I Might Seem Ambiguous (But I'm Not)

There's a better than average chance as you turn back from the bus stop and head home after waving farewell (and maybe doing a happy dance) as the kids return to school, that you'll walk past one or more lawn signs. 

Yep, perhaps because of the rain we had last week, the "Vote for Me" signs are starting to spring up like dandelions or toadstools. Don't misread what I just offered. I'm a registered voter and always vote, even when I was in the Air Force overseas and voted absentee. Too many men and women in uniform sacrificed to defend the freedoms we have for me to ever be nonchalant about voting. I sometimes think that's why Election Day is so close on the calendar to Veterans Day just to remind us but that could just be me.  

I regard lawn signs for City Council or Board of Education as the pulse of our democracy because decisions made at the most local level of government is where our quality of life changes the most, fastest, and deepest. Does that mean I'm saying an alderperson is more important than a Senator? You probably should answer that based on whom you think wields more influence about our schools, roads, public safety, and community quality of life.

I think we (meaning definitely me and maybe you) get a lot more emotionally, if not intellectually, engaged in our national contests, such as choosing the President, who should continue dancing with the stars or what color the next M & M should be. And for the most part, engagement at any and all levels of our government is critically important to make sure 'the will of the people' isn't just a fine notion but an actuality. 

We have the good fortune in Norwich to have a plethora of neighbors interested in helping us shape who we are becoming, and I applaud all of those who offered themselves as candidates. I think we can use all the help we can get. We each have one vote (though in parts of New Jersey where I grew up, that was always a great topic) so we should investigate each person asking for it before investing in them as the decisions we'll make we have to live with for two years which is a long time to have Buyer's Remorse if you follow my drift.

I don't care for whom you choose to vote as long as you choose to vote. We'll have enough newspaper articles, radio interviews and, I'm assuming candidates' forums, to hear what those seeking office believe to be the way ahead and their role in helping us get there. I always need to know what a candidate's ideas will cost as well as what they're worth with as much specificity, (remember when we used to say 'granularity' Is that still a thing?) as possible. 

So, office-seekers, spare me glittering generalities like how much you love Norwich. Sort of guessed that when you announced your candidacy, so let's move on together and define the issues most important to each of us, listen as our choices explain how they'll address them and then cast an informed vote on November 5th. 
-bill kenny