|
|
We
welcome your letter to the editor.
Letters
should be no longer than 300 words and must be signed and include
a phone number. Longer letters may be edited for clarity and space.
Submissions should be typewritten if possible.
Deadline
for submission is noon on Monday.
Perspectives
by Patti M. Clark
NH Publisher
Congratulations
Owen County
Owen County residents should pat themselves
on the back.
For the first time in many years — and in some cases ever
— there are primary races in both parties for many of the
county seats.
That reflects a couple of things. People want to get involved
in determining the future of Owen County; they want to participate
in the government of our community; they aren’t happy with
the way things have gone in the past; or they’d like the
opportunity to collect the salary that goes along with the office
for which they are running.
Whatever their motives, those who have gotten up off their couches
and stepped into the political ring should be applauded. They’ve
put themselves, their views, their politics, their lives out for
the world to see in an effort — in most cases I think —
to improve the lives of their neighbors. A solid exchange of ideas
and information is one of the most important parts of having a
strong community — a community that plans for the future
as it looks to the past for hindsight and helpful hints on what
works and what doesn’t. Having a variety of candidates from
which to choose gives the community the opportunity to do just
that.
That being said, it’s now up to the candidates to run their
campaigns in as straightforward a manner as possible. That means
no mudslinging, no dirty blows, no personal attacks. Candidates
should develop a platform on which to run, a platform based on
the issues they they think are important to the job. They should
focus on the opportunities they would bring to the table should
they be elected to the office.
And for the rest of us, we should demand that we get the information
we need to make an informed decision when we head to the polls
in May, and again in November. That information comes from the
candidates telling us what they want to do, what their plans are
if elected, and how they are going to pay for their initiatives.
It doesn’t come from telling us that the guy we put in office
four years ago hasn’t done it right. That information doesn’t
come from spreading rumors and gossip about the other candidate.
We want candidates to tell us how our roads will get fixed, our
water lines will get extended, how technology will be improved
if necessary in the office for which they’re running. We
want to know what steps they’ll take to improve our safety,
what activities they’ll add to keep our kids entertained,
and how they’ll help develop jobs locally to keep more of
our workers at home, rather than commuting to other communities
and taking their hard-earned dollars with them.
And don’t forget. You have to tell us how you’re going
to pay for all these plans, because many of us are strapped for
cash and don’t have a lot of reserves lying around.
The next few months will be important ones for Owen County residents.
The people we choose at the polls in May and in November will
steer the ship of this community for the next few years. Candidates
and community residents both play a big roll in making sure that
ship is moving in the right direction, the direction the majority
of this community wants it to go. Candidates need to be focused
on the issues of the community and residents need to be asking
the hard questions and be prepared to tell those running for office
what they do and don’t want in this county.
It shouldn’t be a popularity contest. It shouldn’t
be about getting your buddy into office so you can reap a few
loads of gravel on your road. It’s about looking into the
future, realizing what this community will need when it gets there,
and doing now the things that can make that happen down the road.
Our candidates have taken the first steps, by stepping into the
political ring. Now it’s up to the rest of the community
to follow through. When we do that, we can really pat ourselves
on the back.
•••••••••••••
Speaking of finding out what the community wants, a community
meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 16 at the OCHS auditorium.
At that time, the results of the Owen 20/20 survey will be presented.
More than 2,200 people participated in the survey and the insights
that were gleaned from the project are important ones for this
community. Plan to be there and find out where this community
wants to go.
|
