One of the best things about living in a democracy is the right of the people to actually have a voice in the functioning of their government. This right is a cornerstone of any representative government and it insures transparency in how the voter’s tax money is being spent.

We bring this up, because this Wednesday at 4:15 p.m., the Slidell Charter Review Committee will hold its last meeting. The committee will be voting on which of the proposed changes will go before the Slidell Council for their approval to be put on the March 27, 2010 ballot.The committee has been meeting since September, and in all those meetings, only one Slidell resident has attended to speak his mind. The committee has commented on the lack of public input and would really like to hear what the people have to say about the changes to the city charter. We think that it is sad that no one has taken the time to find out what the local politicians want to do with the charter, which is actually, the constitution of Slidell.

Over the past two months, issues such as replacing vacancies in elected offices, pay for elected officials, and the power of city budget allocations have been discussed, and at times the discussions have gotten very noisy and ugly. These are all important issues. They deal with tax money, your money, and how the Slidell government will be operated in the future. We think it is vitally important that people show up at the last meeting to make their voices heard. Don’t wait until the changes show up on the ballot next year. If you don’t like what the committee has decided, Wednesday is the time to let them know. A democracy is only as good as its electorate, and a good electorate is one that takes part in government and civic affairs. If you don’t make your voice heard, don’t complain March 27, 2010 that you don’t like the choices on the ballot. You have a chance to change all that Wednesday afternoon. The ball is in your court. The meeting starts at 4:15 p.m. in the City Council Chambers on Bayou Lane.