. More people would be interested in city meetings with her on the counsel.

Also someone who travels to Washington D.C. and is willing to asked the big wigs the tough questions.

I'd like to see a candidate with "highlights" run for council.

Steve: That's the great thing about this country. Almost anyone can run for public office. If a certain segment of the population wants to be represented, get your papers filed and go for it!

I don't take race, sex, or socio economic factors into play when considering a candidate. I only look at who is willing to best represent their area, and listen to their constituents.

Yes, it would be fantastic to have a melting pot city council, but it takes willing citizens to become candidates. Until more people embrace their potential impact in local politics, this will not change.