Viewpoint

“Voters don’t decide issues;they decide who will decide issues.” — George Will

The 2000 elections will have a long-lasting effect on the nation’s future as voters decide who will be president and who will represent them in the House and Senate. In addition, the new president will have the opportunity to appoint Supreme Court judges.

While candidates for president are discussing big picture issues like education, prescription drugs and tax policy, professionals and policymakers in small metropolitan and rural regions are concerned with these and other programs that help or harm their local communities. With a booming economy, it is difficult to get attention for community and economic development programs focusing on distressed areas.

Although a September 26 Census Bureau report trumpeted the lowest overall poverty rate in 20 years (11.8 percent), neither the number of poor nor the poverty rate changed significantly between 1998 and 1999 in nonmetropolitan regions. The poverty rate in rural areas was 14.4 percent in 1998 and 14.3 percent in 1999, compared to 12.3 percent in 1999 in metropolitan areas. Declines in poverty were concentrated in metropolitan areas, particularly cities, according to the report.

With most urban and suburban economies continuing to expand, it is particularly important for those in regions that have not benefited from this growth to make sure their elected representatives are informed and responsive to the needs of all constituents. In the words of former Senator Alan Simpson, “Bad politicians are sent to Washington by good people who don’t vote.”

Rural Americans need to be sure their voices are heard on November 7.

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