Wednesday Feb 22nd, 2012
Last update: 580 hours 26 min 34 sec ago
An online publication for the people, by the people
Last update: 580 hours 26 min 34 sec ago
An online publication for the people, by the people
Earning the Right to Complain
Mon, 03/28/2011 - 17:06 — admin
By Lee Shenkman | Essex County Politics Contributor
Dear Reader: No doubt you like to think of yourself as pretty smart. You care about other people and would probably lend a helping hand to most people. You are proud that, in most cases, you do the right thing. Am I right so far?
OK, then, what are you doing to make Newark better? You live here, probably work here, and likely went to school in the city or have a child in school. When you look around, it’s almost certain that you don’t like what you see. You don’t like the crime, the failing schools, the lack of opportunity, the lack of services. Moreover, you probably complain a lot about what’s happening to Newark. You undoubtedly have some fairly strong opinions about the sad state of the city and the leaders who, you probably feel, are useless, incompetent, or crooked…possibly even all of those things. So, I ask again: What are you doing to make Newark better?
Let’s start with the obvious. Did you vote in the last city election? What? You didn’t? Well, don’t worry too much. About three-quarters of the city’s registered voters didn’t bother to cast ballots. Knowing that most of your fellow citizens didn’t vote may make you feel a bit better about yourself.
On the other hand, if you didn’t vote, what gives you the right to complain? You claim to care about the city, but you let other people decide what happens in Newark. If the leaders who won the elections last year are screwing up, if they’re making bad decisions, then the fact is that you bear some of the responsibility.
Possibly you may think that voting doesn’t matter, that your vote will not make a difference. Did you know that one city councilman was elected by the magnificent total of 11 votes? Could he have been defeated? Absolutely, yes…if enough people had bothered to take 5 minutes to vote. But they didn’t; they couldn’t find the time. Whether you like the result or not, the fact remains: if you don’t vote, you have no right to complain about the sad state of affairs.
By this time, you should be feeling pretty bad. At least, I hope you are. But all is not lost. You have a great opportunity coming up. On April 27, the city of Newark will head to the polls once again. A new school board will be elected. A school board election? What so important about that?
Well, the fact is, this is a very important election, one that you should really care deeply about, especially if you or your kids or grandkids go to school in Newark. The basic facts about the election are:
- Lots of money is at stake, the $100 million donation by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg
- Two of the most powerful people in the city, Councilman Ras Baraka and North Ward leader Steve Adubato, are throwing everything they have into the election in an effort to exert control over the schools
- The governor, Chris Christie, and Mayor Cory Booker, are trying to establish a number of private charter schools within the existing public schools, and they want to divert money from the public to the private schools
- A potential mayoral candidate, Shavar Jeffries, is running on the slate of candidates backed by Steve Adubato
In essence, the future of Newark’s children is really at stake in the election, maybe even the future of Newark itself. Some types of elections may gain more headlines, but very few are as important for the future of Newark as this one. Surely, that’s worth getting involved, don’t you think?
Unfortunately, there is a downside to voting. The other side may win. Bummer. That’s right, there’s this whole democracy thing to worry about: the side that gets the most votes wins the election.
But don’t let that discourage you from voting. If your side wins, you can take pride in the fact that you had something to do with the victory, with making the city you live in a better place. However, even if your side loses, you can still work to get a better outcome in the future. You can become a lot more active in helping to convince others that the future is worth fighting for. After all, there is always the next election. People who believe passionately in certain things tend to work hard to make their dreams come true. Surely, the future of Newark is worth fighting for.
If you do that, win or lose, you will have earned the right to complain. Perhaps you really are as smart as you think you are.
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Poll
Vote for Newark's next Mayor?
Donald M. Payne
15%
Augusto Amador
6%
Ras J. Baraka
21%
Mildred C. Crump
6%
Carlos M. Gonzalez
3%
Luis A. Quintana
4%
Anibal Ramos, Jr.
11%
Ronald C. Rice
8%
Darrin S. Sharif
26%
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