In Julie Giordano's government class, there are students who are deeply interested in politics. ...more

January 21, 2009

If you're a political junkie, the last few days have been dazzling. This week promises more of the same. If you are tired of all the hoopla, well, it won't be going away any time soon. As citizens of this country, it's our duty to deal with the long campaigns and do our homework on the candidates we have. Partisan voters don't listen to facts, they just listen to the positives their candidates have and tout all the negatives against opponents. We understand this, but it's discomforting to think that some people are so unwilling to open their minds while making such critical decisions. It seems Americans want to sign up as many people as possible to vote in an election, because the more voices, the better decision. That sounds good - in theory. However, there's an argument to be made that if someone is so out of touch with voting, perhaps he or she doesn't deserve to take part. That's harsh, and controversial, but do we want uninformed people who don't have the initiative to learn about candidates making these critical decisions? Probably not. ...more

August 31, 2008

Forget for a moment — if that's possible — all the presidential candidates offering us the world if we elect them to our country's highest office. Instead consider all the important offices here in Highlands County that will be decided in November. It's enough to get even a mild political junkie excited about who will run and who won't. All constitutional officers are up for re-election this campaign season. That means the sheriff, clerk of courts, tax assessor and tax collector are up for grabs. So is the school superintendent post, as well as county commission seats and school board positions. This is when we see some incredibly talented people take a risk and run for office. ...more

January 3, 2008