Tired of dealing with the city

On Nov. 4, Hoosiers all over the state will choose their mayors and city councilmen. Here in Bloomington, over 42 percent of the population is between the ages of 18 to 24, yet most of us will not vote. \nAs a student, I am tired.\nTired of seeing my peers constantly receive parking tickets in a city and campus that do not offer adequate parking.\nTired of a city government that enacts ordinances such as the "Quiet Nights," which tells me that if one of my neighbors doesn't like what I do inside my own house, and calls the cops, I'm stripped of my right to privacy.\nTired of a city that will not let my friends enjoy a cigarette at a bar, regardless of the owner's choice.\nMany of you share my anger, especially those of you living off campus and in greek houses. This city constantly regulates us and has a property tax code that inflates rental prices in Bloomington. This is why the College Republicans are trying to get as many students as possible to join us in going to the polls and casting a Republican ballot, because 32 years of bad city government are 32 years too many, and our chance to make a real difference is here.\nNational issues are irrelevant. This is not about the War on Terror or the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This is not about abortion or federal tax cuts. This is about the regulations that affect our daily lives. It's about the infinite number of stop signs you run into in Bloomington because the city planning didn't do a better job. This is about icy streets in winter because the city doesn't clear the roads and takes all summer doing a bad job fixing the potholes it creates. This is about a city government that regulated all of its big employers away and now must tax student housing, food, drinks and entertainment to stay afloat. When I think of this, I wonder, when did our expectations from our government drop so low? And I know this is no longer acceptable.\nEvery day from today until Nov. 3, you can make a big difference. If you're registered to vote in Bloomington, you can go to the Justice Building on Seventh Street and College Avenue and cast your vote on circle #37, straight ticket Republican. Nov. 4, there will be polls all over the city and registered voters should have received a post card instructing them of where their polls are.\nThe Republican candidates in Bloomington have a plan for positive progress in this city.\nThe choice is yours to make. For 32 years, the city government in Bloomington has waged a campaign against students, and the time for change has arrived. If you need help getting to the polls, e-mail me at amrivera@indiana.edu, and I will take you there myself. It's time to tell the city government that it cannot live off the backs of students any longer.