Residents must exert influence beginning at local level People feel they have lost control of the government, that it has too much power, their vote doesn't mean anything, and the government does what it wants anyway. Fortunately, this is not true. People can influence government by starting with the local elections. The local mayor and council members have a smaller constituency, and your vote has a higher value. This type of political influence can be exerted at the local level, then the county and state, and eventually it will become federal. Once the federal government sees this type of influence over state politics, it will listen carefully. But residents need to stay actively involved on the political front in their local towns. Take action and demand results. Make sure the politicians know you are watching how they spend your money. Charles Breitweiser Milltown