I am tired of this - aren't you?

Ahhh, there is nothing like opening the front door on an Autumn day and feeling the cool, crisp air on your face…. that is unless it is “election season”. During election season, the minute the door is open you can feel the tension in the air.

Every time you turn on the tv, you see the nasty ads on tv. There is no escape. You leave your house you are bombarded with signs on everyones lawn. I might add this is not pretty to look at. Every where you go, you hear something political. The grocery store, the drug store, the coffee shops, bagel stores, the local luncheonettes. You have to plan where you can go and when so you don’t have to be confronted.

I have gone to the fund raisers one last year and one this year. I went with my daughter to the first dinner. I was appalled at the type of talk which the other day I was told is “Political Rhetoric”. I call it bullying. I was saddened that two out of the three candidates (and one of which not as bad as the other) as well as some of the “party” members spoke regarding the “other” party and all the terrible things about the party and the people running.

I spoke with the candidates individually as well as the “party” members that spoke and told them that this type of “rhetoric” was completely unacceptable. I even instructed one of the candidates to speak with their children because OUR Wyckoff schools teach that bullying is not welcomed. The kids are taught to tune out a bully. If the kids tune out the bully, then they don’t know what the candidate stands for and therefore they just lost a younger persons vote. My daughter had the same talk with the Candidates that I was later to become aware of. I thought this would be an interesting evening for her to see and support a friend at the same time. This in turn, was a major eye opener.

I went to the “other” party dinner fund raiser and I did not hear such “rhetoric”. I heard what the candidate was going to do for Wyckoff. This to me was refreshing.

There was an uproar about a mailer that was recently sent out. I did not personally receive one. This one was personally attacking a Republican candidate. I asked to see the flyer, and I certainly do not condone such a mailing. However, I do recall two mailers that went out last year against a Democratic candidate as well. For some reason there was not such an outrage from the Republican party. I find it disgusting on both accounts but I am not surprised. If you start the ball rolling, there will be a “clap” back. I see this “clap back” happening on both sides. Then the denials from each side. It is terrible! I can remember from one year to the next. I do not suffer from Alzheimer’s - nor do I have Dementia (Thank God).

I also am shocked by the statement “Chicago style politics” - is it bad enough that we have 3 candidates duking it out, we have to have Chicago on our asses too? Why would you bring in a whole city because you are upset with one person? Don’t you think by saying such a thing that this escalates the problems I am speaking of even further?

Why can’t Wyckoff be different and have a “Nice” campaign. Am I dreaming? Of course I am. But so are you. You paint this town as though it is “Mayberry” when we all know it is not. We want better sales for our homes when we are ready to move. Potential buyers only have to look at previous campaigns to find they are not moving to “Mayberry” but rather entering a grown up version of the movie “Mean Girls” and who would want to move into a place like that?

The Republicans want to keep the “power” of the Committee. I hear them say it. I hear the Democrats say here is the chance to “make it even”. I understand that this can be a power trip to some. I understand that some want to make politics a career and township politics starts the proceedings of a career. We have had Township Committee members become Mayors who became Assemblymen and I think maybe even Senators which is awesome. I also can understand that they are running to make our town better. But are they? This campaign is bitter to say the least. When a townsman is afraid to go to a coffee shop or luncheonette because they will hear this “rhetoric” is it helping? I find this hurting the local business by keeping customers away or making customers uncomfortable.

So what has my knickers in a knot? All of it. I am tired. I am tired of seeing this play out. I have lived in Wyckoff for 22 years. I am tired of hearing that this is only “recently” happening and the blame game ensuing. The two parties can fight it out all they want but the more the do, the more the behavior is becoming infantile. I am the one getting hurt here. ME - the voter, did you forget about me while you are throwing yourselves on the floor with your temper tantrums? You are supposed to be winning MY vote. This is supposed to be about Wyckoff and the residents of Wyckoff. So far it has been about everything but. I want to hear what you have to say, but I only want to hear what you have to say about what YOU are going to do for MY town. Tell me what will make ME vote for YOU. Tell ME what policies YOU believe in. What things YOU will change or leave the same. I only want to hear what YOU are going to do and not what the OTHER candidate does not do. I know how to make up my own mind. I just wish you would tell me what you would do so I can have the opportunity to make up my mind on a solid platform that you presented.

I will end my “rant” with this: My mother always taught me that if you don’t have anything nice to say - don’t say it at all. Here is another “just because ‘so and so’ is going to jump off the bridge, you know better”. Let’s all try and remember the golden rule here. I hope we all want the same thing, I hope we all want what is best for WYCKOFF!