Giving Thanks

I think I’ll take a vacation from blogging for a day or two…as I’ll be on the radio pretty much nonstop this “holiday” weekend! (ahem)

So, now’s a good time to express my gratitude for all the blessings I have. For starters, I have been blessed with good health. In over 26 years, I have missed a total of two days of work for being sick-and have never spent a night in a hospital. I am grateful for that.

For my beautiful wife Peggy, who is the rock in our family. She is a terrific mother, a loving and PATIENT wife-and my best friend. For my three incredible children-John, Christina and Kevin—I am SO lucky to be your Dad…and I am so unbelievably proud of your accomplishments and mostly the people you are. I could not ask for more.

For my mother, who is an inspiration to me and to our entire family. A severe stroke victim who lost her leg, her ability to speak and the use of one side of her body-she nonetheless is more concerned about others than she is about herself. She is my hero.

To my sister Claire, her husband Walt and her wonderful family-Teresa, Colleen and Natalie-I don’t deserve to have such a terrific sister who is-and always has been there for me.

I simply cannot make mother-in-law jokes….WHY?… because Peggy’s mom is an incredible woman-who is responsible for introducing me to her lovely daughter. Her husband Dick, who despite being an Orioles fan (nobody’s perfect) is a joy to have around. Peggy’s siblings and their families, Kathy & Steve, Matt & Lindsey, Bob & Sara, Katie & John and Judy & Dancer—and all the aunts, uncles, cousins and kids….we have a loving tribe!

I am grateful to be employed in a business I love, working for a company that has treated me well-with colleagues, my WHOM & WJBQ DJs and staff who are the absolute BEST-I love you all-, lastly, for all the WHOM listeners who have made my life special through their support over the years, punctuated with this, our 50th Anniversary year.

Have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving!

Spending Is Patriotic....Right?

Well, we’re just a couple of days away from the “official” start of the holiday shopping season. Everywhere, you hear the dire predictions of spending cutbacks that translate to sluggish retail sales.

Generally, there are now three classes of shoppers:

1) Those who will not be affected at all (read CEO’s, trust fund babies, etc.)
2) Those who will be affected out of necessity…they have lost their jobs, their hours are cut back or if they own a business, they are losing money.
3) Those who are affected out of FEAR of losing their jobs. Many of these people have lost real dough in the stock market, but it was the 401K that took a hit—for many, the outlook for a secure retirement took a punch to the gut.

Most people fall into category #3…..with gas and heating oil prices plummeting, those who are still employed are enjoying MORE disposable income, not less. However, it is thought that they too will cut back spending…out of FEAR.

A crisis of confidence is fueling the behavior that fails to ring up sales. Economic experts say that we as a nation have lived FAR beyond our means for years, financing our flat screen TVs, our electronic gadgets and other toys with the so-called “equity” we had built up in our homes. When those home values dropped, the squeeze was on. As a nation, we have the one of the lowest savings percentages of any civilized country. For many, it is debt, credit card debt-growing without an end in sight, evidenced by the number of personal bankruptcies being filed.

If there is a trick, it is simply this: Regardless of your income, determine your monthly living expenses—and include only necessities….HBO is NOT a necessity. After that figure, add in a reasonable amount to sock away. 10% is great, but not everyone can do that much. The idea is to “pay yourself first”. I would have always suggested the stock market—maybe not now, but this is a good time to buy—if only you knew WHAT to buy. Seems everything is a bargain, but then again, some of these companies (like GM for instance) may not be around this time next year.

After the needed expenses and some savings, if there is anything left over—GO FOR IT! Spend away—or start paying down the credit card debt! Eliminating this consumer debt should actually come before saving, since the interest on a credit card is at least 18%--and the best money markets are paying about 4%.

Then…if you have dough left, go out and help stimulate the economy! We need to hit the RESET button, come to our senses—and then do our part to keep businesses BUSY!

Christmas Music, Take Two

Thanks to everyone who responded to my blog Friday (read the one BELOW this one) and to my on-air comments regarding the reasons for the switch before Thanksgiving.

