Local Influences

I was just doing some reading and thinking about a topic that has always been very much at the center of my political way of thinking. That is the influence and importance of local (town, county, state, etc) elected officials.

We tend to focus so much on the Presidential elections in this country, and not as much on the rest of government. This is proven by the drop-off in the number of voters in non-Presidential elections. In my opinion, too much importance is places on the Presidency and not enough is placed on the other elected officials (at least in terms of the apparent campaign enthusiasm and voter turn-out). Of course, the President is a VERY important office, I am not downplaying that fact. What I am saying is that we, as a country, need to put more emphasis on all the other elected officals at every level of government (Mayors, Town Council, County Freeholders, Governor, State Senate, State Assembly, US Congress, US Senate … hey, throw Sherriff and County Clerk into this discussion too, they are also very influential and important in our lives).

These locally-elected officials influence our lives in so many profound ways. This is a short blog, but please remember how important your Mayor and City Council is in making your lives better in your town. Remember that your Freeholders do a lot to make your county a better place to live. Please remember how important State leaders and legislators are in the health, safety, and prosperity of your state. Don’t ever forget how important US Senators and US Congressmen are in setting a positive national agenda. My last thought is this, please also don’t forget how negatively the wrong elected officials can effect your life. I urge your to vote, but I ask that you do so carefully and thoughtfully.