Gaining POWER for our community starts, ends and will continue only THROUGH VOTING. Roxbury's political clout is on the rise. We need to keep it that way. When you call City Hall, they know if you vote or not. According to elected officials, when you call their offices in City Hall with a request or complaint, their staff member looks up whether you vote. It's a fact: People who vote get a better response from elected officials. This confirms a national study by NeighborWorks America which concluded that "Although elected officials are obligated to represent everyone in their districts, the nature of politics is that they tend to listen more closely to the people who put them in office." More voting clout means better city services. We all know that some neighborhoods-like Roslindale and South Boston--have less crime, cleaner streets, fewer broken street lights and better snowplowing. Why? Because they have more voting clout (defined as the percentage of registered voters who actually go to the polls and vote). The neighborhoods with less voting clout, like Roxbury, have poorer city services. Research on "social capital" confirms the connection between voting and city government responsiveness to neighborhood concerns. (See Bowling Alone, by Robert Putnam; and "Social Capital" from the Infed Encyclopedia, http://www.infed.org/biblio/social_capital.htm). Local elections are just as important as presidential elections. In 2009, local positions are up for election (Mayor and City Council). Local elections can more impact on your neighborhood than the presidential elections did. The President doesn't decide how much money to spend in Roxbury on police, street cleaning or fixing potholes. Our Mayor and City Council decide these things. If you don't vote you may not be here in 10 years! Rents are rapidly rising in Roxbury (up more than 200% over the past ten years), forcing many tenants to move to places like Brockton or Providence for an affordable apartment. As property values rise, property taxes are going up, squeezing long-time homeowners with low- or fixed-incomes. Also, homeowners are tempted to sell and "cash out" of Roxbury. Remember: More voting clout means POWER.