Party affiliation means something

Editor,

I guess I miss your point (regarding Ross Reily’s blog last week on Simpson County officials changing party affiliation). Do you believe that every Republican or Democrat in the state who is a county official should run as an independent? You don’t think local officials differ on issues of taxes, voter ID, the role and size of government, the environment, regulation, how schools operate, law enforcement budgets, etc?

You say, “All local candidates are for education. They are for police and fire protection and good roads.” What is the difference in them and statewide candidates? I don’t know anyone who runs for office who is against education, against the police, against fire protection and against good roads. By your measurement, everyone should be an independent.

I know some folks in Simpson County and they care a great deal about the political affiliation of the local coroner. The local Democrats were howling when a Republican got the job. Maybe you don’t care that most elected officials in Jackson are Democrats, but that doesn’t mean rural voters don’t care about our own politics. We take this seriously. We take what our elected officials stand for seriously. Some of us like Democrats; some of us like Republicans. And it might not be important to you, but it is to us.

Charles Quitman