Informed Voting Requires Some Work

To the Editor:

Selecting a candidate and/or party requires a little bit of work. There are those who are going to vote a party line regardless of any information presented. Then, there are those who make decisions based on a pet issue. Still others vote based upon friendships and relationships built up over the years. And there are those who evaluate the issues and vote honestly based upon their sense of community need, regardless of party affiliation. Whether you are Republican, Democrat, Independent, or unaffiliated is not important, but that you vote is. Your ability to cast your vote based upon an understanding of the issues and a commitment to doing what is best for the community is paramount.

After reading the multitude of political letters and publications this year, those of you who have not already made up your mind are probably wondering how to evaluate these publications that present diametrically opposing points of view. Some letters are factual, while others are political hype influenced by strong party connections. While it would be nice if only truth were printed, the First Amendment guarantees all shall be heard. Therefore, the separation of fact from fiction/fabrication is left up to the reader and therein lies the problem. Researching which facts are correct and which are not requires more time than many are willing or able to spend. But, with a little bit of work your selections can be practically established.

First, discard all letters that are nasty and/or accusatory. These are a waste of your time and more than likely untrue. Second, reduce this election down to its lowest common denominator: the platforms. Go to each party’s website and review their positions. You will quickly get an idea of the issues that are important to each candidate and party. Third, evaluate which points in a party’s platform that are most important. Fourth, concentrate on which party best represents the issues that are important to you as a voter and to Newtown.

When a party has specific proposals and firm points to communicate they will be spelled out very clearly and easily extracted from their web pages. Reviewing these pages will inform you, not only in what they believe in, but also in what has been omitted. Pay particular attention to that which is not said, because for any administration to be effective they must identify all the issues that impact the welfare and quality of life in the community and communicate that to the public. Each political party has laid out the issues that they feel important in this election. You must compare the depth and breadth of a party’s issues to those that you feel are most important to you and to Newtown. Your vote can make the difference between retaining the status quo and electing an organized, forward-looking, action oriented administration. Remember you get what you vote for, so be sure to vote.

Albert P. Roznicki

IPN Candidate for

Legislative Council, District 1

169 Hanover Road, Newtown                                    October 24, 2009