Why Do We elect Judges?
How Did We Judge Them?
There went the judges. They were all over the ballot last Tuesday – Pennsylvania Supreme Court (one seat), Superior Court (four seats), Commonwealth Court (two seats), Court of Common Pleas (in Montco, seven races). Then there are the “retentions” (one for Superior Court and one for Commonwealth Court; the ballot for local judges varies, depending on your county). Picking judges is a pretty ho-hum affair, but not this year, when two juvenile court justices in Luzerne County put the workings of the judiciary on trial. Yet voter turnout was still barely visible at 20 percent statewide. Why? The problem goes way beyond an apathetic electorate.
Remember Luzerne County: Vote on Tuesday
The drawing card for Tuesday's 09 Primary - to the extent that there is one - is the judicial races. Seats at every level of the Pennsylvania court system are on the ballot as well as borough and township officers and school board posts. Some countywide positions are also up, but in Montgomery County only the Jury Commissioners get decided on. (Stifle those yawns.)
Come out and vote, and remind friends and family. In this off-off-year election, it just might send a message (see below). Not showing up definitely does.
Vote on Tuesday (Gritting Your Teeth: Optional)
Vote on Tuesday (Gritting Your Teeth: Optional)
So you're going to vote in the May 09 Primary. You're one of those stalwart citizens who's going to go out and do her part, and so what if the candidates aren't headliners this time around. Government isn't about glamour; it's about taking care of the daily grind of the people's business. Will it be done ethically, intelligently and responsibly, or not?
