Give thought to candidate who gets your vote

Voting begins next week for municipal seats in Clovis and Portales. This election offers us more hope than usual because we have choices.

A lot of choices in some cases.

Clovis has six contested races on the ballot, including five candidates who want to be mayor. Four city commission seats are also contested, as well as the municipal judge’s job.

Portales has a contested race for City Council in Ward B.

Early voting begins Feb. 4. Election Day is March 3.

This newspaper doesn’t endorse candidates, but this editorial page since 1929 has urged voters to consider candidates who favor smaller government, transparent government, and individual responsibility.

Those folks don’t occupy many elected positions, which is one reason our nation is so politically divided — voters are asked to choose between big-government Democrats and big-government Republicans. Both parties have special-interest agendas that require big-money “donations” from taxpayers.

We only have a small voice in those races, but local elections are often decided by fewer than a dozen votes, so we each have a greater opportunity to select community leaders whose values represent our own.

As always, no suggestions for specific candidates will come from this space, but here are some thoughts on the best way to identify candidates who favor smaller government, transparent government, and individual responsibility:

• Listen to candidates’ “promises” and to their plans and evaluate whether those concepts benefit everyone or just special interests.

• Ask candidates how they plan to fund their dream projects. Remember, the only money government has is our money.

• Ask about ideas candidates have for funding our “essential needs” without raising our taxes.

• And what are our “essential needs,” as defined by the candidates?

• Do candidates have any ideas for lowering our taxes? If so, what government services might be lost and could those services be filled by private enterprise?

• Are public records laws on a candidate’s radar? Do they have interest in making government records more accessible to taxpayers? If so, how might that happen?

If nothing else, asking candidates those types of questions will get them thinking about the potential for more effective government that costs less, champions individual liberty and can be trusted.

— David Stevens, publisher