AIMING TO EASE FEAR OF SNAKES

Bruce Ireland fell in love with reptiles as a boy; now he and friends rescue them from residential areas for free

California is the land that makes voting easier.

Moves to facilitate voter registration and ease the process of obtaining and casting a ballot have been broadly supported in the heavily Democratic state.

Some broader changes to the voting system — which proponents say favor more moderate candidates and encourage voter participation — have moved forward, though with more struggle.

For one thing, not everyone agrees that blanket primaries, open primaries, top-two primaries and now ranked choice voting live up to their promise.

Also, these changes can weaken control of political parties over the nominating process, resulting in opposition in some quarters of the Democratic and Republican establishment.

Nevertheless, some alternative election modes have proved popular with voters, suggesting Californians’ historical penchant to overhaul elections to break the grip of powerful interests — dating back to the Hiram Johnson progressive era — remains to this day. How much success those election reforms have had in doing that is debatable.

Ranked choice voting is the latest election alternative in the political spotlight. Acceptance of the process is growing, with more than 50 cities across the country adopting versions of ranked choice, including New York, Oakland and San Francisco. Maine began using it in statewide elections in 2018 and Alaskans will vote that way this year.

Local supporters, led by the group More Choice San Diego, are making their third push to place the concept before voters. David Garrick of The San Diego Union-tribune reported last week that members of a City Council committee were cool to the idea. He noted proposals initially appeared to be warmly received in 2018 and 2020, but the council ultimately declined to place them on the ballot.

Under the pending proposal, ranked choice voting would be used in city elections for mayor, city attorney, council and the San Diego Unified School District board. If there are five

Around this time every year, Bruce Ireland‘s phone starts ringing like mad, especially in the late afternoon on sunny days.

That’s when snakes come out their hiding places to warm themselves, and sometimes the basking spots they choose are in residential backyards, sidewalks and neighborhood parks. On a recent Saturday alone, Ireland got 11 calls from frantic North County homeowners asking for his help.

Ireland, 57, heads up the Snake Wranglers, an all-volunteer group of Coastal North County snake-lovers who are on call to remove these wayward reptiles from residential neighborhoods and release them unharmed miles away in undeveloped areas. The wranglers charge nothing for their services. They “rehome” the snakes to protect them from getting killed by dogs, homeowners and law enforcement officials.

The wranglers also use their service as a way to educate the public that snakes aren’t as aggressive as people fear, and their taste for rodents is a crucial part of the local ecosystem.

“I love talking about snakes to families with kids and to preschool and elementary groups and seeing that light-bulb moment when they change their minds about snakes,” said Ireland, a Carlsbad resident. “Being afraid of snakes isn’t something we’re born with. It has to be taught. So it’s our goal to re-educate.”

Part of that teaching involves dispelling old myths: Snake skin is

CHARLIE NEUMAN PHOTOS FOR THE U-T In a rural North County area away from homes this month, snake wrangler Bruce Ireland holds a rattlesnake he removed from a yard in San Marcos. The snake and another were in the bucket he uses to transport them. He released them into the wild.

This rattlesnake was removed from a yard at a home in the San Elijo area of San Marcos this month.