EMPORIANS have one week left to vote in the city commission primary. Considering the high interest in the commission’s activities over the past year, it would be reasonable to expect a lot of people to turn out to choose the candidates for the April election.
But reason does not have much to do with primary elections. For some reason, few people are moved to go to the courthouse when they have a few spare minutes to cast an advance ballot or to go to the polls on election day.
It is difficult enough to draw voters to the polls for a presidential election — unless there is also a tax question on the ballot. And an off-year city primary ranks far below presidents or taxes in public interest.
But the commissioners finally chosen in April will have a much greater influence than any president on daily life in Emporia. Commissioners will influence what city residents pay for water, sewer and trash service. They will decide who runs the police force, fire department and ambulance service and how well those services are staffed and trained. They will handle questions of zoning and economic development.
None of these matters is of small importance to the community.
Next week’s primary is an opportunity for Emporians to have a voice in how the city is run. That is a matter of interest for everyone, from those who think that the city is well run to those who think that that commission could not govern its way out of a paper bag.
Don’t think of voting in the city primary as a distasteful chore — think of it as an exercise in enlightened self-interest.
Phil_Dillon (anonymous) says...
Mr. Kelley:
Well said. Too many folks seem to think that their lives are determined in Topeka or Washington D.C. As Tip O'Neill said, "All politics is local." It's the local politics that merits far more of our attention that it currently does. When we don't pay attention locally the end result is often bad policy and government that is out of touch with its constituents.
February 21, 2007 at 9:50 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )