10 Responses to “Exercise Your Responsibility”

1. Denis Baldwin Says:
   September 14th, 2008 at 9:36 am

   Ever since I could vote, I have voted. Local, State and Federal. That way, when my friends all bitch about what they hate in our government, I get to rub it in their faces that until they take action, their words are useless.

   Thanks for the great post. You summed up exactly how I’ve been feeling.

2. Billy Says:
   September 14th, 2008 at 11:38 am

   Great job, Al. Welcome.

3. Donkeyrock Says:
   September 14th, 2008 at 12:06 pm

   When I get to the polling place and cast my vote, I like to be informed of what I’m voting for. Too many times I’ve gone into the booth and simply guessed at who I would like to have in office.

   I wonder if many other people have the same questions I have.

   I got the sample ballot in the mail… it’s simple, but not all that easy to understand. One side is the Democratic ballot, the other is the Republican ballot, and on the back is the non-partisan ballot.

   Question 1: So does that mean, being a registered Libertarian, that I don’t have a ballot?

   Inside the sample ballot there are a few races to decide. Let’s assume I’m a Democrat and see what I’m offered.

   The first is CONGRESSIONAL - only the following precincts vote in the Congressional District Five primary race: 101, 102, 106, 107, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 120.

   Question 2: How do I know if I can vote for a District Five candidate, or if I’m even in District Five?

   Question 3: Assuming I’m in District Five, how do I know what precinct I’m in?

   Underneath the precinct numbers we have the following: REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS - DISTRICT 5 (Vote for One):
   - Carol Castagnero
   - John Russell
   - H. David “the flag-pole sitter” Werder

   Assuming I’ve answered Questions 2 and 3, now I need to know a couple more things.

   Question 4: What Congressional race am I voting for here? State or Federal?

   Sure, seems simple to figure out, but why should I have to figure it out? Why isn’t it clearly marked that this is a Florida State Congressional race?

   Question 5: Who are these people?

   I need to know who these people are and especially how they stand on the issues. Which leads to a very general but important question:

   Question 6: What are the issues?

   What’s important in Lakeland, Polk County, Florida, the USA? Are any of these issues general interest, specific to a certain region, or are there issues that aren’t being addressed that should be addressed?

   Sure, one could just say, “read the paper,” but that’s not the point. The point is on what issues these people who want to be elected will focus, and if they’re important to me. Which leads to:

   Question 7: What is each person’s platform?

   This will apply to everyone on the ballot, so I’d repeat that question for each and every name. It’s a BIG question. So where do I find out these people’s positions? The last time I went to the supervisor of elections website it turned out to be fairly useless for this question. The Ledger might help — either in print or on the web site — but again, the last time I went to check out candidates on the Ledger site, it wasn’t as helpful as I hoped it would be.

   Under the names of the District 5 candidates there’s the following: Only the following precincts vote in the Congressional District Fifteen primary race: 103, 104, 105, 123, 401, 402, 406.

   So again, I need to know what district and precinct I’m in.

   Stephen Blythe and Paul Rancatore are running for this one. Who are they? Where do they stand? SHould I give a damn?

   Then we come to COUNTY. County Commissioner District 1 Universal Primary Contest.

   Now I need to know what a County Commissioner does, how that job affects me, and the positions of the four candidates. I notice they’re all Republican, too, even though it’s on the Democratic ballot. That could be confusing.

   County Commissioner District 5. Same general questions need to be answered.

   Next is NONPARTISAN. The first in this group is CIRCUIT JUDGE, 10TH CIRCUIT GROUP 19. Do I vote for this office or not? Do I have to find out what judicial circuit I’m in? What are the positions of these two candidates? Is there anything else I need to know about them, like are they under investigation, have they been controversial in their position if there’s an incumbent, are they in private practice and if so are they in good standing? All this involves not only what they say — their campaign promises — but some journalism to see if what they say is the truth.

   Then there’s SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER DISTRICT 4. What does a school board member do? What are these people’s positions? How does what they do affect me?

   Next is PROPERTY APPRAISER. What is an elected Property Appraiser? How will this position affect my life? Are the people running qualified, and what are the qualifications for the office?

   Next is LAKE REGION LAKES MANAGEMENT DISTRICT and a bunch of precincts. I have to know if I’m part of this or not, and if I am, I have to vet the candidates.

   Now we come to PARTY OFFICES. What does that mean?

   Precinct 312 Committeewoman and Precinct 527 Committeewoman. Do I have to vote for this person? By “committeewoman” does this mean that this is a position for women only, or does the wording only reflect the fact that five women — no men — are running for these offices? If I do have to vote for them, what are their positions, etc.?

   Now for the Republican side of the sample ballot. We have the same two Congressional races in the same districts and precincts. However, on this side, there’s a new section called LEGISLATIVE. One is for District 64 and a whole bunch of precincts and the other is for District 79 and only four precincts. This says it’s for STATE LEGISLATURE. Why do the Republicans have a Legislative section while the Democrats don’t? Is it because only Republicans are running for those seats?

