Why Should I Care About Local Politics?

           I know what you're thinking. Superior Court - State Court - these topics are a recipe for some serious eye-glaze. I mean, we never took a class to teach us about these things. Our high school courses in American history and American government taught us about national politics. I think we can all remember learning something about the U.S. Supreme Court. Some of us only remember the words "Supreme" and "Court" and that the two words were combined to mean something very important. None of us like going to court, but the thought of going before the SUPREME court sounds terrifying! After all, it is a court and it is supreme! But do not worry, the majority of us will never do anything in our daily lives that will put us before the U.S. Supreme Court. When we mess up, or when someone else messes us up, it's the state and local courts we have to deal with. Therein lies the importance, if not the excitement, of local politics.


        Yes, these officials are the people who handle all the D.U.I., childhood services, and all the other cases impacting you, your friends, and everyone else in the neighborhood. Even if you are not dragged through the system for committing (or being accused of) any offenses, you are a taxpayer whose dollars - yes, your money- is impacted by the volume of cases court officials (bailiffs and everyone else) have to see. It follows that if any candidates for office in your state and county court system propose a plan to improve court efficiency - this means to reduce the number of speeding ticket and other small offense cases your money has to provide overhead to - it may be worth your while to come out and hear the candidates speak, as I did at the primary debate at the Cherokee County Republican Headquarters in Georgia last night. By the way, since judges are supposed to be non-partisan, the "republican" factor was, for the most part, downplayed.


        When you decide to go to an event like this, take notes, as I did. It is the only way you can keep anything straight because, let's face it, you've never heard of any of these people before. You are trying to form impressions about them while they are flooding you with information about their resume, their upbringing, their values, their reform proposals, and fifteen other things. Fox and CNN do not keep us informed about Mark Shriver and his opponent David Cannon Jr., rivals for a spot on the Superior Court (District 7) responsible for the counties of northwest Georgia. We also never get to hear about Jeff Rusbridge and his opponent for State Court Judge, Michelle Homier. Yet, no matter who wins these races, our lives and the lives of our children will be impacted by the winner of each race.


        How will you know who to vote for? First, you must go to an event and find out who the candidates are otherwise, on election day, you will scroll down your ballot and not recognize the names of anyone after you've made your choice for president and the other famous people. Second, you must take notes because you will soon discover that the candidates have very similar qualifications and some of the same reform proposals. Last night, one proposal that came up repeatedly was for a drug accountability court to be created. Cherokee County is the only Atlanta-metropolitan county without one. I distinctly recall Michelle Homier and Mark Shriver (in different races) voicing their support for a drug accountability court. These candidates believe that such a court would be a better alternative in reducing the number of drug-dependencies, reducing the number of crimes committed because of them, and increasing the number of lives saved in the war on drugs, than by continuing the current custom of simply locking these people up for a period of time without addressing the underlying cause and then releasing them to repeat the same crime and racking up the costs for the public, both human and financial. I am not suggesting Cannon and Rusbridge would not support a drug accountability court. If they said so last night, it didn't make it in my notes.


       With similarities such as this, how will you know who to vote for? As I watched the debates, I noticed a number of differences, many of them minor, but still affecting my vote. However, one difference shot out at me like a laser beam! When the event ended, one candidate, Michelle Homier, came and introduced herself to me. She had no idea who I was. I could have been a journalist, an auto mechanic, or someone from any walk of life. It turned out she was talking to a small-time teacher, but she was unfazed. She and her husband proceeded to chat with me for the next forty-five or so minutes. They openly discussed with me who they are, what they stand for, why Michelle is running. We were still talking in the parking lot after the headquarters was locked and everyone else left. Mrs. Homier and her husband, Tony, made me feel like a valued participant in the civic affairs of my county.  They talked with me as a peer. I detected no condescension or arrogance in their demeanor. The impression I got was that they are running a people-focused campaign, as opposed to a legal-elite, money-focused campaign. This is not to suggest Jeff Rusbridge is any less qualified for State Court Judge - but the fact remains - I didn't get to meet Jeff Rusbridge to learn more about his campaign.


       Face-to-face contact with the voters is powerful in politics. Michelle Homier has this as a strength. Perhaps this is what defines local politics from national politics. Chances are, I will never get to have a forty-five minute conversation with the president of the United States. He may never learn of my existence. But my state and local officials will. They can talk with me and learn about my concerns for the way things are run in my hometown. Never, will you feel more valued as a civic participant than when you recognize and appreciate the importance of local politics.




Jason A.