It is time to start paying attention

By Chris Lundstrom

Editor/Publisher 

 In case you live under a rock or are off the grid and haven’t noticed, this is an election year. 

   Debates between presidential-hopefuls have been held (and held, and held.) The news channels on TV are spending countless hours on dissecting each candidate and there is no end in sight.

   The election of a president is a big thing, as it should be. 

   But, there are some important races locally that you should be aware of and take interest in. Don’t get me wrong, whoever is elected President of the United States of America is really important. Really, really important and we should all take time to read,  listen, learn, and do our own fact-checking so we know as much about the candidates as we can. Try to find unbiased sources (good luck with that). If you Google voters guide you should be able to find some pretty good sources. Look at several so you can be sure you get as much information as you can.

   Back to the local election. There are some pretty important races here in Jackson County. Some, which include our state and county positions, will take place in March. Early voting begins in just a few weeks, so time is running out to get the facts.

   The Jackson County Herald-Tribune is hosting a Candidate Forum at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 4. Candidates for local contested races, Tax Assessor/Collector and Pct. 1 Commissioner, will be available to answer questions from the audience.    Individuals seeking the positions of U.S. Congress, State Representative, and District Judge will also be answering questions that evening. You can submit questions the night of the forum or email them to clundstrom@jacksonconews.com.

   However, this is not the only election this spring. Local positions for school board, city council and hospital district directors will be decided in May. Filing for those positions is underway right now. During the recent controversy about the Edna Fire Department, there were a lot of individuals complaining about Edna City Council decisions. Well now is the time to step up and have a say in who represents you. Or better yet, why not sign up to serve? It is easy to fuss and complain, but when push comes to shove, how many of us really will step up and give our time to serve as an unpaid board or council member?

   As citizens of Edna, Jackson County, Texas and the United States of America, we have the responsibility to pay attention to what is going on in our government and who is making the decisions for us. That happens when we show up on election day and cast an educated vote.

   In recent years, most of the elections in Jackson County have had abysmal turn out percentages. Imagine considering 30 percent of the voters as a good turnout. Should we accept 50 percent? Or 75? Seriously, anything less than 100 percent of voter turnout should be considered a failure. 

   You don’t have to serve in the military to serve your country. By casting your educated vote, you ensure that democracy continues as determined by the will of the people. 

   God bless America.