   For County Commissioner, the Republican ballot has an extra district to vote for besides Districts 1 and 5, District 3. Again, I wonder why?

   Same NONPARTISAN and same LAKES sections, so the standard “who are these people” applies.

   For the NONPARTISAN sample ballot on the back, there’s the Universal Primary Contest that the Democrat and Republican ballots have, the NONPARTISAN section of the Democrat and Republican sections, and only SEAT 2 for the LAKE REGION LAKES MANAGEMENT DISTRICT section.

   TO conclude, I’d like to vote accurately for candidates I support, but when I don’t know how to find out what they stand for and what their past performance has been, there’s no way I can make an educated choice. I’m sure plenty of people have these same questions, so it would be great if there was a place to put it ALL together and allow me to find out who I’m voting for. The Ledger is the only place that has come close to that, but I still found it lacking in essential information.

   The basics must be addressed: what is my precinct and district, what are the offices and how do they affect me, and who are the candidates, what are their positions, and are they being truthful. Along with mail-in ballots and hopefully internet access to voting sometime soon, this would go a long way to increase voter turnout and make our candidates more representative of the populace.

4. Al Whittle Says:
   September 15th, 2008 at 4:16 pm

   Donnyrock,

   Thank you for bringing all of those points up.

   With 27 years of active military service, a shooting war, and a perfect voting record for 47 years under my belt, I guess I just never realized what a burden it is to be a citizen and to participate in our government.

   I had always thought that the Founders had left a uniquely well designed government based on the innate competence of our people and our collective ability to understand that freedom is never free. Rather, we all have duty to participate and protect these freedoms for ourselves, our neighbors, and future generations.

   Perhaps the bar was set too high for the current generation given the unreasonable burden that you described.

   I can’t help but wonder how the veterans of Valley Forge, Appomattox, Normandy, Bastogne, Inchon, the Ashau Valley, and Fallujah might compare the burdens of casting knowledgeable votes to the costs they paid for us to have the privilege.

   This old soldier’s perspective is: “Roll up your sleeves and be part of the solution – don’t just gripe about the problem!”

   November 4th is far too important to the future of our Nation to be decided by an uniformed minority. Please use the next 50-odd days to get educated on the issues (not the slogans) and vote.

5. Donkeyrock Says:
   September 16th, 2008 at 7:35 am

   Al,

   Donnyrock? C’mon! Addressing someone correctly and respectfully is important to the ebb and flow of conversation.

   Now, Al, please don’t think that yelling “MAN UP!” to the voters will help them make informed decisions. What you wrote was, in essence, a complaint letter about people not voting; nary a solution to be found. I offered one of my opinions on why so few voters turn out to the polls (understanding what they’re voting for), and I could certainly offer more (unprincipled politicians), but your response didn’t offer a solution, either. Calling people lazy and/or stupid is not going to help rejuvenate citizen participation in our democratic republic.

   So, with all your years of voting experience, I’d love to hear how you answered the questions I offered in my response to your letter. I assume you didn’t intuit the information from the ether, so letting others know how you came about being such an informed and dedicated voter might be very informative… and helpful.

6. Al Whittle Says:
   September 16th, 2008 at 12:19 pm

   OK, you’ve returned my sarcasm with a bit of your own.

   The point I’m trying to make is that we can all find excuses for not doing our part to make this great democracy work. Of course there are difficulties (as you described and others) but we each have to work through them and find a comfort level that allows us to participate. To do otherwise forfeits the very system that gives us the freedom to live like we do.

   I didn’t want to get into what could appear to be partisan politics but I think many of the problems you mention are the result of the fact that we’ve forfeited the public’s right to know and make informed decisions to dysfunctional party politics. In addition, the press as well as voters takes the “easy” way out. Some folks have tried to work on solutions to these problems — maybe you have too — instead of using them as a rationale not to participate. Sadly, many of the public interest groups that have served us in the past (League of Women voters, Florida Bipartisan Civic Affairs Group, and others) are suffering from decline in membership as the current members “age out” because the current generation isn’t active in those kinds of things — for a variety of reasons. But all of this results in a reduced level of public participation in a government that belongs to us — and we risk losing that.

   I’m not going to engage in a a discussion of your points. That’s not the issue. The issue is that we citizens need to get our act together if we want to live in a democracy and do our part. That may mean solving the issues that you raised as well as others — but it doesn’t change the underlying need. As I said in the opening sentence of the article: Democracy — use it or lose it.

   Sorry if I offended you.

7. Donkeyrock Says:
   September 16th, 2008 at 1:15 pm

   Al,

   I wasn’t offended, but I appreciate the civil discourse you encourage. Thank you.

