>>Valley Patriot>> |
Accumulating that amount of votes for a guy that runs for office for the first time is an amazing achievement; s much as it is astonishing for Councilor Michael Fielding to have finished in second place. Lawrence is pushing real hard to get ahead, but for the city to achieve the positive changes needed in education, employment and quality of life, we must elect councilors that will work hand in hand as a team with whomever wins the mayoral seat on November 8. That doesn’t mean councilors should become a blank check for the mayor, but neither should they be a constant obstacle. Electing candidates simply by their names or by ethnicity won’t get us anywhere. Electing candidates who come to the voters empty-handed, without specific ideas or viable plans to help the city move forward, is almost a capital sin. We need to vote on issues that affect us all and for those candidates that best address the needs of the community. The at-large race in the upcoming election is as important as the mayoral race. At-large councilors represent the city as a whole. Therefore, they are empowered by the entire community to deal with issues in general while the district councilors will tend to push for the concerns of their specific territories. So, when we go to vote again on November 8, let’s evaluate each candidate on the work he or she has done so far as an incumbent, and the new proposals and feasible ideas the new candidates have to offer. That’s the intelligent vote, a vote that many cynical politicians are afraid of because they depend on uninformed and uneducated constituents to continue sucking the system to their own advantage. Reelecting some of the current councilors won’t do us any good. We do not need more of the same; a change is needed to continue moving forward. But it depends on you, the voter, and your ability to discern which candidates will do a good job and which ones are in it for particular interests. Fortunately,
not all is bad news. The fact that only about 20 percent
of the registered voters came out to vote in the
preliminary election, combined with a tight at-large
race, means the results don’t stand for much
according to political analysts. In fact, the media has
not given much importance to the at-large race this time
around because, frankly, the scale could move either way
in the general election. Finally, all comments aside, I want to wish good luck to everyone who is running for office. No matter the outcome of this election, we ought to be grateful of living in a free, democratic society which allows us to choose our leaders. The electoral process should be looked at as a civil feast, a celebration of freedom and democracy. Angel
Rivera is a candidate for city councilor at-large in
Lawrence. He has been a reporter/political columnist for
Spanish language newspapers for over ten years, and is
also a member of the Democrat City Committee. You can
email him at: angel.rivera36@verizon.net *Send your questions
comments to ValleyPatriot@aol.com |
I have to start by thanking the
1,853 voters who supported my candidacy for councilor
at-large. It really was a tight fight; as close as it can
get. I thank you and you should thank yourselves for
voting consciously for candidates who are interested in
helping the community rather than themselves or their
political allies.