When it comes to making decisions, you usually apply that most wonderful gift called common sense.
The other options fall in the category of a different kind of sense. These would be less, no, and non.
Voters who are informed, usually apply common sense when making their choices based on what they know, what they have observed, read, heard and watched.
Unfortunately, informed voters fall into a respected, but minority, group who apply common sense. Their candidate or issue is not always successful because they remain a minority.
We also have a similar issue when it comes to our elected officials.
How many times have you thought or said, “What is that person thinking?” or “What are those people thinking?”
Since the less informed majority have brought us the elected, the end results are predictable.
This is how elected leaders get in office who possess no common sense or less sense or produce nonsense.
Because the uninformed majority elect our leaders, we do not always end up with leaders possessing a lot of common sense, which, in turn, leads to decisions with no sense.
Politicians are very aware of this reality, being very cautious when it comes to election time. They hire political strategists to carefully analyze voter temperature, knowledge and issues that connect with the voting majority.
These strategists are paid very well for knowing how to “sell” a candidate or issue.
If you read the voter pamphlet, notice the wording on bond issues and all the carefully worded language which describes what this bond tax will attempt to solve. For example: “this bond (gas tax) will help eliminate congestion, repair potholes, widen highways and…(for good measure) will support veterans and crippled children.”
While this may appear to be a bit embellished, similar language and tactics have been used in nearly every election. Which may help us understand why California has more than $80 billion in bond debt or about $2,000 per resident.
What we can’t figure out is why our roads and highways are still in disrepair and remain under built?
Somewhere in there is a lot of tax money missing the application of common sense.
While the El Camino was finally repaved by the State (which they own), it has been on the drawing board and overdue for decades.
While we have a marginal impact on State’s decisions, we have a powerful impact on City elections. It is here we can get it right and that is the most sensible thing to do.