As you know, the Buda City Elections have wound down and the results are in. The associate that I was backing lost to the incumbent, which does not bother me because for the first time out, he really got out there and ran a good campaign and the people spoke. What bothers me is the lack of people that spoke. Having family roots in the Buda area that date back to 1897 and having lived in the Buda area myself for over 14 years, this is the first time I am embarrassed for Buda. According to the Hays County Election results,  Buda has approximately 7,106 registered voters in the city, but only 2,575 (or 36.24%) bothered to get out and vote; I applaud them. However, of those 2,575 people who actually got in their car, drove down to a voting place and made time to make their voices known, 779 of those people (or 30%…that’s right, 30%) did not even bother to take the time and go through the entire ballot and vote in the City Council Elections. I am not sure if they thought that if by voting a straight party ticket, that their votes would be cast in the City Elections, or if they just did not care.

 What does it say about a small community, when almost 75% (or 5,310 people) can’t be bothered to go out and voice their opinion about their local government. It’s not like they didn’t have the pick of several voting places or number of days to go out and vote and 779 went to vote in State and County Elections, but did not vote in the City Elections. I understand that some people have a hard time with getting out due to various reasons and that some people just don’t care. I myself, have made the mistake in the past of not taking the time to go out and vote, which I will not make the same mistake in the future, but it never even dawned on me that three fourths of the Citizens of Buda, just don’t seem to care. Looking back on it now, maybe Buda should change our town slogan from “Breath Easy Here,” to Buda “We just don’t give a shit”!

George Changos

Buda