EDITORIAL: Ted's take: 'Tis the season to be - political

There are two public hearings coming up you should think strongly about attending if you're a resident of Royal City or Grant County.

The first one, regarding land use, is sponsored by the county. It will be held next Tuesday, Jan. 17, from 3:30-5 p.m. in the Commissioners hearing room at the Grant County Courthouse in Ephrata.

The second hearing, regarding the formation of a Transportation Benefit District, has been scheduled by the Royal City Council. It will be held at city hall on Tuesday, Feb. 7, at 7 p.m.

After the county hearing, commissioners will decide whether to enroll the county in the Voluntary Stewardship Program. That program has to do with the Critical Areas Ordinance for agricultural uses.

If you are not aware of what the Critical Areas Ordinance means, you should be able to at least learn that much at the hearing. You won't be able to say later that no one at the county mentioned it.

I can't tell you whether the Volun?tary Stewardship Program is good or bad. It doesn't matter what I think. It matters what you think, and county commissioners want to know.

Same thing for the TBA the City of Royal City is contemplating. It matters what you think.

The TBA is new, and the worst you can do by attending is learn about it. If you favor it or disfavor it, so much the better for you to attend.

It's important to understand you will have a voice but not a vote in either matter. In both cases, the government entity involved has the power to decide how to go.

There is a story about the TBA elsewhere in this week's edition. Mayor Mike Stark lays out what a TBA is and what it can do for the city. He favors it, but he is of open ears and open mind.

Like so many things in politics, the TBA option makes you think. Your first reaction is likely to be "No new taxes or fees," especially in this economy. Your second may be, "But we need to maintain our streets."

Either way, you should make your point of view heard.

Two issues on which you do have a vote are the operation and maintenance levy elections coming up in February in the Wahluke and Royal School Districts.

My first inclination is to say, don't tax yourselves, for the government already does enough of that. However, not passing levies in these times could be harmful to the schools.

The state, which is responsible for basic education, cut back on education last year and is proposing to do it again this year. If you do the same, it could get tougher than you'd like at your schools.

The best recommendation is for you to do your own investigating over the next few weeks. Go to the schools and learn if too much, or not enough, or just the right amount of money is being spent on education.

Administrators and educators will welcome you with open arms. They'll answer all of your questions, and if they jive you, you'll figure that out.

Normally, you don't get to participate in a lot of political decision-making. This a good season for it. Take advantage.