What I know to be fact is this: "If you keep on doing what you've always done, you'll keep on getting what you've always gotten."

Here we are at a crossroads for our community. An election not unlike numerous ones before. Where deep pockets and a liberal stance toward removing Coeur d'Alene from the rolls of "small town America" is lauded. Those candidates, by their stance, do not support the small town embedded values once favored by us all. They likely support the building of more high rise structures for the privileged few, higher taxes caused by subsidizing "urban renewal" and asking the public to take a back seat when it comes to decisions affecting us all.

On the other side are the individuals from a more modest background. They have a more conservative approach to growing the community while keeping those community attributes which swayed our decision to reside here in the first place. They are for reasonable salaries for public employees and value public input on major spending projects.

Of course if you are of the camp that doesn't give a darn or simply fails to participate at the election box then go ahead and move on to this paper's next article. If you are unable to distinguish the realities of what has been happening with LCDC, big town growth, "you scratch my back...", etc. then vote as you have been and move on to the next article.

It seems as though one has to have deep enough pockets to plaster the community with election yard signs, agree wholeheartedly with the Downtown Association, think like the outgoing council members and rub elbows with those who "have" in order to be a "proper candidate" for Mayor or City Council.

Forget the candidates who may be on the other side of those prerequisites. Forget grassroots community involvement. Pay no attention to facts and forget that some 5,000 voters signed petitions for sound and valid reasons to change the face of our city leaders.

There is no reason to name names here. If you are involved in what happens in the community, if you care about what happens in the community ... then you know the names. If you do not know them and you do vote ... well that's part of our problem, isn't it.

So who to vote for? Do you vote as a Lemming? From the Urban Dictionary: 1. Lemming: A member of a crowd with no originality or voice of his own. One who speaks or repeats only what he has been told. A tool. Or, do you vote as an informed citizen. Perhaps we should look closely at the outgoing city members to help us decide. Maybe the question is as simple as who are the outgoing anointed ones supporting? And if they are supporting a candidate only privately and not on the front page ... well that speaks volumes doesn't it. Think about it.

In the end, I hope your vote isn't in any manner "bought." I hope you can think for yourself and vote according to your values and what you want for the community. Think it through. It is important.

Jim Purtee is a Coeur d'Alene resident.