Debunking the New CNC Flyer

This week, the Citizens Non-Partisan Party (CNC) has been handing out flyers at the Scarsdale Train Station. While it is sleek and full of rhetorical buzzwords, the flyer mischaracterizes the candidates and the party itself. Let’s disprove some of the arguments made by the CNC on its flyer.

The title, “Vote for Experience”

We need to assume that when they are talking about "experience," they are referring to civic and professional experience. The range of civic experience on the CNC ballot ranges from being involved with the Scarsdale Forum, to being part of the Fire Safety Directors Association, to being a former or current village trustee. This is definitely all good experience, but to imply that they have more than the Voters Choice Party is absurd. Candidate for mayor Bob Berg is also a part of the Scarsdale Forum, Bob Selvaggio is a trustee of the Pelham Community Rowing Association (where I used to row), and Brice Kirkendall-Rodriguez is the leader of a Scarsdale-based Tiger Den, a part of the Cub Scouts. To speak about their professional careers, Carlos Ramirez is an educational tech consultant, Selvaggio is an economist, Berg is a litigator, and Kirkendall-Rodriguez works in quality assurance for iHeart Radio.

“We are a political party after all and our publicly elected caucus (the CNC) uses a process not dissimilar to other political parties for reviewing and selecting candidates to run for office.”

I’ll concede that they are a political party with a publicly elected caucus (no matter how undemocratic the caucus might be), but they are dead wrong when they say that their process for reviewing and selecting candidates to run for office is remotely similar to any other political party. Are there any political parties in the US (and probably the world) that give their candidates only 10 minutes to make their case in front of 30 committee members? Where they cannot talk about actual issues? And where the members cannot ask the candidates any questions? This is the reality of the CNC nominating process, but it is purely unique to them. To add to it, all of these proceedings are completely confidential. To be fair, the 30-member committee is all elected, but the elections fall on odd dates and have abysmal turnout. The only thing in modern politics that might sound like this is the Democrats’ super delegate system, and at least that is transparent enough to generate the outrage that it deserves. The CNC represents nothing like anything else in contemporary politics.

“Where it is different [than other political parties] is in the painstaking efforts for the CNC to represent all neighborhoods and the diversity of our Village in terms of background and viewpoint to select the best possible slate of candidates.”

In this excerpt, the CNC refers to the 30-member committee (5 members per elementary school district) that are elected to nominate candidates. They claim that this process gets members with different backgrounds and viewpoints. While the committee itself may be diverse because of the fact that it is made up of 30 different people, the CNC is given is mandate to govern by an extremely small group of Scarsdalians that turn out for these elections. In most cases, the only voters in these races are friends and family of the candidate. So, the system only rewards people who know the system by elevating them into power in uncontested elections, while the system doesn’t do anything to bring in any new voters. This is the opposite of diversity.

“These non-partisan candidates were selected based on character, judicious temperament, intelligence, zeal for public service, and above all, open-mindedness.”

I’m going to start off with the last characteristic mentioned: open-mindedness. The claim is that non-partisan candidates are more open-minded than other candidates. Assuming this is true, this comes at a sacrifice. This sacrifice is the ability to take a stand on an issue. In the CNC nomination proceedings, candidates are not allowed to take stances on any of the pressing issues facing Scarsdale. The CNC states in its mission statement that this is so Scarsdale politics isn't "divisive," and of course, so that candidates keep open minds. However, the effect of this has become that the all non-partisan board of trustees has taken unanimous positions on big issues in Scarsdale, because they are afraid to dissent from their peers. At an expense of disagreement and having honest conversations, the CNC stops even a small degree of divisiveness from happening. This is not healthy for a government. On their other claims, I don’t doubt the candidates aren’t judicious, of good character, of the right temperament, or any of the other characteristics. However, these qualities are also possessed by the Voter’s Choice Party candidates. Looking at their records of service, no one can doubt this.

This means that our election will come down to the issues. However, the CNC refuses to take a stance on the issues, while the Voter’s Choice Party has. If you want fiscal responsibility, a more transparent government, improved infrastructure, and cost-effective sustainability projects, then vote for the Voter’s Choice ticket. If not, vote for the CNC, and, well, who knows?! Let’s hope they agree with you.

To find out more, visit voterschoiceparty.com.

Jack Greenspan is a freshman at Scarsdale High School, and is a supporter of the Scarsdale Voter's Choice Party.