EDITORIAL:It's time for voters to speak out

The holidays are over, but a new season is upon us. And like the recent holidays, campaign season should be a joyous time — if you can get past the bickering, the political infighting and the mudslinging, which we know Burbank City Council and school board hopefuls won't engage in — right?

Campaign season is empowering.

It's a chance to study up on the issues facing the city and the people who want to tackle them. And it's a chance for voters to make decisions about people — decisions that will hopefully resolve issues.

In a republic, the power on the dais is given to an individual.

But that individual receives that decision-making power from constituents, which makes the idea that we get the government we deserve all the more resonant.

It's up to us to make sure we do get a government we deserve.

But it takes some homework.

We hope voters don't send in that mail-in ballot without doing some homework on the many candidates.

The issues at stake are too important to let this election go by without some due diligence.

Among them are how to deal with traffic congestion, battles over commercial developments and their regulation, how to reform city government and continuing issues over airport expansion.

On the education scene, declining enrollment in local schools, issues over teacher salaries and benefits and facilities modernization deserve people committed to fair solutions, who bring a discourse that embraces competing interests rather than polarizing them.

But in the end, they must not be afraid to make decisions on the issues — and those decisions are an extension of those who put them there.

In the coming weeks we will present the candidates to you and give them an opportunity to answer to some of these issues for you.

Hopefully, the information can cut through the noise of the campaign season, with all of its spin.

But there will be other opportunities to get to know hopefuls for the City Council.

Candidates are scheduled to participate in a forum at noon on Jan. 30 at the Burbank Noon Rotary Club's meeting, held at the Burbank YMCA, 321 E. Magnolia Blvd.

And the League of Women Voters Glendale/Burbank is holding a forum for the school board and City Council candidates at 7 p.m. on Jan. 25 at the Burbank City Council Chambers, 275 E. Olive Ave.

The city's website, at www.ci.Burbank.ca.us, also has election information.

Burbank — with all it has to offer — deserves great leaders and representatives.

The people have a chance to make that happen.

Burbank's election is by mail-in ballot. Be looking for them. They should be sent out by the end of the first week of February for the Feb. 27 election.