The Times News
This past month, students in my American government classes investigated which political party they and their parents belonged to. For some, it was model boredom; for others it was interesting, and still others were filled with hope and excitement, especially for the upcoming presidential race.
As the days progressed and as they grow increasingly aware of the imminent '08 election, one of my students asked, "Is that what the signs are for?"
I gave an unfettered, automatic response: "No."
"Well then," she retorted, "what exactly are they for?"
My mind jogged for a moment. How do you explain just how important the office of County Commissioner is to a 15-year-old? So I gave it a shot.
"The two gentlemen are Democrats," I said, "running for office against two Republicans for a total of three seats. The three commissioners combine to act like a three-headed president of Carbon County."
Her face looked back at me, confused, bedazzled, and her gaze a bit more jowled than normal.
"We'll talk about this later on as the class progresses," I said, and quickly dismissed the issue and moved on with class.
"We'll talk about this later on as the class progresses," I said, and quickly dismissed the issue and moved on with class.
But isn't this what we always do with local elections? In our hearts we continually emphasize how important these local elections are but our words and our votes never follow.
It should be treated differently this year. Here's why:
Carbon County's Commissioners are going to play a pivotal role in the county's future. Long gone are the days of coal miners and factory workers, and as the county's vocation morphs into a service economy and an epicenter for lower-priced housing for commuters of the Lehigh Valley, it will be up to our Commissioners' leadership to plot a course that elevates our county onto the same scale as our neighbors to the south (Lehigh and Northampton) and Northeast (Monroe) rather than taking a step back into regression.
November 6th will be more than just a commissioners' vote. Every school district will see a dramatic shift in their respective school boards, and some have more importance than the "big race" next November.
For example, Palmerton's new school board will have some difficult concerns to face, such as hiring a new Superintendent as well as dealing with an expired teacher's contract. Panther Valley's school board will welcome a new school, but not many will envy their task of budgeting effectively to offset these new costs. And all school boards across the county will be responsible for the discussions over the planned, multi-million dollar renovation of the Carbon County Technical Institute.
In addition, there are always other races. Jim Thorpe's borough council will be a heated race, where some incumbents may be ousted in favor of new faces, seeking change for some of the tourist town's concerns. And of course there are always the unglamorous-yet-crucial positions such as controller (the County's chief financial officer), recorder of deeds (the person-in-charge of documents central), coroner, sheriff, and treasurer, not to mention the additions to our State Supreme and Superior Courts.
Which leads me back to asking, "How do you clarify this to a 15-year-old???"
You vote. You take them with you as you vote. And you explain to them how millions of Americans laid their souls down for this simple and undemanding task that many of us shrug off until it's time to elect our next president.
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