Editorial: Public must get involved, educated

The Way Forward, Part 6 

Information is power, and government works best when power is vested in the people. To that end, the Enterprise joins other newspapers across America in observing Sunshine Week March 10-16 as we continue to examine the way forward for Clarendon and Donley County.

Sunshine Week typically focuses on the public’s “right to know” with an emphasis on government transparency. But acquiring information is a two-way street. Yes, the information has to be available, but people must also engage themselves in the process and educate themselves about what is happening.

James Madison, the author of the US Constitution, said, “Knowledge will forever govern ignorance, and a people who mean to be their own governors, must arm themselves with the power knowledge gives.”

The former president went on to say that a government of uninformed people “is but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy or perhaps both.”

Is our government a farce or a tragedy in Washington, Austin, or even at City Hall, the school house, or the Courthouse? That’s all a matter of opinion. But if it is, then it is largely the fault of the people for not being more involved in a positive way.

This newspaper, like so many others across this great land, goes to great lengths to try to keep our local voters informed. We attend meetings when no one else bothers to. We pour over minutes of the meetings we miss, and we try to keep tabs on what our elected officials are doing. And then we tell you about it – whether it’s a new ordinance, a water system study, or a discussion about raising your school taxes.

Governments do their part, as well, while working with your local newspaper. Following the rules set down by law, they publish notice of their intent to purchase certain things, undertake certain projects, levy taxes and fees, and to engage in a number of activities. They post notice of their meetings at least three days in advance, and then they hold those meetings in an open session where members of the public are allowed to attend.

At appointed times, the governments must have elections. The newspaper reports on which positions are up, and the government calls for the election during an open meeting and then publishes notice of the election to be held.

Your newspaper serves a vital role in reporting to you the activities of your governments and publishing the notices of the governments while at the same time policing the governments to make sure they follow the rules.

But all of this is for naught if the people fail to participate in the process.

When people disregard the information in front of them and choose instead to trust gossip, hearsay, or social media chatter for their decision making, then we may well be on our way to the farce or tragedy of which Madison warned us.

The problem of course, as your humble editor told a dear friend recently, is that the truth is often boring. The “talk” is scandalous and therefore exciting. But the day-in and day-out activities of local governments are generally humdrum. The typical business of a resolution to name an investment officer or consideration of a bank depository bid is a major snooze fest. But that is part of the process. People complain, for example, about brown water coming out of their tap but then don’t show up when tax rates are discussed or budgets are adopted – the times when funds could actually be dedicated to the problem.

Too often our complacency spills over into election season to such an extent that most local governments call off their elections due to a lack of interest. Howardwick officials a month ago even raised the prospect that the city itself might be dissolved if participation did not pick up.

Fortunately, this year we have several competitive raises, and the people have some real choices to make. Voters in Clarendon and Howardwick and in the Clarendon and Hedley school districts have a responsibility to find out everything they can about the candidates on the ballots. Who are they, what do they want to do, and what is their motive for running? Do they have an ax to grind or do they have the city’s or school’s best interest at heart? Voters must answer those questions for themselves and then go to the ballot boxes armed with knowledge.

Candidates, too, need to educate themselves, attend the meetings of the boards for which they are running, find out how things really work, and be able to bring something constructive to the table if they are elected.

Representative government takes a lot of effort for it to work correctly. The system is participatory – you have to participate for it to work. You have to resolve to get involved, get informed, and get educated; and all of that takes time and energy. But when we all play our parts – when government operates openly, when the newspaper informs the public, and when voters pay attention – then things can move forward in a positive manner and our communities come out as winners.