Recap of Meet the Candidates Night...

Before I share my thoughts on last night's Meet the Candidate event, I wanted to make a statement about objectivity versus subjectivity.

I have been approached with a concern that while I am, indeed, a lifelong Democrat, my articles are so slanted toward the right, it is impossible to believe that I'm not (actually) a pawn for the Republicans. My response to this comment is always the same..."show me something positive to write about regarding the Left and I will gladly do so." I have also heard from others that get upset when I call out Trump or Clinton, etc. and I have, therefore, tried to avoid references to anyone other than those about whom I am writing. But I feel compelled to address this concern that I am a 'pawn' by noting that, as cheesy as it may seem, I care about being an American before I care about any political party. And I do not appreciate or approve of any politician lying or the corrupt behavior of anyone- elected, appointed, etc. I think what occurs is that we are all engaged in politics or any topic, to different degrees. And our judgement of others is heavily influenced by how we perceive the actions and behaviors of others, based on our own knowledge of a subject. As an example, when I consider the corrupt behavior of the Democrats in the 2016 election, I wonder how many Americans even know how deep of a rabbit hole actually went. At the same time, With a Republican President and both houses holding GOP majorities, the illegal behavior of their competing party in 2016, is being intentionally ignored. The GOP literally dismissed every opportunity they had to uncover the truth about the election. Why would they not seize this opportunity?

My point being that when I write these articles, I do so as an American. With respect to the fact that I am a lifelong Democrat, I think it is important to appreciate how much the dynamics of the party have changed over the years. But I am most definitely not a Republican. And my commitment and intention to remain objective will not waver. So, it all comes back to my original question..."show me something positive to write about regarding the Left and I will gladly do so."

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At last night's Meet the Candidates event, George Ervin (Republican), Vicky Galow (Democrat), David May (Unaffiliated), and Susan Steinberg (Democrat) shared some of their thoughts and feelings on the future of Mahwah and what they believe they can offer as a Town Council member.

I cannot state that I feel there was any clear 'winner' as this was not a debate. But I did draw a few conclusions that I feel are important to share. First, there is this Wizard of Oz effect going on between both sides of the aisle-

• The Republicans are still in Kansas and they don't want to go anywhere until they ensure the barn is locked and everything is safe. But that doesn't mean they want to go...just not yet.
• The Democrats are already on the Yellow Brick Road, singing, dancing, and having an amazing time celebrating ideas and concepts that they want to achieve once they reach Oz.

Both sides need to consider a few things. I can appreciate that with limited time behind the microphone, there is only so much that can be said, the Republicans should realize that while what they are stating makes sense, it would be nice to hear what their ideas are for our town, long-term. The Democrats are spewing nonsense rhetoric that they know residents will like hearing, despite the fact they are making misleading claims and sharing ideas, that cannot be achieved without first 'cleaning up the barn.' This is a textbook move right out of the playbook that I'm confident Jim McQueeny has used and I have seen Phil Murphy leverage, as well. Think about it...Phil Murphy promises he will pay all teacher pensions...he'll get it done. He has yet to share a single proposal as to how...but let's just take his word for it. Amazing!

Susan Steinberg came across well-prepared which, I believe, was very telling. First of all, I find it next to impossible to believe she wrote her opening speech. The word patterns are different from anything else I have ever read or seen from her, yet still, seemed strikingly familiar. And her demeanor also came across like she had been in training for this event for weeks with a person or group who really knows how to prepare candidates. The only part where I began to question myself, thinking she may have played a role in writing this was when she brought up a SWOT analysis. I literally laughed out loud. She did a SWOT analysis...that's great. She's touting her skills in facilitating a first-year business student can do. And to that end, she also did a poor job based on the fact her information was flawed. She is all-too eager to spend money while claiming she cares about managing expenses. I have written a lot about Steinberg, below because it is her responses that are, by far, the most alarming.

Vicky Gallow came across confidently and I believe she wrote her words. It's a shame though because so much of what she stated was either outright untrue or misleading. I started to question if she was knowingly sharing bad information or if she made the mistake of trusting information that was sent to her. What I feel was made clear last night but could be wrong, is yet another example right out of the McQueeny playbook. I think the Democrats put Steinberg up there, with her extreme personality, to distract us all and make it easier for Gallow to earn a spot on the Council. Given Gallow's husband's relationship with Mayor Lieforet, it wouldn't surprise me.

David May is a numbers guy...and I've never met a numbers guy I didn't feel needed an IV drip of caffeine. But his words were spot on. I think the arguments he made were valid.

George Ervin could have spent more time talking about his experience on the Planning Board and shared his experience more like an itemized list rather than a story. But the context of his words were strong and he is realistic about where we are as a town.

