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As the November midterm election approaches, candidates are competing for voters' attention with arguments about foreign policy, cultural disputes, and the latest national political controversy. Those issues matter. But candidates seeking votes in Marietta and Washington County should remember something much closer to home. Before people worry about the top of the pyramid, they worry about its foundation.
I learned that lesson in Marietta more than half a century ago. I came to Marietta College as a student and graduated in 1969. That same year, I began teaching history and civics in the Marietta City School system. While I was teaching about government, the community was teaching me a basic principle of citizenship: government has to work for the people where they live.
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs offers a useful way of looking at politics. People first need food, water, shelter, and stability. Then comes safety, including secure homes and neighborhoods and confidence in the public systems that everyday life depends on. Only when that foundation is reasonably secure can people devote greater attention to more distant concerns.
That lesson still applies to Marietta in 2026.
Residents are concerned about the condition of roads and bridges, reliable water and sewer systems, housing costs, public safety, economic opportunity, and whether younger generations can build their futures in the Mid-Ohio Valley. These are not abstract political issues. They affect daily life.
That should carry an important message for candidates this November.
Whatever office or party they represent, candidates should not assume that national talking points answer the concerns voters encounter every morning. A deteriorating road does not ask whether you are a Republican or Democrat. Neither does a water line, a sewer system, a struggling family budget, or a community trying to attract jobs and retain young people.
Candidates should be prepared to explain what they can actually do about the basic systems affecting people's lives. Just as importantly, they should explain which level of government is responsible and how they intend to work with others to get the job done.
Competence, accountability, and trust begin with getting the fundamentals right.
Maslow's lesson for politicians is remarkably simple. Do not ask voters to look toward the top of the pyramid while they are still worried about the bottom.
Tom Feaster. M.ED
Marietta College, Class of 1969
Former Marietta City Schools History and Civics Teacher