By the time this edition of the newsletter is published the Democrats and Republicans will have finished their conventions, Labor Day will be upon us and the 2000 election season will be about to begin in earnest. So be prepared to be bombarded with all sorts of political advertising until the beginning of November. But what you really need to be prepared for is to vote!

This is a very important election. Nationally, we will be electing a President, 1/3 of the Senate, and the entire House of Representatives. There will also be various local elections as well. The purpose of this column is not to endorse any particular candidate but to urge all of you to look at what the candidates are saying, look what they've said in the past and what they've done in the past. Some of you will vote for a candidate based on a number of issues some based on just one very important issue to you. I urge you not to rely on promises but get your information from a number of sources. Remember, the candidates themselves will say anything to get elected so don't go by campaign hype.

I would like you to consider some things. The next President will probably appoint 2 to 4 Supreme Court justices not to mention a number of Federal District Court and Appellate judges. This will have a longer effect on the country and us than the Presidency itself. There are a number of pieces of legislation effecting the LBTG community both in Congress and in the State do we want to see this legislation pass?

There might be other issues other than BTLG issues that are being talked about that you might feel are important to you. A woman's right to choose is one. There are those who want to take it away. Prayer in public school. Should are public schools be telling our children when to pray? I always thought that was a parent's job to instill, or not, prayer as a part of their child's life. Taxes always come up as an issue. While I'm sure most, if not all, want to pay lower taxes, let's be sure what a tax break now might mean a couple years down the road. I would hate to pay less taxes for the next couple of years and then get socked in a couple of years with a large tax increase due to the government's shortsightedness. The environment, do we want clean air and water or let manufacturers the right to pollute so they can make greater profits?

I could go on with other issues. There are many. Some effect our lives more directly than others. I have tried to make this non-partisan as I believe in your right to vote is your right. I ask that you know what is important to you. I don't think there is an ideal candidate. But we have to prioritize our issues. Lower taxes are nice but what good do they do us if people can discriminate against us and we can't get or keep a job because of who we are.