Yes, all those yard signs are speaking to you

The last couple of weeks, I’ve been driving a lot through the North Country, most recently navigating the long Route 3 drive from Tupper Lake to Watertown.

Everywhere you turn, there are lawn signs trumpeting various contests in next Tuesday’s election.

This is one of those “off season” elections.  There are no state or national races on the ballot.  This one is all about our back yards, our neighbors, our communities.

But that doesn’t make this trip to the voting booth any less important.  On the contrary.

Voters turning out on Tuesday will shape their local leadership at a time when towns, counties and school districts are making seminal decisions and tackling out-sized budget deficits.

Town supervisors chosen next week could decide whether the Horace Nye nursing home in Elizabethtown remains a county-run service.

The Watertown mayor’s race could decide whether that city joins in the effort to push for an I-98 rooftop highway project.

Elections in Plattsburgh could shape the future of the bus system and other programs.

The good news in all this is that so many of these seats and public offices are being contested.  There’s nothing more dreary than seeing politicians returned for another term without any challenge.

Elections are ways for the public to learn about the issues, and an opportunity for leaders to lay out their best ideas.

We’re seeing a lot of that this year.  Many of the debates have been feisty, spirited and substantive.  That’s a hopeful sign for our towns, a sign that people really care.

With less than a week to go before election day, take a couple of hours this week to educate yourself about the races in your community.

Then, on Tuesday, get out and cast your ballot.  Another truth is that these local races often see low turnout, so your voice and your choice could have a big influence on the outcome.

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10 Comments on “Yes, all those yard signs are speaking to you”

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  1. Pete Klein says:

    Signs, signs, everywhere a sign, do this, do that, so said Joe Walsh.
    And if you vote because of a sign, you shouldn’t vote.

  2. rockydog says:

    Firstly a correction. Pete that is not Joe Walsh.
    Secondly Tupper Lake elections also have much importance. The local Chamber (Foxmen’s henchmen) are looking to control a few positions at the village and town level to assure anything the developer asks for he gets. Also the only Mayoral candidate will push and push for the PILOT program that will result in pushing and taxing folks out of the area. The few in the community annointed to “lead” are only acting in their own self interest. The community needs to take off the blinders. It also doesn’t help that one of the biggest proponents of the project also suffers from severe tunnel vision. The publisher of the Free Press weekly spreads misinformation. It’s yellow journalism at its best.

  3. Pete Klein says:

    Correction accepted. It was the Five Man Electrical Band from Canada.

  4. It's Still All Bush's Fault says:

    The number of candidates in the local elections that are running unopposed is disgraceful. There seems to be no shortage of complaints, but it would seem that many aren’t willing to step out and become part of the solution.

    Based on the current climate around budgets and taxes, I would think that more people would be looking to OCCUPY the local boards.

  5. Dave says:

    rockdog: good observation on the Tupper Lake elections. I noticed the town will now be paying the Review Board members $50/month because they will be working so hard on the ACR project review. What a joke. We all know they are going to rubber stamp anything the developer asks of them, how hard can that be? The publisher of the Tupper Lake Foxman Press is beyond contempt in his campaign of mis information surrounding the ACR, especially the details of the PILOT. If it goes as proposed you will see all existing Town taxpayers burden increase while the rich folks in their McMansions will not even pay their fair share of taxes. It is really embarassing watching all the candidates trip over themselves as they try to outdo each other in support of the ACR. And it’s obvious from their positions they don’t really understand any of the important details surrounding the financing and the effect it could have on the local taxpayers.

  6. dbw says:

    Rocky Dog and Dave, you got it right. I spent most of the ’70’s in Vermont, and ACR type of development will benefit a few locals, but most will be turned into second class citizens in their own backyard, with becoming property taxes and real estate values unaffordable for most year round residents.

  7. If Clapton is God, Warren Haynes is Jesus says:

    “Firstly a correction. Pete that is not Joe Walsh.”

    “Correction accepted. It was the Five Man Electrical Band from Canada”

    And later rerecorded and released by the hard rock band “Tesla” in the mid 80’s……

  8. Pete Klein says:

    Always good tripping back the music of the 60’s and 70’s and as Joe Walsh did sing, “Life’s been good to me – so far.”
    Speaking of all the “unopposed,” maybe what is needed is a requirement that a candidate receive at least 51% of the possible vote. Personally, I never vote for anyone running unopposed because I don’t want them to think or act like they won by a landslide.

  9. knuckleheadedliberal says:

    Joe Walsh? I guess it’s true about the 70’s; if you remember it (correctly), you weren’t there.

  10. Pete Klein says:

    Knuck, hell, I remember the 50’s. What was great about the 50’s was AM radio and real disc jockeys. Back then when radio played the Top 10 and Top 40, you could listen to one station and hear everything from Frank Sinatra to Elvis Presley.
    In Detroit, my favorite disc jockey was Tom Clay. In New York it was Murray the K.

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