by Dave Zornow
Parents of school-aged kids might think Nyack’s mayoral race is beginning to sound like conversations overheard in the daily carpool. Subjects like current events, history and economics are taking a back seat to “he said, she said” lunchroom squabbles about who is going with whom. There’s been very little talk about the issues or the differences between the candidates.
To borrow a bit from Comedy Central’s Stephen Colbert, here’s A Tip of the Hat and a Wag Of The Finger for the candidates and their supporters.
First, a Tip Of The Hat to everyone who has endorsed a candidate or added a comment. The spirited and partisan discussion demonstrates a passion for the process and support for the candidates. Word of mouth and personal endorsements are important considerations when choosing a candidate.
But there’s a Wag Of The Finger reserved for the mayoral candidates. An election season which started discussing serious issues is now one entrée away from becoming a public food fight. Neither candidate has demonstrated any leadership in moving the discussion back to the issues and away from the personalities. This doesn’t bode well for how well each might lead if elected.
Endorsements are the fast food of the election process. Nice for a quick bite, but it doesn’t count as a full meal. Voters who make this their complete diet just end up fat, dumb and angry.
It’s incumbent on the candidates to tell us what they will do when elected. From a strategy standpoint, each candidate owes us an understanding of how they will govern differently from their competitor. And that isn’t happening.
One final wag of the finger to everyone who doesn’t have Tuesday November 3 circled on their calendars.
If you’ve been downtown lately, it’s hard not to know there’s a Halloween Parade on Saturday. You were also probably aware that parking is free on Thursdays in Nyack through the end of the year and earlier this month we had street fair and an Orangetown Fire parade.
But where are the banners, posters, buttons and signs reminding people to vote next Tuesday? Election Day is the neglected stepchild of community events. Which is why voter turnout is abysmally low.
It’s easy to put up an American flag, wear a lapel pin or to pledge allegiance to the ideals of democracy. It’s a bit harder to change the culture of voter apathy and improve the democratic process. Harder, but not impossible. And definitely worth the effort.
Don’t forget to vote next Tuesday. But more importantly, encourage your neighbors and friends to vote, too. Regardless of whom they favor.
Everyone who casts a vote becomes a stakeholder in our community by making an investment in the democratic process. It takes a village to run a village. The more of us who are on board, the better the result will be.
Special thanks to Palisades Hudson Financial Group LLC for their sponsorship of Election 2009 Coverage on NyackNewsAndViews.
Dear Dave,
Ever since the 2009 Nyack mayoral campaign began, Nyack News and Views has provided hundreds if not thousands of Nyack voters with timely, frequent, detailed, and invaluable election coverage. You have provided a true public service to our community and to us candidates.For that — and more — you deserve our sincerest gratitude.
However, when I read your column that said that “neither [mayoral] candidate has demonstrated any leadership in moving the discussion back to the issues and away from the personalities,” that “it’s incumbent on the candidates to tell us what they will do when elected. From a strategy standpoint, each candidate owes us an understanding of how they will govern differently from their competitor. And that isn’t happening,” I called my opponent, Denise Hogan and told her about the article.
I hate to put words in others’ mouths, but I think it’s safe to say that Denise was as surprised and shocked as I was that such a knowledgeable and keen observer of the Nyack political scene could claim that we haven’t adequately informed the public about how we will govern, if elected.
We talked over a few of the many places where we’ve gone on record in public to discuss our platforms. Many of these are still available on line at Nyack News and Views or on other media:
• We addressed the Nyack Democratic convention on May 26th and answered every question that was put to us;
•We answered every question of the very detailed questionnaire submitted to us by the Nyack Democratic Committee;
• We answered every question of the even more detailed questionnaire submitted to us by the Friends of the Nyacks. The answers I submitted totaled 12 pages, single-spaced.
• We appeared at the Friends of the Nyacks candidates’ forum (debate) at the Nyack Center on September 1st.
• Check out the 30-minute interview by the Journal News editorial board that was webcast live and is still on-line at Lohud.com;
• Also Check out the Lohud.com election central 2009 candidates’ guide
• We appeared at the NAACP candidates’ forum held last week;
•We were both interviewed by Cable News 12 yesterday. Our interviews will air Saturday and Sunday at 9:30am, 12:30pm and 2:30 pm.
• Most importantly, Denise and I have been walking the streets of Nyack, talking and listening to Nyack voters almost every day continuously since June 9th. This is the most effective way of campaigning, and – trust me – we have had thousands of conversations with voters who now have an excellent understanding of what we will do if we’re elected and how we will govern differently from each other. I campaigned Saturday in the rain, today in the rain, and even during the torrential outburst of June 27th.
So thanks for your great coverage and keep it up. Keep demanding answers from it, and if you’re still dissatisfied, you can take solace in what Thomas Jefferson said: “Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.”
Sincerely and respectfully,
Richard 353-1935 richard77@optonline.net