Small Town News

Elections new lows

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OF CABBAGES AND KINGS

The last election of the first decade of the 21st century is just six days away.

It appears that considerably more Hays County voters are going to the polls than they did in 2006, when Governor Rick Perry was also at the top of the ticket. The final statistics will fall considerably short of the record turnout two years ago when almost 60,000 stood in long lines to choose a new president.

Joyce Cowan, in my opinion the best Election Administrator in the state, has predicted a turnout in the vicinity of 40,000, about half of our registered voters.

Most polls for the Texas top spot show Governor Perry ahead by about six percentage points, the clear favorite. I won't bet much that he isn't the top vote getter, but I'll put down a buck or two that he will fall short of a majority.

I'll also wager that the Libertarian and Green Party candidates between them will garner at least eight percent of the final tally. If they do, Bill White could just squeeze in to the top spot.

A centrist Democrat in the mold of former governor Dolph Briscoe, White's election would immediately enact a noticeable reduction in the state budget. The hard-pressed taxpayers would realize a tax savings. That would be the $9,000-a-month luxury Austin home that our 10-year incumbent camps in.

That is chicken feed to what he spends traveling all over the world, visiting with his Spanish partners and "working" with folks he says will "invest in Texas." The tab, according to news reports, is past $1 million and still climbing.

Another matter concerning election trends that doesn't pass the smell or taste tests - anonymous e-mails sent out by people who make broad and persistent charges against political candidates without a shred of evidence to back up their allegations. I have been involved in political action in this county for more than 60 years and have witnessed or participated in countless scrapes that sometimes gave neither side any credence. Rugged and sometimes bitter, the confrontations and arguments nearly always were printed and signed and the participants clearly identified.

As a result and generally speaking, most wounds healed and frequently antagonists eventually became civil and sometimes friends.

Today, in too many instances, those unwritten practices have been abandoned. In the new Internet world, anonymity is now the mantra. Too many folk who consider themselves to be honest and straightforward now send out unau-thenticated and reckless accusations.

They are emboldened and secure in the knowledge that they are protected by almost total anonymity. The anonymity encourages the author to proclaim as absolute truths suspicions and beliefs that have little or no factual basis.

Particularly appalling are the accusations that affect innocent family members, particularly children.

I suppose that reckless accusations give the author a sense of power or superiority, but it leaves most normal folks of all political, economic and religious persuasion sick to their stomaches.

The Internet is here to stay - even Luddites like myself acknowledge that fact. But we need to give serious thought to providing some protections and regulations for its operation and use.

Until that is done, it should be "Reader Beware" for all of the unsigned and unauthenticated e-mails dispatched by gutless stirrers of falsehood and innuendo.

Particularly those that relate to politics and religion.

It may be a bit old fashioned, but I also sign this opinion piece with my somewhat squiggly moniker.



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© 2010 The Free Press Buda, Texas. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.

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