Thursday, November 9, 2000
Surprise, your vote does count
With the presidential election at a dead heat and the state of Florida still in limbo, Americans can see more than ever how much every vote does ultimately count. This applies not only to the national election, but to local elections as well.
It is crucial that we take the time to understand the role of the individual in the scheme of democracy constructed by the founding members of our nation.
It is easy to get lost in the political shuffle and believe that one vote can't possibly make a difference. Going into the booth and pulling the lever might seem like it doesn't have an impact on the outcome, but this election demonstrates the significance of every voice.
With the hasty announcement by CNN and consequently other networks regarding a Gore victory in Florida, the country has been hanging on for an announcement that may take days in coming. As of Wednesday afternoon, Bush's margin of victory in the home state of his brother, Governor Jeb Bush, had been estimated at a mere 1,500 votes.
A record number of absentee ballots in Florida, close to a million at last estimate, account for the discrepancy in the state's electoral vote. There hasn't been a race so close in decades, and hopefully the excitement generated by the realization that every vote counts will not wear off in the next four years.
Roses to the many residents and property owners in the town of Springfield who attended the public hearing Monday about site plan review. It is encouraging to see so many people interested enough in the future of their community to take the time to express their opinions. It is ironic, however, that as the town edges toward the adoption of a basic land use regulation, a developer arrives on scene with a plan which should be subject to review, but may slide in just ahead of the law.
Roses to longtime Cooperstown basketball coach and Math teacher Dick White, who will be awarded the sixth annual Patrick C. Fetterman Award at a luncheon at the Otesaga Thursday.
White imparted important life lessons during his tenure at Cooperstown, not to mention over 400 victories. He said he always wanted to be fair above all else, and that he hoped all of his players felt being a member of the team was worthwhile.
We can't imagine many feel differently, and most probably feel indebted to White for having a positive impact on their lives.
Roses to Cooperstown High school senior Steve Carlson, who ran what he described as the race of his life last Saturday to qualify for the cross country state championship meet for the second consecutive year.
Carlson is just the second boys runner in school history to make states twice, following John Sheffield, a three-time state champion in the early 1960's.
e was John Sheffield, who was a three-time state champion. On the girls side, Liza Gray qualified two straight years in the late 1980's.
Thursday, November 2, 2000
End the apathy
To be writing an editorial about voter apathy the week before the presidential election is not a surprise. What is surprising is the apathy local residents have displayed about their future with lackluster attendance at the first two GEIS workshops.
The number of people who don't vote is staggering. According to the recently formed Rural Voter Challenge, voter participation in Otsego County presidential elections has dropped 30 percent since 1960.
Voter turnout must be improved. People who mistakenly believe they are making a statement by not voting are guilty of wrong thinking.
The Rural Voter Challenge is correct in saying that rural America is losing its voice by poor voter turnout. This country once had a "farm vote" and it was important enough that farm issues recieved plenty of attention in Washington and state capitals. Nowadays with less three percent of the population feeding the remainder, the farm vote has all but disappeared. No longer are politicians worried about that important block of votes because it has lost much of its voice and many issues that are important to farm families and economies can now be glossed over.
Just like rural America is in danger of losing its voice by not going to the polls, the residents of this area are in danger of not having a voice in their future through their failure to participate in the series of GEIS workshops which began last week.
In Cooperstown last Thursday evening only nine people attended the workshop. We would have expected to see that many elected and appointed officials from village government, but only the mayor and trustee Stephen Mahlum were there.
On Saturday in Fly Creek things improved slightly - 15 people people were on hand.
In both cases, the turnout represented less than one-half of one percent of the population.
The third workshop in this first series will be held in Middlefield on Thursday, Nov. 2, at 7 p.m. in the town hall.
With all the uproar in the past year and a half about how the quality of life in the village and surrounding area was being diminished by development and tourism, it seemed fair to expect consultant Nan Stolzenberg would be playing to a full house when she stepped up to the podium.
But that was not the case.
If everyone who had written a letter to the editor in the last year about the quality of life had attended, the turnout would have been much greater.
Otsego town supervisor Bill Gates may be right. People's eyes do have a tendency to glaze over when they hear "GEIS" and "scoping session." The problem is, now is the time to be paying attention.
The study will document current conditions, identify any environmentally sensitive locations, examine the agricultural industry and development patterns and trends, and understand the area's infrastructure and economic climate. It will also examine the capacity of the area for future growth and development.
"Once completed, the GEIS will offer a wealth of information that each municipality can use in making local decisions relating to land use, roads, and other related topics," Stolzenberg said.
The GEIS will be used to guide the future of the area and depending on what it says, and your point of view, you may consider yourself haunted or blessed by it.
Whether you agree with conducting the GEIS or how it is being paid for by anonymous donors does not matter at this juncture - what matters is that the process is moving forward and when completed it will pointed to as a compass for the future.
Residents have a chance to participate in the creation of a consensus or shared vision for the area's future. Many communities never have the opportunity to stop and see where they stand now and look into the future and see where they want to be and how to get there.
It does not matter if you are pro-development and want to throw the doors wide open, or if you are convinced there are already fair too many visitors and are in favor of a erecting fence around the area, your points of view should be expressed and taken into account in this process.
Yes, there are other meetings and participation may improve as time goes on, but most likely a year from now we will have the GEIS in hand and those who have ignored the chance to be heard will out in the cold.
We again urge residents to become part of the process.
Or, in other words, speak now or forever hold your peace.