Tuesday night brought a wave of change across the Commonwealth and across the country. Americans re-elected President Barack Obama at the federal level and at the state and local level, Murray voters sent Republicans Kenny Imes and Stan Humphries to Frankfort, along with numerous city councillors to city hall.
We might not have agreed on how to solve the nation’s problems, or our state or city’s problems – that’s why we have elections and that’s what democracy is all about. We can disagree without being disagreeable, and now is the time to start working together to build our community, our Commonwealth and our country.
In the city of Murray, we expect to be heard and represented as students and as city residents. Students should keep a close eye on the decisions of the city council insofar as it concerns Murray State.
We have seen what happens when we don’t – as those of us who now display a city sticker on our cars know all too well.
Nevertheless, we wish our councillors well and hope, going forward, a stronger dialogue can develop between the city government and the students of Murray State. This is our community, too; we expect to be consulted where policy concerns us. The hot button issues of the future should be made with students in mind.
State Representative-elect Kenny Imes and State Senator-elect Stan Humphries should likewise keep us in mind in Frankfort, Ky. As budget cuts threaten the future of education in Kentucky, Murray State students need champions that will stand up for our interests.
Our Congressional representative, Ed Whitfield, easily dispatched a challenge from Democrat Charles Hatchett on Tuesday night, but we should not leave him out of the equation, either.
Rep. Whitfield has represented the first congressional district since 1994 and has a lot to show for it with infrastructure projects and jobs across the first district. We want to see more of that in the future – those of us who live in Murray or who go to school here shouldn’t have to just scrape by.
We need good paying jobs in the Commonwealth, and we want Rep. Whitfield to work with his own party and across the aisle to make that happen.
In the Nov. 2 edition of The News, we endorsed Barack Obama for the presidency of the United States. Now that the president has won a second term in office, our initial praises and criticisms still hold true.
We have seen a lot of progress as far as student loans, college affordability and economic growth go, but not nearly enough. The president must work with the Republicans to restore confidence and bring the economic recovery full circle.
As we’ve said before, democracy is not a spectator sport. It’s a game of tag, and yet again, we’re tagging you it. It’s time to hold the politicians to their promises.
The staff editorial is the majority opinion of the Editorial Board of The Murray State News.