Editor's Voice: If we told you who to vote for, would you listen?

Published Date Written by Jim Lewis

One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics, insisted the Greek philosopher Plato, is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.

So we trust that you will exercise your right to vote in the primary election on Tuesday, May 21. Several hotly debated decisions by Middletown Borough’s elected officials that have sparked an interest in local politics – and a crowded field of candidates for borough council and mayor.

Who is best suited to serve? We could offer our opinion by endorsing the candidates we think are the most capable of leading Middletown during the next four years, but we doubt that’s the most effective way of telling you what each candidate stands for – their ideas, their goals. That’s why we published a Voters’ Guide in our May 8 edition for the upcoming election, and asked candidates to answer questions about their ambitions. You can see what they stand for, in their own words.

Besides, who votes for candidates in any election based on the endorsement of a newspaper? Some popular papers, like the Wall Street Journal, have avoided the exercise. No matter how eloquent the endorsement, you will head to the polls having decided who you think are the best candidates. Showing you what each candidate stands for, instead of telling you who we think is the best choice, serves the community so much better.

We hope we’ve helped you gain the information you need to make good choices.

Go and vote on Election Day. You get the government you want. Tuesday is the day the community reveals what that is.