It was nice to see that so many people actually LIKE the change early. I had heard mostly from very angry people who felt it was “commercializing” the holiday (huh?). Some were non-Christians who felt left out. I can sympathize with this thought, but remember that MANY of the so-called “Christmas songs” are really HOLIDAY tunes. “Frosty the Snowman” is pretty non-denominational, as are “Jingle Bells”, “Sleigh Ride”, “It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year”—and the list runs into the hundreds.

To those who ask for more Hanukah songs, I say…if they are around, help me find them! Over 80% of the so-called Christmas music is marginal, so we are pretty selective with that. As for Jewish holiday songs-or any other faith, Kwanza, etc…I have yet to find any hits (save for one by Adam Sandler, which we don’t play for reasons of good taste). This reminds me that there are not any viable “Thanksgiving” songs either. A lot of the vitriol has been directed at us for somehow ignoring Thanksgiving. I think it safe to say the word “holiday” is inclusive of the Thanksgiving holiday as well-and many of the songs are really seasonal in nature-rather than holiday-specific.

I am frankly surprised at the venom being spewed by people who claim to be reasonable, intelligent and self-described lovable people who revere the holiday season.

To them I say….CHILL OUT!

Life is too short. There are so many important things facing us right now. I cherish our listeners-and the reason for the switch is to please the vast majority who, by their measured behavior from past years (ratings) approve of the All-Christmas format by listening to it in droves. For those who disagree, you have the choice of listening to another station-or turning off the radio. I respect that choice and if you feel this way, I do want to know about it. Again, here is my e-mail address:

Tim.moore@citcomm.com

I DO want to hear your input/feedback, but PLEASE, try to refrain from crude language, threats and over inflating what is, at the end of the day…….MUSIC ON A RADIO STATION!

Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays!

Rushin' The Season?

94.9 WHOM flipped to our “All Christmas Music” format around 8:30am this morning, prompting the phones to meltdown and my e-mail to heat up!

Obviously, the biggest question is….WHY SO EARLY!!!!?????

This was said in a variety of ways, some of which were….how shall we say…laced with profanity? And a “Merry Christmas” to you too!

To answer the question, I must preface with a couple of facts:

1) 94.9 WHOM was not the first station in the Portland market to go all-holiday music this year.
2) Stations in Boston (2), Providence (2) and MANY other markets around the country went all-Christmas weeks ago. Some flipped the day after Halloween (I’m not kidding)

So, that said, the logical question is still…..WHY SO EARLY!!!!????

To be perfectly honest, it is for competitive reasons. Just like all media, all radio stations compete with each other for listeners. The simple fact is that All-Christmas stations see their audience levels SOAR when they flip to All-Santa all the time. Whether you or I like it or even understand it, that reality is a simple fact.

People who complain all say to me---“But EVERYONE I know agrees with me and they HATE it this early!!” Hey, I get it—and I might even tend to agree with you….but my job as Program Director of 94.9 WHOM (yep, I’m the guy to blame) is to sustain, maintain and grow the audience of the station. Knowing what Christmas music does to the ratings makes the decision of WHAT to do easy. WHEN to do it?

Well, if I had my druthers, I would likely wait until the traditional day after Thanksgiving. However, once a competitor or multiple competitors make the switch, the decision of WHEN is automatically made. Why?

Well, if my competitor gets a week (or more) head start , then my going all-holiday will likely fail from an audience-growth perspective. Again, enough historical evidence out there to confirm that stubborn Program Directors who stuck to their guns and REFUSED to make the switch early (and thus giving another station or stations a big headstart) usually got their heads handed to them when the ratings came in.

So there you have it. That’s the reason.

94.9 WHOM is the #1 Station in Northern New England (Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont combined) The margin grows even wider during the all-Christmas music format. We are committed to our audience (who in numbers that continue to astound us love this music) and to our advertisers, who keep us in business by supporting 94.9 WHOM as we deliver their messages to a quarter million people every week

Of course, there is another reason THIS year…and that one is the economic news of late. With all the crazy financial stories out there, there are a lot of people who want to remember better times-and the Christmas/Holiday music (we use both terms interchangeably) makes them feel good-perhaps at a time when songs that bring back good memories are a comfort to our listeners.

