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Tuesday’s election includes key races, issues for electorate

Attention all Mining Journal readers, this is a reminder about how important it is to make an informed decision when going to the polls on Tuesday.

Because this is not considered a major election by many people, more than a few voters will not get out to cast ballots like they would if it were considered a major election like a presidential election.

We’re betting the single largest voting group will come from Mining Journal readers. There is a specific profile for newspaper readers and that is that they are very connected and concerned about the community that they live in.

Journal readers, for the most part, are not apathetic about the community that they live in. They are typically well informed and are more likely to vote than any other demographic group.

You may think your vote doesn’t matter but let us remind you what happens if politicians are not scrutinized properly. We had, in the past, Marquette city commissioners who allowed three employees to receive lifetime health care benefits and none of the three had been employed for more than 10 years by the city of Marquette.

As ludicrous as this sounds, it actually happened.When this happened, it was because of language that was changed in a policy that no one interpreted properly. It was corrected as soon as they realized it, but by then it was too late and Marquette taxpayers are going to pay a bill of well over $1.25 million for lifetime health insurance for these three people.

In the case of the Marquette County Commission, it paid over $6 million dollars in retirement benefits to employees that never met the criteria for a bona fide retirement and, by all definitions, never really retired.

Voting should be more than a popularity contest. It should be done with homework done by voters understanding a candidate’s platform and background and reputation. Mining Journal readers are more likely to have done their homework and certainly are more likely to vote than any other group.

WNMU, Public TV13 hosted a debate among candidates for the 109th State House District, inviting The Mining Journal, TV6 and WNMU Public Radio 90 to participate.

The video of the debate can be seen on the Journal’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fn_jgV-r5co

The Journal also ran profiles on all candidates running for office over the past couple of weeks. We hope our news coverage will help make your voting decision easier.

We do encourage all Mining Journal readers to do their part as the largest block of potential voters to get out and vote for the candidate of your choice.

Being able to vote is a privilege and you need to exercise that privilege on Tuesday.

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