Gargantuan miss? Maybe not

Did the Record, northern New Jersey's paper of note and usually a keen observer of the Teaneck political scene, drop the ball in its recap of the top Teaneck news stories of 2006? While its summary made mention of most of the people, personalities, and events that were the talk of the town last year, one plot line escaped the newspaper staff. How is it that the Record could devote several lines to Teaneck's climactic Council elections without even a word about the nefarious plots that frustrated the ambitions of a certain public figure who continues to do all he can to make sure Teaneck does not forget him?

Could it be that in the judgment of the Bergen Record the story of the anonymous mailings and the alleged existence of anonymous informants and vast conspiracies is in fact a minor one? Could it be that the Township has turned the page while certain individuals remain committed to protecting their pride by believing that underhanded schemes rather than a crowded field and their own positions and electability bear the responsibility for their failure at the polls? It would in no way diminish the injustice of what was done, derail law enforcement efforts and exonerate whoever it was who broke campaign laws, or even make it any harder to run again in 2008 if the efforts to deligitimize the 2006 election results in the public's eyes were dropped completely.

With the change in the calendar comes yet an other opportunity to eliminate past distractions and refocus our efforts on the most important issues facing the Township. The best advertisement for a prospective candidate happens to also be the best thing for the community: a strong record of involvement in problem solving and positive contributions to local discourse. We should all resolve to use our voices this way in the coming year.