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The new year is almost upon us, and that means politicians are out to get your vote.

On a recent visit to my daughter in Australia, I asked her if she was going to obtain citizenship in that country so that she could participate in the electoral process. She has yet to become a citizen of that country and said to me that she isn’t ready to accept that responsibility.

She asked me if I voted in the last general election, to which I responded that I hadn’t. This provoked the cliché of “If you don’t vote, you have no right to complain.”

I smiled and said a) I certainly do have a right to complain, as I put on a uniform of the armed forces and swore an oath to the Constitution, putting my life on the line for my country; and, b) I quoted the late George Carlin and explained that that often used phrase is illogical — and I proceeded to quote Mr. Carlin who said, “If you vote, and you elect dishonest, incompetent politicians, and they get into office and screw everything up, you are responsible for what they have done. You voted them in. You caused the problem. You have no right to complain.”

We are about to be subjected to a deluge of daily advertisements for this candidate and that candidate.  Promises will be made by politicians that will never be kept. They will be selling us the concept that they are the one who can solve the problems we face.

I want to see an honest candidate, one who is not afraid to tell the public they do not have all the answers. I want a candidate who will step up to the plate and not be afraid to strike out. They should have ideas but not solutions.

They have to work with other politicians who have their own ideas on how to run things that most likely will be in conflict with theirs. I would like to see consensus builders and not bullies. We are paying these people to be professionals in every sense of the word.

I would also like to see those who hold the voting franchise to assume their responsibility in making a selection based on logic and not rhetoric. We face some very serious problems. I want to see some action that addresses those problems, not a lot of hot air.

I have earned the right to complain.

It’s a shame there isn’t an alternative on the ballot and that is NONE. If there isn’t an acceptable candidate you like, you could vote NONE. If there isn’t a candidate that wins a majority and there is only one NONE vote, we go back and do it again with a new slate of candidates. We keep doing this until we get someone that is acceptable.

The reason I did not vote was because I could not find NONE on the ballot. I did not find any of the candidates in my district acceptable.

I am faced with a similar problem this coming election. I am girding my loins in preparation for the onslaught of BS that will inevitably come.

I have earned the right to complain.

Now if only the political parties would deliver up people worthy of the offices they aspire to.