Signs of fall election time

Published 12:38 am Friday, October 3, 2008

As you all probably know election campaigns are in full force and the local list of candidates is off and running. Signs are starting to appear on every street corner, right of way and flowerbed between Snoqualmie Falls and Seattle East.

The signs themselves give us an idea of who the candidate might be. David Cook has signs throughout North Bend. His signs are impressive, nice looking, attention getting. I wonder how long those wire sign holders are going to last in a North Bend windstorm. You know, they make signs out of a corrugated plastic these days, making the signs light. Light enough to fly down Main Street and out of town.

I noticed a sign of Gil Tumey’s the other day as well. They are good-looking signs but I have to be honest Gil, the signs make me feel like it’s an out-of-town candidate. Maybe they are too flashy or maybe it will take me awhile to get used to the name Tumey on the ballot. Maybe it’s a reminder of a high-school classmate who shared your same first name and was notorious for the occasional shoulder slug.

Other than a few signs for Terry Sorenson, the selection is limited. Terry, your signs look good and I am impressed with the sandwich board idea, though I think there is an ordinance against sandwich boards on public property in Snoqualmie. But sign ordinances go right out the window when an election is at hand.

Christopher Cain has a few signs around town. He is running for port commissioner so his signs are thought to be a little less important than a local sign. Don’t be surprised if some local candidates strategically place their signs in front of Christopher’s. Ken Hearing has a few signs up as well. They are down-to-earth signs, not easy to see when only one is up, but there are quite a few of them around town.

It would be good to own a local sign shop during an election season. Signs have to be printed and with so many candidates running, business must be good. I’ll have to call my friend Sue at Issaquah Signs or Jim at Alpine Trophy and see how much a sign costs.

But the game faces are on and we have an election. After so many years of lethargic campaigning, isn’t it great to get things heated up a bit? It would be good to ask tough questions of the candidates and see who can represent the largest group of constituents. Those running who have a one- or two-item agenda will quickly become the ones who forget to read their council packets prior to the council meetings.

But it’s also great to see so many people take an interest in public service and community involvement. I usually equate a small list of candidates to some level of contentment by the voting public. Based on my own unscientific calculation, there must be some concerned people out there who are not exactly happy with the way things are going. I applaud those getting involved because to really fix something, the belief that one needs to be involved in the process holds true.

And when you are elected, you get the opportunity to attend many meetings with supporters and nay-sayers. You also get to make tough decisions on budget items with limited resources and to endure the wrath of an occasional editorial.

The two council members being elected in November will have lasting impacts on their respective cities for years to come. Let’s take the vote seriously and put people in office who can best represent the interest of their constituents.

But back to those signs … maybe we should start a Snoqualmie Valley port commission so I can run for office? Of course, many of you are likely saying something like Snoqualmie Valley pork commission or using some other food comparison when thinking about my ability to serve as an elected official. Maybe I’m better off launching fodder at those elected.