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Opinion An Independent Attitude League gives guidance in election On Feb. 18, the League of Women Voters of Amarillo hosted a candidates forum at the meeting room at Sunset Center.
The event was well-attended, with about 150 people present to hear candidates make their pitches. I know some of those in the head count included candidates' families and the politically active in local government, and that point is important because it reflects that no one runs for office alone. No one does much without the support of family and friends. So to those candidates there, whether I agree with you or not, I say a personal thank you for showing up and giving voters the information you thought would help them vote for you. The room could have accommodated a larger audience, and it would have been nice to see a bigger turnout. This was also a great way to interact with the candidates before and after the formal presentations. And while I am patting those in the audience on the back for being present and giving up part of their evening to learn what they could about the candidates, the biggest heroine/hero, in all this is the League of Women Voters. This nonpartisan group staged the event, ran it professionally and, in this way and other ways, provides an under-recognized service to the American electorate. The League was founded in 1920 and calls itself — rightfully so, I believe — "strictly nonpartisan" because it takes no position on any candidate, for or against. But it is a political organization, to be sure, because it recognizes that in the United States public policy decisions are political decisions. The key to the way the League conducts its business is in its mission statement, "The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political organization, encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy." It is a grassroots organization with outposts in every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Hong Kong. And, while it retains its traditional name, it certainly isn't restricted to women. Men are welcome to join and work for the common good the League promotes. And another common good, something about which local voters should be aware, is the primary election Voters Guide, a small tabloid — make that easy-to-handle-and-read publication — published by the League of Women Voters of Texas Education Fund. Frankly, the information in this is more in-depth than the presentations at forums — and more telling in some ways. The in-depth information is found in the answers to the questions the League posed to candidates. And while some answers were limited to as few as 50 words, the guide offers plenty of insight. For example, presidential hopefuls Sens. Hillary Clinton, John McCain and Barack Obama and Rep. Ron Paul thought the League's questions were important enough to answer. And each did so. Not so Sen. John Cornyn, who faces re-election this fall. The incumbent junior senator from Texas faces a strange challenge in the GOP primary from one Larry Kilgore, who calls for Texas to secede from what he calls the "U.S. Empire." And on the Democratic side, Gene Kelly, Richard Noriega, Ray McMurrey and Rhett Smith are seeking the nomination to run against Cornyn. My personal view is that if Cornyn can't be bothered to answer questions from the League, people shouldn't bother to vote for him. And that would hold for any other candidate with an opponent. Neither Rep. Mac Thornberry nor Roger Waun answered questions, nor did state Sen. Kel Seliger, for example, but each lacks a primary opponent. The wealth of information in the Voters Guide goes far beyond the candidates. It covers government structure, voting eligibility and location of polling places. The guide is available on the Web (at www.lwvtexas.org) and throughout the city. Here is a noninclusive list of places to pick up the guide: All branches of the Amarillo Public Library, the Amarillo College library, union and west campus; West Texas A&M University student union and library, Potter County Courthouse, Randall County Annex and Courthouse, Wesley Community Center, Black Historical Culture Center, the Amarillo and Hispanic chambers of commerce, all YMCA locations and the Amarillo and Hilltop senior citizens associations. This is a watershed election. Please inform yourself. And vote. George Schwarz: Editor and publisher of the Amarillo Independent. george@amarilloindy.com E-mail
comments about this story Posted: February 28, 2008
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