Whenever we do anything, we get feedback—and I welcome it even when it’s not flattering. Most e-mail and voicemail tend to be critical…satisfied customers rarely voice their content-it’s usually the other way around. Even so, the feedback today has NOT been completely negative! There were many people who thanked us for going Xmas this morning.

While I know that we can’t please everyone, we do try our best to delight as many people as we can! We really held our breath that first year ( 5 years ago!), wondering if our commitment to all holiday music would drive the audience away. When the results came in, we were stunned-and pleased at the huge audience growth. The appeal of the music to the vast majority was beyond indisputable.

That said, if you are among those disappointed by our early “flip”, my apologies. I fully understand your feelings-and whatever listening decisions you make as a result. I still welcome your input—either as a comment to this blog below…or direct to my e-mail:

Tim.moore@citcomm.com

Have a safe and happy holiday season!

Are You Ready For The Cold?

This morning was the first of the season where I really woke up and said…”Whoa!!!”

The house was cold.

Yes, storm windows are in and the cost of heating oil is down, but I am still stingy with the thermostat….that is, until this morning.

Getting out of bed is tough enough…then scrambling across the room to crank the heat! Give me SOMETHING!!! Shivering is not the way to start the day…..

The electric heat kicks in as I turn the dial as far as it will go! I can almost hear the electric meter outside spinning like a top! Once the chill is knocked off, I return to my normal morning routine.

Ah, this is just the beginning….not a lick of snow yet and I’m already looking forward to Spring! My golf clubs are stubbornly refusing to leave my trunk. I may need to use force.

Oh well….no one is holding a gun to my head-I could head south…to say….York Beach? New England is where it’s at….maybe we’ll get lucky this winter….what do you think?

Dustin Pedroia--An MVP For Our Times!

You don’t have to be a baseball fan to appreciate the accomplishment of Red Sox Second baseman Dustin Pedroia. He was, as baseball aficionados know, selected as the American League Most Valuable Player yesterday!

Why is this impressive? I mean, someone wins EVERY year, right? Well….yeah, but it’s not every year that the winner is a former Portland Sea Dog (let alone a Red Sox player-as the last one was over a decade ago) Another Portland alumnus, Kevin Youkilis was one of the runners-up!

What makes Dustin’s accomplishment noteworthy is the complete lack of advance notice that he would even be a regular starter in the big leagues, let alone the Rookie Of The Year last season—and MVP this year!

He is one of the smallest players in the Major Leagues. He is one of the slowest on the basepaths. When he swings a bat, he almost goes to one knee to summon up that extra power that someone of his small physical frame needs. He was only given a second look by scouts because he has quick reflexes for an infield position-and he had a competitive spirit that impressed the coaches.

With the list of his “can’t do this, can’t do that”, he surprised a lot of people by being named the starting second baseman for the Sox last season. Terry Francona and company hung with him through an early season hitting slump—despite fan and media protests that Alex Cora be given the job.

To put it mildly, the patience paid off.

Dustin’s glove was never an issue, as he made impossible plays look routine. What shocked everyone was his prowess at the plate. He became a threat to get on base EVERY time he went to bat—and his batting average, combined with his infield play made him a slam-dunk choice (if you’ll pardon the basketball metaphor) to become Rookie Of The Year.

Few believed his second season could be as good—but after homering in his first at-bat in the World Series in 2007, perhaps anything was possible. A few points away from the AL batting title, nearly impossible to strike out and continued stellar play on defense earned him the MVP honors this year.

For parents of kids who are labeled as “too small”or “too slow” to play, Dustin Pedroia is the one guy you can point to-and say…”look, he did it---and so can you!”

As the saying goes, “it’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog”—or in this case, Sea Dog. Dustin has talent to be sure, but above all, he has HEART…and you can’t measure that by any yardstick.

It makes itself apparent in the way a player approaches and plays the game—Dustin, you are the best! Congratulations!

