Super Tuesday is here

Tomorrow is Super Tuesday and election season is now fully upon us. The media is continuously covering and discussing the upcoming national election. We are bombarded on the news and social media, in reams of junk mail, and even through text messages and phone calls. Candidates are working hard to get their message out.

Every election is important, but rarely has one been more vital to the future direction of our country than this one. Whether you are happy with the direction of our country or want to see a change, this year’s election will have a profound impact on our nation for decades to come.

Yet it is not only the national election that is important. As critical as it is that we all be informed and participate in the national election - and it is critical - for most of us it is the local elections that will have the biggest direct impact on our day to day lives.

Throughout the last couple of years we have seen a great deal of change in our city. Some of the actions taken by the city have made life better for the people of Fremont. The city has done much to improve our lives, including the approval of a new park on Dusterberry and by working to bring more jobs to our city, such as encouraging Facebook to expand locally.

Yet for all the good that has been done by the city, there have been other things which are more controversial. For example, the city is aggressively pursuing a policy of urbanization, as called for in the Fremont General Plan, fundamentally changing Fremont. We have all seen this throughout the city. High density housing is being built all across our city Fremont, with more to come, such as the five and six-story developments that are to be constructed at the Fremont Hub.

Other things that have happened include the approval and opening of a brand new Stratford campus directly adjacent to a concrete manufacturer, exposing the students and staff to unsafe air and threatening their health.

Vision Zero is the policy being applied across the city that is fundamentally changing our streets. While Vision Zero has a laudable goal of protecting pedestrians and cyclists, the results have been less impressive. So far, millions have been spent restriping roads, making intersections harder to navigate, and traffic slowed. The result? There has been no significant change in the number of traffic fatalities.

Any summation of what has recently gone on in Fremont must include the housing navigation center controversy. The navigation center issue caused a great deal of conflict and animosity across the city. Regardless of how you may feel about the navigation center itself, I think we can all agree that the process the city took with the center was less than optimal.

So as we enter this election year, we should all ask ourselves how we feel about where the city is going. If you like what is being done, then you should support those in office and running for reelection.

Should you be less thrilled with the actions being taken, then you should look hard at those other candidates running for local office. These are the votes that will have a major impact on all our lives. But involvement cannot end there. If you want real change then it takes more than just your vote tomorrow and in November. We the people need to be involved.

We must all look to those issues that are important to us and show up at city council meetings to make our voices heard. Go to planning meetings. Support your neighbors when they go. If you like what is happening, stand with those who are serving you. If you want change, then speak out and let your elected representatives know how you feel.

There is a quote, attributed to Joseph de Maistre, “In a democracy people get the leaders they deserve”. Let us all make sure that we deserve a government that listens to the people and does what is best for all.