Honest and loyal representation in our community is going to cost money, to sustain, maintain, and grow our communities. One of the major problems we have in our communities is that we don’t invest in our candidates, and we don’t vote! Do you know what happens when we don’t supply our support to our candidate/s running for office? The interest groups, and people outside our communities, take the advantage and opportunity to invest, donate, contribute, and support them. By the time our candidates get elected to office, they no longer belong to our community. The people that invested in them get the goodies and the right to control them. They got him or her elected — not us! The next time your local candidate comes to you for help, do the right thing for your people, yourself, and your family: Register to vote – this is a must in our democracy. If you don’t vote, you can’t complain! Research your candidate, find out about what your candidate stands for, and look at his or her experience with the community. Contribute If you like what you find out, contribute what you can, $5, $10, $15, etc., and if you can, give more. Get the word out to your friends and family to support your candidate and encourage them to donate what they can to help him, or her get elected.  If you have the time, get involved directly by working with the committee working to get him or her elected. There is so much you can do for the candidate, just by volunteering one to three or four hours per day or for the whole week. The little time you give your candidate can turn out to be beneficial to you and our community. If we do all these things, the candidate becomes a product of the community, becomes your candidate, and not of the political machine, not of the outside interest groups.  American politics is very serious, and the sooner we realize it, the sooner we can grow and advance the future of our community — socially, educationally, and economically. Look at the political principle of this city: “You have to pay to play, and it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” Well folks, let’s stop the political abuse, and let us begin to develop our own “game in the interest of our people, our children, and our youth. REGISTER, EDUCATE YOURSELF, AND LEARN ABOUT WHO’S WHO IN YOUR COMMUNITY…  Remember, when you say that you’re not interested in politics, that in itself is a political statement. Help, and join those that are working to bring respect and quality representation to your community. Do your homework and find out what groups in your community are truly looking out for your interest, not for themselves. Too many people in our community complain and cry about government service, but are not registered, voters. We need to grow and develop, we need to be creative, and imaginative, work to make our young people proud of their Puerto Rican Roots, their Dominican Roots, their Cuban Roots, their Latino Roots… We must carve out a piece of the action for our community. All other communities have their territory, their commissioners, their elected officials, and their countless businesses and services. We too are entitled to have a dream, but that dream must be carved out by us, not outsiders. We can use their support, but not their handouts. Help your leaders! Help yourself! Register to VOTE! Read More From This Writer All Post Art Books Business Community Education Entertainment Food & Culture Health Interviews Military & Veterans Peace People Politics LATINO COLLEGE STUDENTS FACE INEQUALITY AND CULTURAL ISOLATION AT THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK at BUFFALO March 25, 2023/No Comments LACK OF COLLEGE SERVICES FOR LATINO STUDENTS: This is in response to a story by UB Spectrum reporter, Kayla Estrada, Read More “GETTING VERY LITTLE FOR THE WHOLE,  BUT GETTING A LOT FOR THE FEW” WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN 2023 January 25, 2023/No Comments While I might appear to be biased and selective, I strongly feel the four people in the photo are the Read More The Isaías González-Soto Branch Library (formerly Niagara Branch) is a member of the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library System December 25, 2022/No Comments When the Hispanic Heritage Council (HHC) moved to rename the Niagara Branch Library several years ago, with the support of Read More Load More End of Content.