Who are these people who come out of the woodwork and pretend to have any weight when it comes to community decisions?

If people expect to have status and credibility when going before a city council, a school board, a county board, or any panel, they should be able to show their commitment to the community.

There are plentiful ways to be involved with the community.

Join a service club. Be a high school sports booster. Attend county commissioner meetings. Audition for a play or musical. Raise funds to fight cancer. Read to children at a local preschool. Be part of the parent-teacher organization at your child’s school. Teach Sunday school at a church. Sing to residents at a nursing home. Coach a youth sports team.

The people who are involved in the community have made connections with the movers and shakers and clearly care. It’s the people who never are seen anywhere who suddenly have a not-in-my-backyard concern who seem questionable.

Therefore, our suggestion is — get involved. It shows you are selfless. It shows you care about the community.