I hear numerous complaints from the community about the state of our city. We often blame the people we put in office. In all honesty, we can’t just blame the politicians completely.  By their standards they are doing what seems right to them or at least what they believe they can safely get away with.

It’s us voters who are to blame. It’s us voters who consistently vote these people in office, knowing these politicians have no intentions for moving the city in a right direction.  Within the next 9 months the City of Paterson will experience several elections.

It is important to point out that Paterson is in bad shape.

Many politicians have come before us bearing elaborate promises prefaced with the go to term “change.” What we want as a community is not someone who has a gift for gab. We can’t afford, as a community, politicians who only have their own political interests at heart. From the municipal elections to the school board race, we have candidates who either want to make a difference or just want to carve out their own path on the political speedway. While we can’t stop anyone from running for office, we can certainly make every one of them aware of the fact that we won’t just push their name in the voting booth because they’re popular, polished or politically savvy.

We want someone who is REAL, HONEST, TRUSTWORTHY, and not interested the least bit in answering to any political party. We must have independent voices who cannot be bought, sold, intimidated, lied to, manipulated, silenced, or controlled. We don’t want politicians who seek to kowtow to the establishment. It’s time to fix this mess but we won’t be able to if mess keeps getting elected.

When you vote, vote as if your life depends on it.

Vote for your children.

Corey Teague
Activist and ex-school board member