Working Harder...OR Working SMARTER?

If there is a truism out there, it is this:

EVERYONE has more on their plate than they did a year ago…or for that matter, a MONTH ago.

Corporate downsizing and layoffs-combined with the extra efforts that all companies are making to increase revenue have resulted in an increased “in-box” for those still fortunate to have a job. Those glancing at the now-empty seats of those who used to be their colleagues are not complaining (at least not out loud) about their increased workload, grateful that they still draw a paycheck.

With a busy day BEFORE the increase, the trick is to then somehow manage the extra load without completely losing your mind. Because your coworkers are likewise “piled on” may actually be a blessing—each of you understands that the survivors are in the “same boat”.

How do you accomplish all the tasks on your “to-do” list? Well, part of it is prioritizing your work. There may be things that you USED to do that simply need to go undone. Using the old 80-20 rule---that 80% of your relevant results come from just 20% of your activities should help guide you. Part of that lesser 80 may be best left undone-if they come at the expense of more important issues. I would have suggested you delegate these tasks to other people….but most of those people are now GONE>

Here’s what I do—and not only does it appear to be fairly efficient—it is a GREAT stress reliever. Keep in mind that much of the internal stress comes from trying to remember things that you need to do. Eliminate that stress by jotting stuff down…which happens to be my first commandment!

RULE NUMBER ONE: Write EVERYTHING down. Before scheduling, make an exhaustive list of everything that you need to do in the next 24 hours, without regard to its importance or priority. Refer to your daytimer/calendar and transfer everything to a list.

RULE NUMBER TWO: Schedule those duties with an eye towards priority and another towards efficiency. For instance, the most important task you may have could be a phone call—and while time management experts say—“Do First Things First”, that particular task may be impractical if you arrive at work at 7am. So, instead, from 7am until 9am or so, schedule the “busywork” that every job has—doing it at a time when the phone won’t ring and people won’t interrupt.

I use a “linear” clock, where each hour is a horizontal line-on it, I list the numbered tasks from my daily list. That way, you look at ONLY the tasks for that hour. FOCUS is important—and it’s amazing how much you can accomplish with this method. I have my day planned out so specifically that if you give me ANY hour in the day, I can tell you EXACTLY what I have planned.

RULE NUMBER THREE: You WILL be interrupted. You WILL have daily emergencies that throw your schedule off. How do you deal with it? Simply move the items in whatever time period you were delayed into a later time in the day. At the end of the day, you will have a number of tasks that were NOT done. Simply transfer these to your NEXT day. As the system works, you will discover that you instinctively delay those tasks that are either NOT URGENT or long-term projects that need work over time. The one pitfall is to be diligent that the latter don’t get passed off day to day without action on your part. The process of having to physically write it down each day will keep it forefront in your mind!

Hope the above tips that work for me—will work for you too! Let me know—and of course, feel free to share tips that work for you!

Fun With Your Finances

It’s starting to get redundant on the ‘ol Tim Moore blog, but it seems that just about all conversation these days leads to the ECONOMY, the RECESSION, the JOB MARKET and other fun topics.

My wife and I went to see our Financial Advisor this morning. He’s a pretty smart fellow and was able to give us a lot of insight on the progression of BAD STUFF that led to the “Perfect Storm” were are facing right now.

The stock market is down. The bond market is down. So, with our meager “portfolio” getting more meager by the minute, the $64 dollar question (it USED to be a $64,000 question, but it resided in my 401K) is: “OK, what do we do now?”

I think we got some good advice..and a whole lot of reassurance that things will pick up. If you have a financial advisor you trust, it’s a good idea to at least get a reality check. That person may just be your accountant or tax guy/gal, but whoever you trust to navigate you through these troubled waters should be consulted-if for nothing else-to keep you from making a boneheaded move purely out of emotion.

Today, I learned about Stock Market certificates. Basically, it’s an index fund where the principal is protected (unlike stocks)—if the market goes up, you receive interest that is a fraction of that growth (they average about 7-8% historically-not bad!), but if the market goes down, you simply earn 0% interest. With CD’s paying about 3% and Money Markets not much better, a zero or up to 8% upside (with no downside) looks pretty good right now.

