The Fire Department,
The Moose, The Elks, The Oddfellows, The Masons etc.
The Churches,
The American Legion and the VFW,
The Booster Club for the school,
and many other organizations
.
I have been "laying low" during this election process
waging a quiet, thoughtful campaign on my website.
The Council meetings that I attended a decade ago
were events of continuous rage, conflict, hostility, games, and ill-will.
I have avoided such meetings, but I'm paying attention from a distance.
When elected (or even before, if you're friendly and civil and wish to talk)
I look forward to meeting the leaders and the members of all such organizations
IN CIVILITY
(anger and rage I'll walk away from - I'm not here for the angry minority to take pot shots at.
I'm here to repressent and serve the rest of you).
Though I haven't seen a simple, clear handbook for the functions of Mayor,
in general it is obviously a leadership position.
It is a "weak" Mayor position in that The Council runs the town,
and that suits me just fine.
The Council manages The Deep State aspect -
water, sewer, garbage, electricity, roads etc.
It's tedious, it's thoughtful, it's important.
Other than career advancement and name-recognition
the Counselor's motive is service and keeping this a good town, and I respect that.
I'm an indigenous Middletowner and an Outsider, at the same time.
I hope to bring the best of those two aspects to my time in service as Mayor.
Indigenous in that I was born and raised in a similar community in The Northeast in Vailsburg, Newark NJ in the 50's and 60's.
An Outsider in that I've been around - too many places to mention.
Vailsburg Newark, Jersey City, Manhattan, Alameda CA, sacramento, anchorage, Palmer-Wasilla,
Walnut Grove, Golconda NV, Minot ND, gallup NM, Pecos TX and vicinity, El Paso, Juarez, Deming and so on...and so on...
That's not the half of it.
I've seen small, middle, and big towns in every stage
from birth to middle age to decline,
over and over and over, everywhere.
You've had decades of stability from Mayor Reid,
you transitioned with the outsider lawyer kid and his law firms behind the scene
and he now has a cloud over him
of FLIP-FLOPPING INSTABILITY
(he's a Democrat - he's a Republican. he's not running - he's running.
he wages a negative campaign - he cries and gets upset when the better choice puts light on HIS negatives,
including the very serious allegations from your elected officials of sex crimes against women).
As in the poem "IF" by Rudyard Kipling,
"If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch".
I can, and I have.
A workingman and a professional.
From garbageman and fireman to teacher -
Governors, Senators, Representatives, Ambassadors
I have walked with them all.
No, I don't work for a law firm.
I don't have a law firm advising me, drooling at the mouth at having hired a mayor,
having a mayor to advise and guide ... and influence ...
I stay connected ... but I stand apart.
Like Diane Ravitch's influential, formative, and beloved teacher,
Ruby Ratliff, wrote in Dr. Ravitch's yearbook,
"among them, but not of them".
She meant that in a good way.
Not owned. Not beholden. Not unduly influenced.
I do hope to be influenced
by the best of you -
not by the angry, or the stupid,
but by the civil, the caring, the thoughtful,
and that's most of you.
I'm honored by this experience of seeking the position of Mayor,
by getting to know Middletown better,
and by trying to introduce myself better to you.
Thank You (and I would appreciate your vote which I need in order to serve you).
My next entry will be about
the tremendous support Middletown gives to Veterans and to active duty personnel
I will also discuss some shameful abuse of Veterans
with a personal example from me.
See you next entry.