Facts for your consideration

Beautification of downtown (East Ramapo Ave)

• This is the single best example of the Democrats being on the Yellow Brick Road. Residents love the idea of a refreshed downtown and the way Steinberg stated it, with such energy and enthusiasm in her voice, you'd think that one day, upon driving down the road, It's a Small World will be playing as we all wave to our neighbors. Gallow didn't help much with this either. The fact is that the land where Tirreno's was and the Post Office is, is privately owned. To that end, as Ervin pointed out, it is also zoned for commercial use only, meaning not apartments could be added above any stores that are built. Further, Richard LaBarbiera, Mayor of Paramus, apparently has an interest in purchasing this land. I see no coincidence in the fact that all of Lieforet's friends are the ones involved in these land deals, which also (and this is based on rumor) includes Bill Dator, CEO Preferred Properties, another friend of the Mayor's and his alleged Band of Merry Men. Whatever 'Masterplan' Steinberg states exists, I have no doubt, caters to the wishes and demands of Lieforet and his alleged Band of Merry Men.
• Rezoning can happen but with Lieforet at the helm and the alleged Band of Merry Men behind him, the Town Council should not even consider a SINGLE rezoning until they are all out of the way.
• Lieforet mentioned he has been in talks with NJ Transit over the Mahwah station. While it is possible these conversations were all verbal, upon requesting copies of emails via OPRA, I was informed that no emails exist between the Mayor and NJ Transit. To that end, the idea of adding more parking there is baseless without buy in from NJ Transit who would need to schedule more trains to stop there. This is highly unlikely given how strained the existing system is with traffic. This is a good example of how Steinberg's SWOT analysis was quite poorly done.
• It is extremely irresponsible for a Pilot program to ever be associated with areas where residences would be built. Ervin pointed this out too. For two people with so much experience helping families, I find it suspicious that they wouldn't have addressed this concern.

It begs the question...if they are being honest about their feelings about downtown Mahwah, why wouldn't they first confess to the restrictions and road blocks that stand before them? Do they not know these road blocks exist? Are they being given bad information? And exactly how is it that they have the same exact ideas as Lieforet?

Affordable Housing

• To me, it is hard to debate Affordable Housing as it is state mandated. However, let's be clear that we do not necessarily need to build new properties. But the intention is to build all required 'affordable' housing by the Crossroads. This is the deal Steinberg mentioned last night with respect to negotiations with Intervener Developers. It is a good thing this is occurring as the Intervener's are trying to reduce the amount of units that must be built.
• Steinberg mentioned eliminating expiration dates on affordable housing. Doing so would be illegal. The affordable housing controls on occupancy, rent and sale of any affordable housing unit are governed by state statute. This includes the term/length of time said controls remain in effect. Upon expiration, the controls could be extended by mutual consent of the owner and the State and or a local municipality. The local municipal body could also purchase the unit(s) and set their own term of extension. The municipality cannot arbitrarily extend or abbreviate affordable controls. That would require a modification to a state statute which is the sole purview of the Legislator and Governor.

Social Media

• This made me laugh. Steinberg stated she earned an MBA from Duke University in Marketing and has worked for 17 years, professionally. She feels that social media must be controlled and that it should be on the Council's website where constituents can email in inquiries and then receive a response- similar to how other elected officials 'interact' with their constituents. Essentially, Steinberg proposes we get rid of social media, opting instead, to employ a tactic that, from my experience, never works. What people like about social media interactions is the sense of connection they feel and the knowledge that they will not receive an automated reply. Galow then proceeded to state that she agreed with Steinberg's idea for a Facebook page on behalf of the Council (which, Steinberg never said last night), which led to David May confirming that he agrees with this idea...and (actually) had already created a page. He, however, was waiting for approval from Administration before launching it. Steinberg also claims that their is a lack of access to policy and leadership decisions...suggesting our council puts politics ahead of people. Given the fact she is endorsed by Lieforet, I found this to be STAGGERINGLY laughable! Is she serious? First of all, there is no way you can argue there is a lack of access to the Council when there are open sessions at every meeting. I'm sorry but that's just a fact. And to even imply the Council puts politics ahead of people achieves nothing more than proving, concretely, that Steinberg is a puppet to Lieforet.

Odds & Ends

• Steinberg went out of her way to use terms like Elected Officials and Council without ever mentioning Administration (unless I missed something). That's interesting.
• Steinberg also shared how upset she was that Mahwah missed out on grant funding from the state because they never applied for it. The Council doesn't apply for grant funding, administration does. It is disingenuous to even imply otherwise.

Conclusion

I remain laser-focused on ensuring the Republicans win this year and last night's even only further confirmed why it is necessary. The Democrats have a ton of ideas that sound great, will make residents smile but which are not attainable without taking important and responsible steps, first.

I am gravely concerned about constituents voting along party lines this year, simply because of their distaste for Chris Christie. Because while I am not a fan of his, from our local government up to the governorship, the Democrats are proving themselves more and more each day, to be dangerous. That is why I'm not supporting them. I wish I could...but I love my town too much.