Having spent many years working at a university, August always was my “back in the saddle” month, following much appreciated summer season respite. August had that feeling like vacation was over and I had to get back to work (with some excitement and a bit of stress – like our new intern Sophia Caporale writes about in page 12).
In this issue, what is apparent is that the election season is upon us. Washington AP bureau chief Byron Price in 1932, noted “All politics is local.” This quote is often associated with Tip O’Neill, who first used the term in 1935, when he entered politics (and later became the Speaker of the House). I have a disclaimer, or call it a confession, to make. I really don’t like political seasons. I especially don’t care for the political signs on the side of the road and billboards. I don’t like the often-negative campaigns asserting “cherry picked” facts to make the other candidate look “bad.”
However, the reality is that while national political campaigns get lots of media attention, our local elected officials are the ones who will have a direct impact on our lives, in our local communities. Our local politicians are the ones who will make policies, pass budgets, and pass laws that will affect our local community. Local politics are the first line of government and local politics helps shape state and national politics. Accordingly, it is important to be informed and to vote. In addition to the ads contained within these pages, the Tucson League of Women Voters has a great online resource at http://www.lwvgt.org/ At this site, you can download or read online their publication “Guide to Voting in Pima County” and “A “Citizen’s Directory of Elected Officials (revised in May 2018).”
Finally, in closing, we welcome to The Vail Voice team, Cienega High Senior Sophia Caporale. Sophia looks forward to a career in journalism and will be attending Pima Community College with a major in Media Journalism.
