Editorial
Check out candidates face to face

Candidates in two out of three contested races will square off tonight at Candidates' Night.

While many voters may choose to stay home and watch the forum from the comfort of their homes, we encourage voters to get off their couches and come on down to city hall.

Candidates' Night is best viewed live. Most of the time candidates are newcomers to the political arena, and it is helpful for them to have a live audience to relate to when giving their presentations. In this case, the candidates are veterans, so an audience is probably less important to them. This year, the big benefit of an audience is to the audience members themselves who will have the opportunity to see the forum close up, and in most cases, talk to the candidates one-on-one before or after the formal presentations.

The South Jetty will publish a rough transcript of Candidates' Night in next week's paper, and that certainly has value. It's something to hold and consider, to read and re-read, and perhaps follow up with questions.

Many voters already have their minds made up, so Candidates' Night might serve to confuse them with facts. And that's the point. How about making a decision based on fact, rather than "street talk" based on rumor, innuendo and incomplete information.

So, whether you watch Candidates' Night in person, on cable television or read about it in the South Jetty, make sure your vote is one based on solid information and not hearsay.

An uneducated vote is a terrible thing to cast, and an educated vote is a terrible thing to waste.

--mhj