All These Letters but None of them Are Varsity

This time a month from now will be the day after we've elected a Mayor, a City Council, a Board of Education and a City Treasurer (I almost always forget that last one). You're better at math than I am so I'll let you do the countdown as long as we agree to not lose sight of the importance of an informed vote. If you just speed-read through that last sentence, please go back and read it again and tell me which word is the most important. Yeah, you know me too well: informed. 

Every election, be it for the Presidency of the United States or the fourth-grade, I spend a lot of time reading as much as I can about those running for office. The higher the elected office the easier it seems to gather insights and information on the persons and programs asking for our vote.

In theory, for local elections, we should have easy access to the beliefs, accomplishments, and plans of those who are, literally, our neighbors, and yet politics can sometimes be a strange intoxicant causing some to become a person they themselves don't recognize in order to capture an office. 

I listen to my neighbors, attend debates and candidate forums, take copious notes, read all the news articles I can find, and yet I always seem to get lost wading through letters to the editor of the local newspapers. 

Don't get me wrong. I think those letters of support to the editor are a marvelous idea and an integral part of our tradition and institution of local governance, but as the years have gone on, they're less about learning something informative about those seeking to be a member of the City Council or the Board of Education and more about what the other gal/guy/party will/didn't do. Instead of enticing/exhorting me to run towards a person or a party, they too often encourage me to run away.

Letters assuring us the people seeking office are good to their Mommas, crazy 'bout Elvis, rescue stranded kittens from trees, and, generally, are kind and generous people. But, we already know that. We are extremely fortunate to live in cities and towns with carloads of people who want to help and who will work hard to make things better. The road to a proverbial warm place (no, not Miami) is paved with good intentions so mind the potholes.   

Except not all of us who want to help can actually do so. All things being equal, how do you pick the best of the well-intentioned? I suggested it earlier, do your research. Talk to your neighbors but don't let them make up your mind for you. Decide what issues matter to you and seek out those who share your beliefs. 

And please, find the time to attend a candidates forum even for people you don't think you'll vote for (maybe especially those people). As a matter of fact, you can get a start on that tonight at seven in the NFA Slater Museum auditorium for a debate among all five mayoral candidates. Many of us spend more time picking out the clothes to wear to work than considering who should be on our Board of Ed or City Council. And if that doesn't bother you, it should., 

Since I was speaking about letters how about some from you, the candidates? Tell me your goal, your plan for achieving it and how you'll measure our progress on the way to the Emerald City so we don't get lost or stalled. You've got one opportunity to tell me. Do NOT mention puppies. Go. Gimme the Truth.

-bill kenny