If you don't vote, you lose right to complain

Today, voters in cities around Bonner County are heading into the polls. I hope you are one of them.

There are a lot of important races in the county, from the mayor's races in Sandpoint, Ponderay and Kootenai to council races throughout the county. Add in the Resort City Tax and "booze tax" proposals in the city of Sandpoint, and you have a full slate of ballot questions that will determine where our cities go from here.

The candidates have pledged to work for you — in most cases, for free — and will vote on everything from budgets to planning and zoning issues. That's a pretty wide range of topics and if you want a say in who decides what, than you need to vote.

Polls are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. — that's a 12-hour range in which to participate in the democracy at its most immediate level. Sure, voting for the president is important, but is George W. Bush going to take your phone call or listen patiently while you debate new sidewalks in your neighborhood or whether your neighbor should build a new garage? Probably not.

Mayors and council members will. Regardless of which candidates win, I can guarantee that each and everyone of them cares about their city — just like you do.

You owe it to yourself to vote. Besides, if you don't, you can't complain about who wins, can you?

Caroline Lobsinger is the managing editor of the Daily Bee.