Lately I've been spending a lot of time in meetings, for school, for community groups, some political events. Usually I attend two non-work meetings a month. This month it's going to be about three times that. So far in 2006 I've learned about PennDOT regulations on traffic light timing, riparian buffers (I can now use the words gabion basket in a sentence), the cultural importance of gravestones, and a few other things that have mercifully left my memory. I've talked with some lovely people and been smacked down in public (happens at least twice a year, and never gets easier). I've been gently reminded of things I agreed to do and haven't done yet, been assigned new tasks, and found out someone has started a project that I think is ill-advised and tried to convey my reservations as clearly but softly as possible.
For legislators that work hard at their job this is piffle; they do this in a day. For those that don't, it's a world they never see. For voters, separating the wheat from the chaff is difficult. If you are out and about and involved in your community you can see if those in office, at least lower level office, are responsive and in evidence. If you aren't, I don't know how you decide who to vote for. I'm just hoping February is a little quieter.
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Meetings Meetings Meetings
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2 comments:
If you are out and about and involved in your community you can see if those in office, at least lower level office, are responsive and in evidence. If you aren't, I don't know how you decide who to vote for.
I think you've just pinpointed the power of party affiliation and endorsements (and maybe pre-election news coverage). most people don't have the time or access, and thus they either don't vote (as is most common for primaries) or they look to somebody whose judgement they trust to tell them who the Best Choice is.
I pay a lot of attention to newspaper endorsements but not so much to others. And it would be great if the papers covered local races better or more intensively. The papers aside, most of us interact with people in our area in one way or another and just casual conversation about candidates will bring out remarks on whether or not the official was helpful with one thing or another. At the senate level you lose that contact but from congressional on down, if no one in your sphere has had any interaction with an elected official or their staff or knows someone who has, something is wrong; a change might be needed. That's my view, anyway.
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