Monday, March 12, 2007

Erring on the Side of Openness

Last night the chair of the Dryden GOP called to try to talk me out of chatting on the radio this morning about the fake newsletter he put out on behalf of his village candidates. Although I choose to believe that he had no previous knowledge of the real village newsletter, I know that his candidates did. I also do not accept his premise that at the local level, we should just talk on the phone and shake hands over things rather than discussing them in a public way. It is a fundamental difference in philosophy. Yes, we are all neighbors, but we also owe it to the voters to keep them informed of everything that goes on, good or bad.

So I went on the radio, and the Dryden GOP had their County Rep talk about negative campaigning and diversions from the issues. But ultimately he did apologize on behalf of the candidates for using a campaign piece that looked like an official newsletter from the village government. And I tried to soften the blow by pointing out that I had complained just as bitterly when Democrats on the Freeville Board sent out opinions on a school referendum with their water bills. Wrong is wrong. Pointing it out is right. This I believe. . . .

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