We Probably Need To Do A Better Job Of Reminding Folks To Vote
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Hill Country Living
By Coulter Fussell
Before Tuesday, I thought that if Kevin Costner ever stood in a corn field in Water Valley he’d certainly hear the famous inspirational voice in the wind whisper, “If you build it, they will come!” But after reading the results of the Tourism Tax vote last week, I guess he’d more likely hear some guy holler across the field from the front seat of his truck parked on the highway, “Don’t build it, buddy! Nobody’s coming.” And then the truck guy would drive off to eat at Country Catfish in Oakland and pay their two percent Tourism Tax.
I don’t want to harp on all the reasons this fundraising method for our parks is sustainable in the long run, a fair and transparent way to collect specific city funds, a financial burden spread so thin as to be barely detectable for the taxpayer/consumer and an investment in the betterment of our town’s present and future. I won’t harp on the fact that, despite there actually being legit tourists here all the time that some of y’all might not notice, nobody here actually thinks we are an Oxford-level hotbed of tourism now and that the tax is named after its goal, not the current status; much like how you might name a school academic initiative something like “The Straight-A Initiative” as opposed to the “Lots of C-Students Initiative.”
I also won’t harp on the fact that just because I don’t personally utilize a certain aspect of our town’s infrastructure – like, in my case, handicapped ramps or the benches on Main Street –doesn’t mean it’s not important to other citizens, my loved ones or even potentially beneficial to me in a future I haven’t considered yet. In fact, without usable parks the likelihood of my needing handicapped ramps and benches to rest my legs rises exponentially!
What I will harp on is voting. And not in a fussing-at-you way, because I very well might have forgotten if I weren’t always looking for things to write about in this column. I have a written list of dates for things around town in the Notes app on my phone for this reason, and I know not everyone has a pressing and recurring reason to make such a list. Unless you’re into voting.
Here is the way to stay on top of when to vote: read the Herald. Upcoming elections are always the main headline right on top of the front page. So, when you see that headline, take out your phone right then and there and put the voting day down on your calendar. Set an alarm.
Signs around town letting everyone know it’s voting day would be really helpful. This is how I was informed of all my own child’s high school baseball games last year – by driving down Main Street on a random errand and seeing the sandwich board in the intersection. A significant amount of Water Valley information is visually and effectively communicated at that three-way stop. Let’s add Voting Day to the list.
Lastly, thank you to the poll workers! Y’all had a long, slow day. The town needs to go out and vote just to keep y’all entertained for 12 hours so you don’t resort to rolling in the TV and having a Kevin Costner movie marathon.
