Vote Tuesday for all the right reasons

As Greene County residents head to the polls Tuesday, let us not forget there are many important races on the ballot that may have a greater influence on our daily lives than the race for president.

Whether you are a Democrat or Republican this year's Primary Election begs for our attention and for each of us to exercise our Constitutional right to make our voice heard at the ballot box.

While the Democrat presidential race is getting all of the media attention and big bucks, we probably need to make sure we also scrutinize our local candidates and make sure we elect the right people to make Greene County and the state of Indiana better places to live, work and raise our families.

Local voters will be picking their party nominees for Superior Court Judge, a couple county commissioners, three county council members, a county treasurer, county surveyor, county precinct committeemen, delegates to the political party conventions, Indiana governor, state representatives and state senators.

We will also be picking a variety of school board members in four of our five local school districts.

Again, these are all very important positions, that directly affect our tax dollars, our roads, our children, the safety and security of our county and our overall way of life.

The party reps in each race will square off in the November General Election

Voters are making important decisions in these local races.

These are the real reasons all of us should line up at the polls and cast our ballots.

I'm not saying the race for U.S. president is not important, because it is.

Actually, it's very cool that the Hoosier State is getting all of this extra media exposure by virtue of this very close Democrat Party battle for the White House. Indiana is making a difference in this year's election -- something we very seldom do in a presidential race.

But let's not let the presidential race overshadow the many other local races that are on the ballot. The people we select are our representative and it's important we have the right people in those positions that are running for the right reasons.

Democrat presidential contenders Barack Obama and Hilary Clinton have been shaking a lot of hands, making a lot of promises and courting Hoosier voters almost non-stop in the last several weeks.

Republican nominee John McCain will be doing the same thing as the fall election draws near.

I wonder if any of these three candidates will remember how to get to Indiana when the polls close in November?

I wonder how many of these three presidential candidates will take the time to really listen to what the Hoosier voters are saying and put that voice to action with legislation that really matters to voters in Greene County, Indiana?

All three are currently U.S. Senators and have the ability to introduce the legislative promises they are making out on the road.

Have they done what they are telling us they are going to do if we elect them as our president and commander in chief?

Have their actions in Washington D.C. told us more about them than the promises they are making to us in their slick high-priced media commercials and advertisements?

Remember to get out and vote.

But don't let the 'big' race overshadow the local races which really matter to all of us.

The polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.