I know that democracy is founded on the idea that there is wisdom in the people suitable for making decisions on government policy. But, my commitment to that idea – always a little tenuous in any case – gets shaken when I read letters to the editor like this one in the Courier Press.
The writer says that she’s a loyal voter and diligently tries to keep up on the issues. But, that property tax cap referendum caught her by surprise.
On Tuesday when I went to the polls, I was somewhat surprised by the property tax caps referendum. I had heard some discussion about this, but never saw anything about it in the Courier & Press.
I am not saying you did not write an article but I was not aware of this and have also spoken to several others that did not know about this either.
Knowing that such votes negate mine can be a little depressing at times.
Out of curiosity, I did a few quick searches on the CP website. There was one good piece on the tax caps, dated October 16, by the CP’s Eric Bradner. “Tax caps” were also obliquely mentioned in a short piece about a county-level debate, but I didn’t see a reference to the amendment. And tax caps were mentioned in a few letters to the editor and an editorial just before the election. But that’s pretty much it. And, while I admit that I don’t read the CP every day like I used to, I didn’t see a sample ballot. They did have a story about a local candidate being left of the Sec of State’s sample ballot.
And it doesn’t surprise me – newspapers just don’t have enough staff to cover actual policy issues, especially those that don’t have organized opposition. It’s relatively easy to put out a story on poll numbers or debates, especially with the flurries of press releases that accompany those events, but substantive coverage of the issues is lacking from virtually all newspapers. (Not that TV stations are much better.)
I’m with you, Doug. Even with knowing nothing about it I assume she voted for it. And if you didn’t know anything about wouldn’t you vote for it based on how it was printed on the ballot? The bold sentence saying do you want to cap property taxes before going to a normal small font that includes the details.
I’m confident the administration wanted to keep the voters uneducated on this topic – which I suppose is their goal with any issue.
In a somewhat related vein, I have posted my own thoughts on mindless straight-ticket voting, which can support unqualified candidates. http://hamiltoncopolitics.blogspot.com/2010/11/knee-jerk-politics.html
The fact is, a lot of voters are lazy, wait until the last second, and depend way too much on TV ads and candidate flyers for their information, rather than do the hard work of digging up real facts about issues and candidates.
Greg,
You have put your finger on it. It is hard to stay informed on issues. When I was in high school, college. law school, and until a couple years ago, I read one or two newspapers a day, read the WSJ, NYT, an a news magazine or two. When I had time, I would watch a national news telecast.
Over the last few years, however, I have noticed the quality of newspapers serverely erode. There are still a few lodestar papers like the WSJ, NYT. But the paper in Albuquerque and the Indy Star have deteriorated.
There are good news sources online. But there is much more junk information and propoganda engines.
Also, I was at a seminar today that examined the attributes of the millenial students 16-25. They trend to be lazy, demanding, have an entitlement mentality, and even many college level millenials lack critical thinking skills. How can a democracy and a vibrant economy flourish without ambition and critical thinking skills.
The free press blesses us with the marketplace of ideas where citizens can analyze the issues and come to rational choices to select their leaders. But when critical thinking skills fade, the marketplace of ideas fast becomes the dispensary of ideas.
So who wants to get rid of straight ticket voting? Illinois did it a number of years ago. I think that its time to get rid of it here in Indiana.
Maybe we should just remove party affiliation from the ballot altogether. If you know who is with which party and want to vote accordingly, more power to you, but no need to include the brand on the ballot. (That will never, ever, ever happen – I understand that.)
Todd, do you have any sense of whether the information in your seminar was different than what’s been said of “kids these days” since probably forever. When has any generation concluded that the next generation is smarter, more industrious, and listens to better music?
Doug,
Well, coming from the Beavis and Butt-Head generation, I would like to think that I am at the low point of human evolution. But perhaps I flatter myself and my gang. Your point is well taken, though. Likely every generation bemoans the fecklesness of its own spawn. Although I suspect the parents of the Civil War and World War II soldiers perhaps rethought things just a bit.
Still, I have heard these comments made in many contexts and many forums. We hear about helicopter parents and their entitlement children.
I do know this, however. Middle-class American culture tends to turn most childhood activities into a Disneyized simulacrum of otherwise kid world activities. Rather than playing outside, throwing rocks into the creek, or pickup games of Home Run Derby, kids live a drive-by childhood of planned activities, parent directed sports teams and nerf rocks thown into inflatable swimming pools.
A few years ago, when I was researching “diversity” issues for workshop content, it was said ( by whom I can’t remember ) that of all the types of diversity, age diversity is the hardest to reconcile in the workplace. Based on my personal experiences, I would say that’s correct.
From what I know about diversity, the best way to get people learn about and overcome differences is to have them work together on joint, meaningful projects. For different ages, the “work together” part is the sticking point.
I saw this gem on another site addressing the same issue of aimless youth.
“The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for
authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place
of exercise. Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their
households. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They
contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties
at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize their teachers.
ATTRIBUTION: Attributed to SOCRATES by Plato, according to William L.Patty and Louise S. Johnson, Personality and Adjustment, p. 277
(1953).”
In South Bend area, there were some radio commercials (in favor) in regard to the proposed const. amendment, for maybe 2 to 3 weeks before the election. The South Bend Tribune’s editorial recommendation was vote against passage.
The writer admitted some knowledge of the issue but did not bother to formulate an analysis earlier. Can you imagine in Calif where there are sometimes a couple dozen proposed amendments to vote on?
Obviously, she likely also knew very little concerning the credentials of the Court of Appeals Judges up for retention. Did intelligently voting or not voting on those retention races also bother her?