Making choices is an autumn tradition

Hi neighbors! I don't know why most big decisions need to be made in the fall. Things like insurance company plans. My health insurance plan has to be updated every year by the end of October. Large books are sent out to review. I think it would take more than a month to figure them out. I usually end up keeping the same insurance provider that I already have.

Then there is the decision on what color to paint the house, what television viewing company to go with, whether or not to get a new telephone provider and phone, what treats to buy for Halloween: choices seem endless.

If we make it through October with our logic still intact, we have November waiting for us with plenty of other choices. Voting choices.

While it is true, we mostly only know what people running for office tell us, we can do a little research. First, simply Google their name. Go back at least 10 years and see what they have been doing, who their friends and supporters were and are. Newspaper articles are available online about any time their name was mentioned in print.

If they are already in office, or were in office at any time, you can find out how they felt about national and international issues 10 years ago. Find out how often they appeared for work, and when they didn't show and why. Some government sites show how they voted on various issues.

Certainly, listen to the debates. If you always vote for a particular party, watch who is running for office in that party and find out all you can about them; and the other members of their party they might be working with if elected.

Research what special committees they have served on when in office at any level.

Know what special interest groups have endorsed them, and why.

If the person you vote for gets into office, follow their performance throughout their term. Write down what they promised to do when running for office and see if they had any success attaining those goals. Don't forget, sometimes people meet obstacles they did not anticipate when they made those promises. If they do as you anticipated they would when you voted for them, know that. And if they don't, make sure you remember that before their term expires and they are up for election again.

Communicate with those running for office. Get on their mailing lists before they get elected and remind them you voted for them throughout their term. Most elected officials have a web page for their constituents. On this page they should keep the activities related to their office transparent.

Be a good citizen and vote; but don't vote blindly. Know as much as you can about the work and political history of the candidate. Listen to them and understand where they stand on issues important to you. Most people running for election will have a web site where they state their platform. Go there and print that off to review.

If your candidate of choice is elected, don't feel your job is done. Follow them and know how they are fulfilling their promises to you and other voters. No one gets into a political office in America without people voting for them (or voting for the person who appointed them) into that office.

Until the next time friends remember being a good citizen is not just a privilege: doing it right is also a responsibility. American government can only be sustained by interested, informed and involved citizens. The power of citizenship is a tool, use it or lose it.