This week I counted up the number of inches of news stories and number of inches in advertising we have run in your Clarksdale Press Register since I got here in May.
It totaled more than 1,400 inches of detailed information in news and advertising about the men and women who will soon become the leaders of Coahoma County.
We hope you have been reading your newspaper.
We hope you don’t just listen to the guy down the street or the latest gossip at church.
We hope you are informed on what these candidates stand for, how they are going to spend your hard-earned tax dollars and where they plan to take Coahoma County - and you - over the next four years.
If you don’t know who you are going to vote for by now, well, it was once said that people get the government they deserve.
This newspaper has worked hard in three short months to see that Coahoma County gets the best.
Political Power
I have met very few local politicians who are in it for the money.
Most have big egos and toss their hat in the ring for the power they think they will command once they get elected.
Yes, some of the jobs at the Courthouse pay close to six figures, with Chancery and Circuit Clerks across the state capped at $95,000 but Coahoma County Supervisors make much less than half that number.
I’ve always felt those who are in it for the money learn quickly that shoveling work and pay for services to friends is how they line their pockets. Thankfully there are no secrets in a small town and most are caught at some point.
And for some who are running for a $30,000-a-year county supervisor post, well, it’s the best job they’ll ever hold. These candidates are usually spotted early and communities have a way of weeding them out.
No, it is the political elite who run the show and who love the power and influence in city and county government.
Sincere Servants
Not everyone who runs for political office does it for the wrong reason.
What was it Henry Kissinger once said . . . “It’s 90-percent of the politicians who give the other 10-percent a bad name!”
There are men and women in Clarksdale and Coahoma County who have a servant heart and work hard to move this city and county forward.
I’ve learned in more than 25 years of watching local officials that the good ones are usually good businessmen with a family name that they work hard to protect.
They answer the phone when you call and stop and listen to your concern when you catch them at the grocery store.
You went to school with them, buy and sell with them and know their momma, daddy, wife and children. They are your neighbors and the people you worship with.
They are people you can trust with your vote, your tax dollars and the future of your community.
The Talk is Over
Your Clarksdale Press Register has had its say and we’re proud of what we’ve written, the ads we have sold and our role in this important process.
The candidates have had their say and, as you well know, not all of it has been nice or truthful.
But Tuesday, Aug. 6, you’ll have your say. Please go to the polls and tell us what you think.
Floyd Ingram is Editor of your Clarksdale Press Register. Please call him with your political news and views at 627-2201.
