Last week, a local radio personality from Monroe County expressed surprise on “X” after discovering that millions of dollars were spent on new touch-screen election machines. He asked, “Why did we need them? Why was it a good idea?” This question reveals an important unsettling truth: most residents have no idea how their tax dollars are being spent locally. Many have never attended a board meeting or read the budget. In fact, our focus is often on national and international matters, while local issues get sidelined. This tendency is reinforced by the media, which often prioritizes national news over local concerns. Interestingly, a similar debate took place recently on a national level. Vice President JD Vance and UK MP Rory Stewart engaged in a debate about the concept of the “hierarchy of obligations.” In an interview with Fox, Vance stated, “There is a Christian concept that you love your family, then your neighbor, then your community, then your fellow citizens, and finally,…