Your situation may be a lot different, but it might be a good idea to ask your financial guru about this instrument. Let me know how it works out!

What's The Next BIG Thing?

Everyday, I marvel at the technology we are surrounded by. Things that we tend to take for granted-are amazing! Sometimes, it makes sense to stop and think about how our lives have changed in just the last decade or so.

The Internet- Clearly, this is the biggest change to our daily existence. To think we are a few mouse clicks away from virtually any information staggers the mind. We can shop across the world, meet new people (some of them scary, no doubt!) and educate ourselves on any topic under the sun. It’s hard to imagine that the internet was solely the domain of eggheads in the scientific community just a few short years ago.

The Cell Phone- Being able to talk with anyone around the world, completely unconnected by wires is still incredible to conceive! On that same device, you can take pictures or video and send anywhere in the world. You can send and receive e-mail, text messages, download files or audio/video through the air and store vast amounts of data on a gadget that fits in a shirt pocket!

Google- Obviously related to the internet, it is a phenomenon in and of itself. To be able to type a word or two into this search engine and immediately receive context appropriate website links is nothing short of a miracle! To think that two Stanford University students were able create a company with a market value greater than General Motors in just a few short years is testament to the warp speed at which we are living!

GPS- A device that sits in your car that connects wirelessly to a satellite in outer space that TALKS to you and tells you when and where to turn-all the while displaying an up-to-the-second graphical display of where you are? Right out of the Jetsons!

Back in the 1800’s some brainchild (whose name escapes me now) declared, “I think that everything that could be invented already has!” Guess he was a little off…

Can our minds even conceive of what’s next? It’s exciting to think about what might be around the corner!

A Trip To The Dentist

I went for my six month teeth cleaning this morning-and it struck me how some businesses appear to be recession-proof. I think the dentist is doing OK, as are most of the professionals in the medical field.

After all, since insurance cover 100% of preventative dental care, most people have not cancelled their trips to the dentist. Elective cosmetic work may be a different story. Folks who have to shell out their own bucks may have second thoughts nowadays.

Am I the only one who HATES the gritty “toothpaste” they clean your teeth with? My hygienist is terrific-friendly, knowledgeable and passionate about her job. Best of all, she has a steady hand and never stabs me with those sharp probing tools of hers! Nonetheless, that awful stuff that she polishes my fangs with tastes terrible and there is no way it all gets evacuated with that suction-thing. This, of course, means I have to swallow the damn stuff….which makes me want to gag!

And about that suction thing…..I think I liked it better when we used to turn our heads and spit into the basin. At least that way, we could really get rid of the junk instead of swallowing! Cruising around your mouth with the dental version of a wet/dry vac is a bit weird…and not as effective. I’m sure it is more sanitary, though. How did dentists and their assistants ever survive the germs when I was growing up? Now, it’s gloves on the hands, a smock and protective facegear to keep my propellants from landing on her. It’s all good….just a bit strange, that’s all.

After being admonished for not flossing enough, being loaded up with a brush, floss and rinse, I was sent along my merry way…eager to compromise my newly cleaned teeth with a bagel, cream cheese and hot coffee!

Anything to get that gritty taste out of my mouth!

Veterans Deserve Our Thanks

No one day will begin to cover it, but we are happy to express our gratitude to veterans of all branches of the service by setting aside this holiday to honor those who have served their country.

This morning, 94.9 WHOM teamed with Sudzie Autowash in Scarborough to offer free car washes to veterans, as well as active and reserve military personnel. As I write this, it is just past noon—with another 5 hours to go—and we have been BUSY! Veterans were also given pairs of tickets to a Portland Pirates hockey game (thank you Brian Petrovik and the entire Pirates organization!), free coffee and treats from Tim Horton’s and someone will win a free car detail plus a free wash a month for a year!

