On Saturday, you are invited to take part in a little bit of participatory democracy.
It’s civic election day and I can’t urge strongly enough that if you are eligible, please take the time to vote for your municipal representatives.
It’s at the local level that the politicians have the most direct influence in our lives. Their decisions affect the taxes we pay, the services we receive and how our tax dollars are spent. That’s what it comes down to. These people are being entrusted with our money, to do with as they see fit — for the betterment of our community and the safety of us all.
We’ve heard the speeches and read the profiles — now it’s up to us.
Determine which of the candidates are in line with your own way of thinking — in other words, which of those individuals will represent your interests to the best of their ability — and then vote for them.
Did anyone really take our online poll seriously? I certainly hope not. The only poll one needs to take seriously is the vote on Nov. 19. Voting is a serious matter, sure, but unless we enjoy doing it, what’s the point? If we’re not supposed to enjoy it, then what or who are we voting for? Dour, uninteresting, uninspiring candidates? I would hope we can be more enthusiastic about voting for someone when it comes to our turn in the balloting area.
Think our online poll really had an influence? If so, what about all the letters to the editor? I would hope we would give the voters in our area more credit than that.
— editorial by Steven Heywood