EDITORIAL:Finally time for us to vote

The time for talking, yelling and debating is just about over. So, too, is the time for piles of political mailers that are made almost entirely of overly simplified messages that do little to help voters. (That goes at least double for mailers on the various state- wide propositions that are crowding this year’s ballot.)

Tuesday, Nov. 7, is Election Day. After all the money, all the campaigning and all the strategizing, the decision is in the hands of the voters — at least those who have not already sent in their absentee ballots.

The simplest message to send today is this: Vote. Whether via absentee ballot or in person on Tuesday, it is our privilege and our duty as Americans to say which direction we think our community, our state and our country should head. Vote.

In Huntington Beach, the central question of this election has been Measure T, the vote on a senior center in Central Park. As we said last week, the Independent supports Measure T. The time and place seem right for construction of a senior center that will serve the city’s growing older population.

There also is a race for Huntington Beach’s City Council, where four seats — a majority — are up for grabs. The list of candidates is unusually small for Huntington Beach: business owner Joe “Jersey Joe” Carchio; Councilman Gil Coerper; Councilwoman Cathy Green; Councilwoman Jill Hardy; activist Flossie Horgan; business owner Joe Shaw; and Norm “Firecracker” Westwell. With Mayor Dave Sullivan opting out of the race, there will be at least one new member of the council.

Voters, we hope, have had time to digest the mailers and attend debates, and now feel educated enough to vote for the candidates that best mirror their vision of Huntington Beach’s future. If not, there still are several days left to cram for the Tuesday vote.

In the end, it does not take too much effort or too much time. Get out and vote. We all are lucky that we get the chance to do so.

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QUESTION OF THE WEEK

After the election, what issues does the City Council need to address first? Call our Readers Hotline at (714) 966-4691 or send e-mail to [email protected]. Please spell your name and include your hometown and phone number for verification purposes.