Politics is Important

I am going to let y'all in on an alternative newsweekly editing secret today--one I am not supposed to tell, so try to keep this one under your figurative belts.

That secret: We cover politics even though we know most of you won't read about it. We realize that most of you would rather read about sports or sex or drugs or music or movies or, well, almost anything before you read about two middle-aged white dudes who want to be the mayor.

So, that leads to an obvious question: Why the hell do we run cover stories about the mayoral race in June if many folks won't read them?

The answer: Politics is important.

These people we will elect in November will play an enormous part in determining what will happen to our fair city. The future of issues we all care about--traffic, public safety, taxes, etc. --will be shaped by these people. They will also have a direct say in other issues--public art, downtown, etc. --that not all of us care about, even though we probably should.

Therefore, even if you could really care less about Walkup or Volgy or whomever, I encourage you to flip to Jim Nintzel's cover story on Page 16. I guarantee you that Nintzel will provide, without a doubt, the best (and least-boring) municipal political coverage you'll get anywhere.

After all, if you care about Tucson and its issues, then you need to start caring about this stuff. And if you don't care about Tucson and its issues--well, tell me that the next time you're stuck in traffic at Campbell Avenue and Grant Road, OK?

jimmyb@tucsonweekly.com