CARLTON FLETCHER: You want to have a real political impact? Focus on local issues

“There’s so many dreams I’ve yet to find, But you’re so far away.”

— Carol King

Raise your hands if you can name all seven of the members of the Albany City and Dougherty County commissions.

Too tough for you? Then raise your hands if you can name the city and county commissioner who represents you.

Hmmm … not a whole lot of hands going up.

Let’s change it up a bit: Raise your hands if you can list all the crimes — real and imagined — Raphael Warnock and Herschel Walker have been accused of as they’ve slogged their way through the Georgia senatorial runoff. Or raise your hands if you can repeat all the accusations made by the out-of-control talking heads or keyboard warriors against these candidates over the last couple of weeks.

Or raise your hands if you have proof that the 2020 election was stolen.

Yeah … that’s what I thought.

I’m amazed — stunned — by all the politically astute people around here who man the cyber blog posts and pass along all the latest urban legends and conspiracy theories, adding, of course, their own 2 cents along the way, about national politics. These would-be pundits can tell you all you need to know about the goings-on in Washington or obscure corners of some state thousands of miles away, and guarantee the accuracy.

Of course, they have no idea who the people are who represent them in local elected offices; don’t have a clue even how the local government operates.

They’re the people who condemn the Albany city government for issues in the Dougherty County School System, who want to know why Dougherty County commissioners voted for a utilities increase, and who blame the public school board for speed limit laws in school zones.

Ask these well-informed keyboard geniuses about tax collections in the county, and most of them have no idea that the largest percentage of their tax dollars go to the school system. They have no clue that the Dougherty County Tax Director is the lone — out of 159 counties — such official in the state who is appointed rather than elected.

They don’t know that their local City Commission has voted itself a significant raise, that city and county leaders are engaged in a showdown over the collection of a 1% local-option sales taxes that, if not settled, threatens to lead to either a tax increase or the deletion of some services.

No matter how deeply involved some people say they are in politics, their lack of knowledge and enthusiasm for local political matters are stunning. Somehow, they have figured that their sharing views through social media and other platforms that offer them free reign to express opinions (this newspaper’s Squawkbox feature, for example) is somehow going to have an impact.

Yet when a local issue arises, and they have the capacity to talk directly to the person/people who will make the actual decision on that matter, they have no interest. Somehow, they’ve become convinced that their repetition of talking points laid out by whatever politician or party they have chosen to follow has more of an impact than calling the guy who lives four houses over and is one of seven who will decide an issue that directly impacts them.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with individuals staying on top of issues that are happening in our nation and in nations around the world. But, a) they often are guilty of passing along misinformation that some blogger or sh—stirrer has posted … just because he or she can. And, b) they are just another of the many people with nothing better to do who like both the anonymity of social media and the fact that they are “helping to make America great” by making sure the handful of people who even notices their posts gets the latest drivel from the higher ups.

Meanwhile … new laws are passed in their hometown that are based on the pressure of a small special interest group, needed upgrades are ignored in favor of more high-profile issues that are apt to earn votes, and officials keep doing what benefits them and their friends. After all, no one’s watching.