Painting our self-portrait

By: Orange News Staff | Orange County Review
Published: November 02, 2011

Government affects us most at the local level.
Think about it.
Schools.
Taxes.
Law enforcement.
Recreation.
Trash.
Water.
Emergency services.
Sure, state and federal government affects us too, but they paint with a broader brush. The details are painted locally.
Literally and figuratively, our community is a work of art.
We live among the beautiful rolling foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. But a closer look at the fabric of our community reveals thousands of delicate brush strokes representing the infinite detail of our local lives.
Our elected officials may be the artists, but the voters are their inspiration, their pallet. We are the colors they paint with. We are the ideas, the talent, the technique, the muse.
Sometimes, we like the painting. Sometimes we don't. As with any work of art, there is an evolution to the process. Seldom does the finished product mirror the initial idea. Changes, compromises, and new ideas always influence the artwork. Art is subjective. Government too.
Tuesday represents our commission of the artists.
We'll inspire some new artists and challenge them to pick up this painting and fill in new details with new colors, new shapes and ideas. Or for those who have already been painting, we'll confirm their skill and technique and encourage them to continue with the work they've done, endorsing their progress.
The painting will never be finished. It will ever evolve, continually reflecting who we are.
It's our self portrait.
Choose those who will paint us best.