It’s always fun to meet our listeners-and we are having a great time meeting you today! Our live broadcast was hosted by GV Rapp-and our Promotions Director Brett Williams was also on hand to “press the flesh!”

Thanks finally to Sudzie Autowash owner John Massengill, who was terrific to work with. John is a huge believer in “giving back” to the community—and it was evident today as John enthusiastically pitched in to help us set up the broadcast and graciously welcomed us and all of the veterans to what I must say is THE most awesome carwash facility I have ever seen!
Thanks also John for joining GV on the broadcast!

Veterans, we salute and honor you today! Without your sacrifices, we would not have the freedoms we currently enjoy!

Life After Bush

Trivia question-quick! Name the last year a Republican was elected President when there WASN’T a “Bush” or “Nixon” on the ticket!

Give up?

It was 1928!

That’s eighty years-and that, “my friends”, is a LONG time!

As we prepare for the Obama era, we also say goodbye to the Bush years. Regardless of your politics, there is a mixed sense of both anticipation and anxiety. Change is tough…and this year, the change is QUANTUM in nature.

Let’s remember that we have endured harder economic times-and more dangerous times as well. Our economy will rebound, our fortunes abroad will be reversed-and good times are just around the corner. It will take both Democrats and Republicans-and a good place to start your own agenda of “change” is to tune out the voices of hate and division that have crept into our media. Not just right wing people like Rush Limbaugh, but Air America and all those other heavily biased talking heads who “major in minor things”.

Can you believe that Sarah Palin is still being criticized for every slip of the tongue? LET IT GO ALREADY!

We have bigger fish to fry! Let’s block out the hate and focus on what unites us-and more importantly, where we want to go as a country. Barack Obama will need to corral to forces within his own party who want to “stick it” to the Republicans—and he’ll also have to reach out to those same Republicans to enlist their help in moving the country forward.

Choosing carefully the rhetoric we expose ourselves to (and could be influenced by) will go a LONG way towards BECOMING the change we seek.

Tightwads Unite! Your Ranks Are Growing Daily

While the economic “crisis” may have passed from the front pages, the troubles continue for many families. Unemployment, underemployment, rising prices and the onset of winter (and the costs of heat) are making everyone take a new look at their finances—and the discretionary things we USED to spend money for-without thinking about it at all.

Grabbing a cup of coffee each day was sort of like breathing for me—I just did it. Stopping by my favorite place and picking up a piping hot java was a daily treat. Now, I save a couple of bucks by going about half as often. When dining, the appetizer may go away—or the dessert (which is just as well)—just to save on the bill. It’s unfortunate that a couple of waitresses I have spoken with say the crunch has shown up in their tips. And I don’t mean fewer dollars because the bill is lower. Instead, fewer dollars because people who used to tip 15% are now doing 10%---or lower. That is just unfair to others who are having the same struggles. We need to keep that in mind!

In our quest to pinch pennies, I think that it’s important to strike a balance between the pain that we can easily withstand, the pain that hurts a little—and those things that really make us happy. So much of the belt-tightening can be done without any perceptible strain on our lifestyle. The next level will cause a little pain, but it is a reminder that we need to sustain a little short-term pain in order to avoid the long-term variety. I think that we still need to celebrate a significant life event with a dinner out. Gifts to loved ones are important, too. We still need to LIVE-and we still need to keep things in perspective.

I’m sure that things looked bleak during the Great Depression—and maybe back then, the view was that we would NEVER recover. Well, we did. We need to realize that while the bottom this time around has not likely been reached yet, it WILL come—and then, too, the REBOUND.

Everything is cyclical…and this too shall pass!

Tighten your belt—don’t SELL it on eBay!

President Obama

Wow.

What a difference a few hours makes, Regardless of whom you voted for, there is no question that history was made last night. The first African-American President was elected by a healthy margin. Yes, change is certainly on the way. No one in this country—or the world for that matter—will ever look at the U.S. the same way again.

It is astonishing to think that a mere 8 years ago, Barack Obama was refused entry to ATTEND the Democratic Convention. He didn’t have credentials to get in. Fast forward to 2008 and there he is, the standard-bearer of the party—and now, President-Elect.

