Civic Duty in a Corrupt Place

Well, off to vote I went today, though I'm not really sure why. You can spare me the flag waving and the trite sayings about what a privilege it is, how it's our American duty to hit the polls, and all that. My party here offers nothing new that's worth getting excited about. After all this valley and county have been through in the past few years in terms of corruption and big names going to prison I'm filled with disgust at the whole process and more jaded than ever about politics in general.

I voted for two person among a cast of mostly unknown and unsavory characters - a guy I went to college with, and the relative of a person with whom I work and whom I respect.

I voted against the incumbent mayor who has the warm personality of a malignant tumor and an arrogance such as I can't remember in any other mayor we've had since I started voting. He has to have his name painted on just about every piece of equipment the city owns, and how is that expense justified? Everybody here already knows who the mayor is, and nobody from outside the area cares. I find it humorous that a neighbor (who just happens to work for the city) has a re-election sign for this guy in front of his house, but has the mayor's failed run for the Pennsylvania senate signs cut up and used as garden trim.

I voted against the single incumbent name I recognized as running for the school board. We've had more than one school director in prison lately for taking bribes in return for jobs and favors.

I saw not a single campaign in which anybody promised anything worth my vote, but I voted anyway. Civic duty? Patriotism? I don't know why I went out, but I did. So count me in as somebody who has the right to moan and groan and bellyache when the winners go into the general election and then, perhaps, public office to give us nothing more than the same, sorry junk we've been fed for years, all over again. I did my part. I can't wait to see them do theirs!