   I think the points I brought up are part of the issue, the issue being “why aren’t more people turning up at the polls and voting.” Not knowing who or what you’re voting for is definitely an issue.

   Further, joining with politically active groups and promoting candidates may be declining because we voters don’t know the issues and how we’ll be affected, as well as lack of faith in the politicians for whom we’re voting. If we don’t know how candidates stand, and we don’t trust they’ll keep their word if elected, we voters throw up their hands in exasperation and resignation; why vote if we just get the same results over and over again? It’s the definition of insanity.

   Pointing out that fewer voters are turning out to the polls is important information, and it may spur some people to vote out of shame. However, saying that you’ve voted every time, and therefore so should we, isn’t offering a solution to the problem about which you write.

   Whether it’s dysfunctional party politics or a free press failing to educate the public, lack of voter knowledge or candidates that don’t inspire confidence in their ability to lead, we both (I believe) want the same thing: an informed and active electorate. So do me a favor and just answer this simple question: how do YOU find out about the issues, and how the candidates stand on those issues, so you can responsibly exercise your right to vote? Is there a website? The paper? What, exactly, do you do?

8. Chris K. Says:
   September 16th, 2008 at 9:11 pm

   While voting is our right as citizens, doing so in an informed manner is indeed a privilege. I consider myself fairly well informed– I watch the political talk shows each Sunday, educate myself on the major issues and frequently discuss this subject with my clients– but I am simply too busy to delve as deeply in to the stance of local candidates.

   A bit about myself: I am a 26 year old small business owner. My day begins at 5 am and ends around 8 pm each night. My work is my life and Ive found it difficult to balance this with a social life– let alone thinking about local politics.

   Im not sure whether this defines an apathetic voter, however I feel many working people fall in to my catagory. The benefit of affluence (and retirement) is the opportunity to examine local issues that which truly affect our lives.

   It is a sad consequence when we cannot take time out of the day to look past tomorrow, but the irony is the worse things become, the harder we must work and the less oversight these candidates are given. A vicious cycle to be sure.

9. Al Whittle Says:
   September 17th, 2008 at 7:14 pm

   You know, there’s perhaps a new article here. My issue is the sad state of affairs across the country (but specifically right here at home) where too few people vote. In fact, too few people participate in our democracy in any meaningful way — period. Donkeyrock and Chris K. address the some of the possible reasons that happens – and seek solutions. Perhaps one of you might want to create an article that deals with those issues – seems like a great topic for discussion.

   For my part, I don’t think that casting knowledgeable votes and otherwise participating in our government is an optional event. It’s a nonnegotiable obligation. And, when the majority of us fail to take on those obligations, we begin to slide away from the kind of government that the Founders conceived and that has allowed us to attain our position as the most privileged nation on the face of the earth.

   None of us has the time required to keep up in today’s world. But 18 hour days and overwhelming personal and family obligations are nothing new. The world has certainly gotten more complex over the past couple of decades – but so has our access to information improved in ways we couldn’t have imagined a few years ago.

   While national politics are arguably the most important, local politics frequently most directly affects our daily lives. How much traffic will we contend with? Are my kids’ schools adequate? What is my community quality of life? Example: We suffered the largest local tax increase in history 4 years ago but the crowds that came out to the public debates leading up to the vote were small. After the vote, the backlash was long and loud. But then only 16% turned out to vote on whether to give two of those commissioners a second term. Go figure!

   Now, I will try to respond to the specific question: “how do YOU find out about the issues, and how the candidates stand on those issues, so you can responsibly exercise your right to vote?”

   First, I don’t claim to do it perfectly. Like everyone else, I get surprises all the time. But, I do try to pay attention to the news every day. I do that by watching news programs (both local and nationally oriented as often as I can); reading the local paper and scanning selected other news sources on line; maintaining membership in professional and other organizations that alert me to emerging issues; communicating as necessary with elected officials and their staffs. I even try to listen occasionally to talk shows that I ordinarily don’t agree with (in order to try understand both sides of an issue). Over the years I’ve also built up a network of respected friends and associates who I’m in regular contact with and who help me stay abreast of what’s going on in areas of mutual interest. This need not be as onerous or time consuming as it may appear. And certainly there are plenty of days when none of us can cover the whole waterfront. But, we can stay engaged enough to selectively focus on the issues that are likely to have serious impacts.

   At the end of the day, the claims and counterclaims involved in electioneering leave many (most?) of us wondering where the truth is. In my experience, the more consistently that I can stay engaged and learn from a variety of sources, the more likely it is that I will make good voting decisions.

   Most important of all is critical thought. It’s very easy in our busy busy lives to simply accept what a trusted source presents (news, political party, etc.). But, I frequently find that scratching just a bit beneath the surface debunks a lot of otherwise plausible myths.

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1. Low Voter Turnout? This Is Probably Why at Bydio  September 14th, 2008

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