Doing What’s Right — Not What’s Easy

Well, the General Election is today. Our county is an “all-mail” elections process now, so all voters received ballots a couple weeks ago. Ballots need to be mailed by today to be counted. I think Tom is going to just drop ours off at a drop box in the city where he works.

I actually marked my ballot over the weekend. Several high-profile issues for my state, and a couple of local races. The races were relatively easy — several were unopposed so I just voted for the person who was running. Except for the people running unopposed who couldn’t bother to submit a photo or candidate statement. I left those blank this year. Some years, I write in my mother or a friend…

Let’s talk about voting today: why do it?

Well, one ballot item in particular caught my attention, and the attention of many others. There is a constitutional amendment on the ballot today, Engrossed House Joint Resolution 4204, that would allow school levies to pass with a simple majority of the voters who show up at the election. In the past, measures that would fund school programs and facilities have failed by having too few voters show up, or by having only “almost” a 2/3 approval vote for levies. This means that, all too often, schools districts have to go through the additional expense of asking for money more than once. A rather unfair burden placed on parents and others who care about children.

One of the questions the opposition to this amendment asked was, “Should A Small Minority Be Able To Raise Your Taxes?” Which is disingenuous at best.

I believe, that if people really think a school district should NOT receive additional levy monies, then they should vote against the measures. Rather than allowing such measures to fail by apathy, make the people who oppose them step forward. In our country, votes are always secret anyway — so it will only be a person’s conscience telling them that their vote counted… that children will be in larger classes, in older facilities, or riding buses that may not be as well maintained as one might like.

So — that was one measure, I am sure you know how I voted. And yes, I am a property owner, and I realize that my own children will be done with elementary and secondary schools in less than ten years. Still, the future of our nation — and the world — depends on children who are competent, cared for and creative. If our schools are underfunded, more children fall through the cracks. The fewer adults with basic skills, the fewer adults with vocational training or post-secondary education, the lower our productivity in general, the lower our standard of living will be. It is less about

Other measures in my state included whether insurance companies can be held to provide the coverage claimants have paid for, whether prison inmates can work for private companies while incarcerated, and whether funds earmarked for higher education purposes should be invested in more than government funds. A local (county) measure on the ballot would increase the sales tax slightly in order to fund some additional programs to help young people stay out of jail.

Now, voting is a privilege, we are told, but it is a very real responsibility as well. What happens in our nation rests, not solely on the backs of the people who are elected, but also on those who elected them. If we allow less-qualified but better connected people to gain office because we are too lazy to research their positions and work history, then we can only blame ourselves when our government doesn’t function well. We can only blame ourselves as we watch not only our and our children’s future earnings eaten away by taxes for current “projects”… but taxes that now reach into our great-grandchildren’s pockets!

Seven years ago, many people simply didn’t bother to vote in the presidential election… under the mistaken assumption that their votes wouldn’t count. Three years ago, people didn’t vote… Next year, I hope everyone who is eligible will vote.

This year, I did my part, the best I could. I watched the news reports about various topics, read the measures, debated their merits and flaws with Tom and others I trust, and took my time marking my ballot. It took the better part of an evening, and it was worth it.

Importantly for me, I model for my children the value of taking part in this aspect of our citizenship: Voting freely, we make our voices heard.