Voter Right to be Informed

In the November 23, 2007 Aledo, TX, local newspaper, The Community News, editor Randy Keck chastised the voters for the November 6 defeat of a bond proposal by the Aledo Independent School District. Randy goes to lengths to make the point voters should inform themselves on the issues or not vote.

Education is important and should be funded. When the voter is being asked to approve the issue of bond and in effect going into debt then the voters should be informed. It is not the responsibility of the voter, when he hears vague references to a bond proposal, to search out the details. If the AISD is asking for money from people who would rather keep their money then it is up to the school district to do the explaining.

I consider myself better informed that most voters through media research and a network of politically active friends and associates. When a bond issue is proposed it should be assumed that those who are asking for money will make an attempt to convince the voters that it is necessary. After the run-up to the election, the voting, and the complaining afterwards there is still no concrete information available about the purpose of these funds. What I hear from the voters is “I didn’t know what it was for but it would raise my taxes so I voted against it.”

Keck also pointed out the large number who voted against the bond but didn’t vote for any of the school board candidates. Again the reason was the lack of information. What we hear out there, “I didn’t know any of those people so I didn’t vote for anyone.”

The fault is not with the voter.