I sincerely hope that I’m preaching to the choir here but on the off chance that I’m not, I can’t miss the opportunity to encourage you to vote tomorrow, Tuesday, November 2. Polls are open from 7 AM to 8 PM. Or, if you’re voting by mail, be sure that your ballot is returned to your county courthouse by 8 PM on November 2.
2021 is what’s call an off-year election in Pennsylvania. That’s because there are no big marquee elections like for governor or senator or president. These are mostly local, municipal, and judicial contests. But in some ways, that makes them even more important. It’s local government that operates closest to our daily lives where decisions are made that affect our quality of life. Think garbage collection and recycling, zoning, parks and recreation, conservation, education of our children, road safety, delivering clean water, permitting landfills and industries. In so many ways, these votes are very directly votes for our environment.
Be sure you know who you’re voting for and what they stand for. Because of Pennsylvania’s idiotic rule that candidates can cross-file for school boards, you may not know which party the school board candidate most closely aligns with. Contact your local political party and ask them who the “real” Democrats are on the ballot.
Because sadly, if you’re voting on the basis of environmental issues, there aren’t many Republicans out there who support environmental protection. There are a few, but it’s hard to find them.
The other thing to check out is who’s supporting which candidates. In my township, the Republican slate for township council has a PAC behind them that’s powered by contributions from the local landfill owner. Not surprisingly, some of those incumbent candidates have been less than diligent in overseeing the landfill.
If you haven’t made your choice yet, ask your neighbors or the members of environmental groups you belong to. Check out recent articles in The Morning Call, Lehigh Valley Live, Saucon Source, WLVR, all of which have covered election issues surrounding PAC support, election controversies and candidate statements.
Or you can use my fool-proof method - drive past the candidate’s house and see how many SUVs or pick-up trucks are parked in the driveway or whether there’s a sign on the lawn warning you to keep off because it’s just been sprayed with chemicals. That’s a pretty good hint!