Former Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill once said "all politics are local."
Those issues that hit closest to home are the issues voters care about the most, or do they?
There are many rights granted to us by the Constitution, but the right mentioned most often is the right to vote.
Unfortunately, there are many who take this almost sacred right for granted and don't exercise their right to vote even when the impact is "local" and has a very real impact on the quality of life in their community.
Probably no governmental unit is closer to voters than local school districts. School board meetings are open to the public and are one of the few places residents can voice their opinions, be heard and be involved.
For example, have you ever seen a person stand up during a meeting of Congress or our state Legislature and ask to have his voice heard?
This just doesn't happen.
But, it does happen at school board meetings.
Unfortunately, most people overlook the importance of their local school board elections. Over the past three school board elections, only 2.3 percent of registered voters have cast ballots. In 2011, only 228 voters out of 11,716 registered voters went to the ballot box.
That's only a 1.9 percent turnout.
Why is this important?
It has been well established that having a school district with a long-term superintendent and a stable school board will produce better academic gains for students.
It is just common sense that political instability will have a major impact on everyone in an organization.
Over the years I have seen people run for school board to establish a foothold to run for higher office. I have seen people run for school board to gain revenge on school employees they feel have wronged them.
I once knew a school board candidate who ran to fire a football coach who didn't advocate strongly enough for her son to gain all-league honors. I have seen school districts plunged into political chaos after a school board election where the electorate wasn't paying attention to the candidates.
Our children deserve better. They deserve every voice being heard and people who have their best interests at heart voting.
On Sept. 16, the Fayetteville School District will have a School Board election in Zone 5. I encourage every registered voter to carefully examine the qualifications and motivations of the candidates, then vote their conscience, but vote.
Education in Fayetteville is too important, our children are too important, to allow only 2 percent of registered voters to make a decision that impacts all of our community.
Franklin Roosevelt once said "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."
On Sept. 16, vote for our children.
Commentary on 07/31/2014