Have you been paying attention? Your vote counts here

Written by John J. Ryan
Monday, 02 November 2009 09:46

The leaves are falling and lawn signs are littering the landscape. The newspapers are delighted to be getting some extra, short-lived advertising revenue, and the letters to the editor section is out of control. The annual autumnal election rite is upon us, and have you paid much attention this year ?

Not only did the editor of this distinguished publication entreat the readers last week to become better informed and more involved in the local election process, even The Advocate over the weekend reminded us that turnout in local elections is frankly horrible. Why aren’t you paying attention?

“Voting is a civic sacrament.” — Theodore M. Hesburgh

After too many years of being involved in the governmental process, I admit I am still bewildered by the phenomena of high percentages of involvement in Presidential elections, like last year, and galloping apathy in local municipal elections. It is not uncommon that turnout is 90 percent for the former, but 35 or 40 percent for the latter in our environs, and it doesn’t make sense.

It is commendable, of course, that we all find national issues fascinating and worthy of our attention, but why is it that our involvement in our own community is less than optimal? Why are voters incapable of figuring out that with a much smaller pool of voters in the local races, they have a much greater proportional effect on the outcome of policy than an election with many millions of votes?

“Nobody will ever deprive the American people of the right to vote except the American people themselves, and the only way they could do this is by not voting.” — Franklin Delano Roosevelt

I have to confess to amusement when someone tells me that they “vote in the important elections” — as if some elections are unimportant. As some of the hundreds of millions of people in the world who cannot vote at all, if they would like to be a participant in any election! And one of the most frightening statistics is the percentage of folks (even in “highly educated communities” as in lower Fairfield County) who could not identify their mayor or first selectman when asked.

It is not like this decision-making process is difficult. In your local races, it is not at all difficult to meet the candidates in person, listen to them in person (or on Ch. 79 or on Cablevision) or ask your neighbors. And the truth is, it is probably easier to get some comprehension of the important town issues, than, for instance, what to do about health care, or how to handle Iran’s nuclear ambitions!

“Impress upon children the truth that exercise of the elective franchise is a social duty of as solemn a nature as man can be called to perform." —Daniel Webster

If no other factors persuade you to get involved, look at it this way: local government (like state government) is a lot of work, there are lots of meetings and events, and the pay is not exactly rewarding; and then there is the pleasure of knowing that a constituent or two predictably will criticize anything and everything that is done, and the motives for doing it, no matter how preposterous or outrageous the criticism. So if there are well qualified, motivated and experienced folks in our community who are willing to step up and take a shot at it, don’t you at least owe them the courtesy of some support?

“If the World Series runs until Election Day, the networks will run the first one-half inning and project the winner.” —Lindsey Nelson

And if nothing else, you have the fun of making up your own mind about who looks sincere, who knows what they are talking about, and who has a real track record of results and not rhetoric, without the media talking heads babbling month after month about every new trend or polling result in the overly long campaign.

Of course, if you value the input of respected and admired figures in our state, you will note on other pages of this edition that our governor was actually in Darien last week; I commend the story and her comments to you!

So get out there on Tuesday, and do the right thing. It is not that complicated, or time-consuming and there is not much excuse for not showing up. You can be part of the process or part of the problem.

John J. Ryan is of counsel to the Darien law firm Tibbetts, Keating & Butler, and served 14 years as Darien and Rowayton’s state representative.