What a country.

Most striking about last night’s speech (and you’ll notice I didn’t call it a “victory” speech) was that at no time did our next President pump his fist or engage in any rhetoric re: the win or the defeat of his opponent. Considering the manner in which he was personally attacked, he would have been entitled to a moment to publicly gloat over the defeat of his rival. But he didn’t. Instead, he was sober and serious and acknowledged that there were millions of Americans who had NOT voted for him. He addressed them, telling them that he wanted to be THEIR President, too.

For his part, Senator McCain was a class act in defeat. In fact, had he spoken DURING the campaign in the mature and wise manner that he did last night, the outcome may have been different.

Barack Obama’s genius is that he SOMEHOW keep race from being a real issue in this race. He transcended ethnic origin to become a uniting force, someone who stood on his ideas and positions rather than the color of his skin.

Perhaps now we can move on. We have shown the world what democracy means: namely, that ANYONE can rise to the top in America—and THIS someone-Barack Obama---has a unique opportunity to transform not only the political landscape, but our national fortunes.

To do so will require compromise, conciliation—and cooperation.

Change is here. Let’s make the most of it!

A Candidate's Place Is NOT In Front Of The Polls

As I proceeded to perform my civic duty this morning by voting, I was faced with the usual “local candidate gauntlet line”.

There they stand, shoulder-to-shoulder, next to their opponent. Candidates for the State Senate, the State House, The City Council, School Board and County Commissioner. Each of them eager to “greet” you as you enter to vote.

What do they think they are doing?

Well, they’re hoping that you still haven’t made up your mind as you are actually going in to cast your ballot. They are hoping that the very act of your seeing their face, shaking their hand or taking their stickers will sway you from whatever choice you were about to make.

If you’re going to the polls without a clue as to whom you will vote for, please do us all a favor and stay HOME. I will admit not knowing all of the candidates or their “stands” for some of the local offices, but I usually leave them blank. I know some folks who simply vote the party line for races they’re not knowledgeable about. Others pick people they personally know, even if that person would punch out Santa Claus. “Yeah, he may be an S.O.B., but at least I could get him on the phone if the city doesn’t plow my street!” One candidate for office in my neighborhood actually had the gall to paste mini-election “vote for me” stickers on Halloween candy that landed in my son’s Trick or Treat bag! Scratch THAT guy from my list!

While candidates are NOT allowed INSIDE the polling place, they are permitted to prowl around outside, shamelessly asking for your “support”.

Please.

While I hope the vast majority are truly concerned about our taxes, our schools or another issue that propels them to seek office, I fear that a great many are merely on an ego-trip, the first step toward a local political career. For those just looking for a feather to place in their proverbial resume’ cap, I say, shame on you! I can sniff out some of you (because it’s THAT obvious)—others are sneakier. Their lack of true purpose will show up in missed votes in session and unreturned calls to constituents.

I think that we as voters get PLENTY of exposure to the candidates, their platforms and their annoying commercials and lawn signs. On Election Day, the only reason a candidate should go to the polls is the same reason we do….to VOTE.

And that’s it!

Almost Time To Stop Talking And Start Voting

After all the debates, the endless TV and radio commercials, the pundits and polls, the Saturday Night live skits and late-night talk shows, it’s almost time to finally stop the endless gab….and get into that voting booth!

Every area will have local candidates to choose from, the state issues, etc….but the BIG one, the Presidential race is getting the lion’s share of attention, of course.

The polls (or should I say, “surveys”) indicate that Barack Obama will win going away. John McCain, often given up for dead (both literally and figuratively) is not new to that position-and so feels that he-and his chances-are very much alive.

Now, finally, it is OUR turn to speak. Now, finally, it is OUR turn to exercise our hard-fought right to vote for the candidates we feel are speaking for us.

Whatever your political persuasion: Democrat, Republican or Independent---make time Tuesday to let your voice be heard. Record turnouts are expected and that’s a good thing.

There’s much on the line….and now, finally…it is OUR time!

VOTE!