Decision 2007: Does Anyone Care?

The saying goes that while all the hoopla goes to the Presidential candidates, Congressmen and Senate races, the people that will most impact your life will be local officials . . .

Mayors . . . Planning Board members . . . City Councilmen.

So why do substantially more people turn out to vote in Presidential elections than city council slots?

Maybe it is a certain romanticism, optimism, or nationalism . . . about our country's future. Maybe it's the media's fault. We certainly get more psyched up to interview a John Edwards or Sam Brownback than we do a Tom Carlson or . . . what's the name of the guy running for council in Zone 2 again?

The bottom line is that national politicians debate things like resolutions that condemn a war, or immigration policy -- that may impact many of us indirectly, but won't influence our daily lives.

The City Council can determine whether they can take pictures of you driving through a stoplight, and then penalize you for it. They can determine what busy intersections will be widened. Or how old you can be to hang out in a bar.

Still, this coming Tuesday, only about 3 percent of registered voters in Springfield are projected to cast ballots on people who will make those types of decisions.

It's not a question of whether it will happen, it's a question of why.

People are just getting over the last election, they are preoccupied with the ice storm, it is Superbowl weekend, and it will be cold . . . but are those really the reasons most people won't go and vote on Tuesday? Or is it a bigger issue?

Are people in Springfield really just happy with their government? Or are they too busy to care?
Watch my KY3 News @ 10 report HERE.

And then, give me a reason to vote -OR- to not vote on Tuesday.