Beyond the Election

There as been excitement and ballyhoo leading up to the election. Now most of us will turn our attentions elsewhere. But I hope that at least some of us will keep our eyes on what happens with our local government in an ongoing way. If we only raise our concerns at the time of elections, little is likely to happen in terms of change. In general we do not like that our politicians tend to spin idle promises at election time. But this is what they are trained to do by a public that pays little attention except when that attention is directed by the media during the election season.


Communities develop unique cultures around such issues as awareness of public works. Some communities are more aware of the functioning of their local governments and other sectors of the community that impact community life. These more intentional communities tend to have higher rates of voter participation and they also tend to have a much better developed sense of place and sense of community.

It is a goal of this blog to help garner these sensibilities for the Brazos Valley. We consider efforts to increase democratic and informed community based participation to be the heart of creating a progressive community. Toward that end this blog will continue beyond today’s election. While there are likely to be fewer hits, we will take up more of the substance of governing than the personalities of those who govern. I hope that each of you will check in from time to time and especially that you will lend us your perspective.

There are myriad issues to be covered. If there is an area that you are particularly interested in, or knowledgeable about, we would especially appreciate your contribution.

I recently had a long and, at his insistence, private exchange with Robert Borden on the appropriateness of this blog. While the blog at times present news, its primary function is to serve as a public conversation. This is less controlled, less edited and less structured than a newspaper. It is my hope that, in time, this conversation will be less of a monolog. In general blogs require a significant critical mass of traffic before there is much exchange. But traffic is not the only thing that determines participation. Familiarity also plays a part, as does participation itself. There is usually a good deal less resistance to subsequent posting than there is to first posts. And people are more likely to participate themselves if they see others doing so.

So we hope that you will come around and contribute about local issues.

Finally, this blog is about local politics and will remain that way. But we are coming up to the season for more professional politics. Is there interest in a different blog that would allow for local discussions of national issues? Would Democrats and Republicans simply talk past each other in bellicose loyalty? Could we maturely break down larger issues in search of common ground? Would you read? Would you participate?