What makes a community is a good piece of geography, so said the late poet Robert Frost. The residents of Foster City and other cities around the state of California have been richly endowed with a land of beauty, bountiful resources and opportunities.
Our greatness today rests in part on the vision of those who embraced this vast richness. There are forces, currently at work that are disrupting the course that was taken many years ago. As good stewards of this heritage we must take aggressive action against the mounting issues affecting us such as our education system, affordable housing, global warming just to name a few; real issues that our elected officials seem to dodge.
They are spending more time and money on trying to convince us as to who’s to blame for our situation rather than declaring what to do about it. We need to recognize that the power of what happens lies with us. No matter what our party affiliation, the direction of government rests with our vote.
We are witnessing a polarization of government like never before. Next week we have the opportunity to go to the polls and make some very important decisions statewide and locally; decisions on issues and candidates that will have long lasting affects on generations to come.
By your vote, you will provide the policy framework that will support the right direction for our community and state. It is important that we vote for candidates who will do the job for us. The TV ads and news stories have given us such a slant on issues and candidates that we have become frustrated.
Through the media we are being pushed to the far right and far left on issues. We can’t lose sight of trying to shape the future ourselves with a more moderate way of approaching things. Many people are choosing to send a message by not voting. In essence we give up our power and some have the attitude that their voice doesn’t count.
I reflect on the most recent voting that took place in Iraq and what that meant to those people who had never had a voice in their government. Iraqi citizens living here were given the opportunity to cast their vote and help their country. During that process, many Iraqi citizens traveled quite far to be able to cast their vote.
Some of us won’t walk out the door to vote if it’s sprinkling outside. We are taking our rights for granted. Of course what we say on election day should not stop. Election day is a means to an end not an end in itself. I encourage you all to stay involved and remind lawmakers of the needs of the constituency they serve.
Don’t let partisan politics take up the time these lawmakers need to work on real issues. Look past the ridiculous mud slinging and vote for the person who can get the job done by what he/she is qualified for and not because of the party he/she is from.
It’s time we the people take back control over our destiny and not allow special interest groups and narrow-minded party politics set the rules. It’s time to come back to a more centrist way of thinking. Use your power to make changes and set the course for the future. There’s power in numbers and the more people who get out and vote will send a real message to elected officials. The message is…we the people are in charge.
PLEASE GET OUT AND CAST YOUR VOTE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’d like to hear your comments on this and other issues by emailing me at lkoelling@fostercity.org
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