Same Slogan. Then a Sudden Change. Why?

There's an interesting development voters should know about.

When this year's slate filed its joint petition for candidacy, they chose the slogan "Education, Not Politics" — the exact same slogan used by Joanne Lam, Brittany Manning & Greg Fernandez in last year's campaign.

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That wasn't a similar slogan. It was the same slogan.

Now, the slate has amended its joint petition and changed its slogan to "Advocates for Education."

Why?

Could the change be an attempt to distance this year's candidates from last year's slate and its record?

To be clear, this year's candidates have not yet had the opportunity to establish a record of their own. But they initially chose to run under the exact slogan of last year's candidates — creating a very clear connection that voters have every right to question.

And that makes last year's record relevant.

Lam, Manning & Fernandez promised voters they would use their "experience to address the $2.5 million budget deficit on Day 1."

But after evaluating the budget, seeing the numbers and examining the expenditures, what was their apparent "solution"? Vote yes to raising taxes — while still cutting 25+ staff and eliminating courtesy busing.

That isn't fixing the budget.

That's asking taxpayers for a bailout and shifting the burden onto our community.

Promises made. Promises broken.

So why initially adopt the same slogan — and then amend the petition to remove it?

What changed? And what are they trying to distance themselves from?

And there's another piece voters should remember: this campaign recently used the district's school logo on its social media page before removing it. Removing it afterward doesn't change the fact that it was used in the first place, and it raises legitimate questions about judgment and understanding of campaign rules.

The current candidates may not have a record yet.

But their campaign choices — including the slogan they chose, the slogan they later abandoned, and the imagery they initially used — tell voters something worth paying attention to.

Don't just look at the new slogan. Look at what came before it. Look at the connections. Look at the promises. And ask why the story is being rewritten now.

Protecting What Matters.

Alison LoPresti • Anthony Libecci • Peter Hayden

This article is submitted by the authors in their individual capacities as private citizens and candidates for the Holmdel Township Board of Education. The views expressed are personal and do not represent the views or positions of the Holmdel Township Board of Education and are not endorsed by the Holmdel Board of Education.