| At every level of government and politics, an informed | | | | adequately protecting your property. |
| electorate is needed to understand the candidates and | | | | Who cares if because of budget constraints, the |
| issues of their community. That sounds pretty basic | | | | routine maintenance of streets is delayed a year? Until |
| doesn't it? Citizens cannot make informed decisions | | | | because of that neglect, it is your vehicle that sustains |
| before they vote for candidates if they do not know | | | | damage attempting to utilize that street. |
| the individuals running for office. Nor, can they make | | | | If you talk with almost any local government official, |
| informed judgments on issues, if they are not | | | | they all recognize and complain that a lack of |
| knowledgeable on the points of discussion and | | | | communication with the public is a problem. Yet, |
| disagreement. | | | | nobody has an answer to it. Public Notices are printed |
| With that in mind, a very disturbing news article has | | | | in newspapers and nobody reads them. Public |
| been published by USA Today. In that article they | | | | Information Meetings are held on issues of importance |
| report that local TV stations have nearly given up | | | | and nobody attends. Crazy ideas are proposed and |
| covering local political races and issues. It further stated | | | | nobody takes them seriously, until after they are |
| that just 8% of the local evening newscasts in 11 of | | | | implemented. |
| the nation's largest TV markets devoted time to local | | | | This communication problem has no easy solution. It |
| races and issues. | | | | cannot be solved overnight. It will take baby steps by |
| The report which this information comes from was | | | | all concerned to begin to solve the problem. It will take |
| prepared by researchers at the Norman Lear Center | | | | a concerted effort by elected officials, the media and |
| at the University of Southern California's Annenberg | | | | citizens to fight this local government apathy. |
| School for Communications, the University of | | | | The baby step which citizens can take, is to start |
| Wisconsin-Madison and Seton Hall University in New | | | | attending meetings. Just one meeting to start. Take |
| Jersey. | | | | two hours out of your busy schedule to show your |
| When we factor into the equation of voter apathy | | | | interest and concern. Fight the urge to throw up your |
| most people - about 60% - get more of their news | | | | hands in despair and claim there is nothing you can do. |
| from local TV than from any other single source it is | | | | If citizens started to show a little interest in what is |
| no wonder why we find ourselves in the predicament | | | | happening in their neighborhood and city, maybe, just |
| we are in. Local government voter apathy, running | | | | maybe, the local media will notice. After they notice, |
| rampant across the country. | | | | they may decide to start reporting. If they report, |
| We also can add into the equation of voter apathy, | | | | maybe more interest will be generated. |
| that in small town, USA there is no local TV coverage | | | | Or, maybe not. |
| whatsoever, because there is no local TV stations. | | | | But, it might be worth a try? |
| Granted, many issues that local government deal with | | | | Al Arnold fights Local Political Apathy at . Join the |
| seem boring. | | | | movement to attend one meeting a year. Sign up for |
| Who cares about storm water runoff? Until it is your | | | | monthly ezine update on progress of the movement |
| property is that inundated with water because of poor | | | | for citizens to attend one local government meeting a |
| planning or design. | | | | year. |
| Who cares about the condition of the Fire Department | | | | He is also the author of Moving Mountains and Molehills |
| equipment? Until the high cost of replacing that | | | | Local Politics 101, a book that explains how to be |
| equipment, prohibits the Fire Department from | | | | effective in local politics. |