Oscovitch & Raffay for Byram Township Home page
There’s an important election coming up here in my home town, and I’m proudly, strongly supporting my two friends, incumbent Mayor Jim Oscovitch and incumbent Deputy Mayor Marie Raffay. While they each have two competitors, there is no other candidate who even comes close to the honesty, integrity, knowledge or experience that Jim and Marie both possess.
I received the ‘other team’s’ campaign mailing today. Besides their names and the election date, it consists of 35 (thirty-five) words. That’s it. 35 words. Seriously. Oh, and a picture of their families.
Simple, buzzword-filled bullet statements, lacking any ideas or details to back them up and show any thought towards solutions. Running on empty for ideas. And a link to their website in tiny type, almost as an after thought, because they know there’s nothing there for you to see. Obviously, this is a team who has not done their homework, and has no plans or objectives to back up their claims. And it shows.
It’s crunch time in Byram Township, and Jim and Marie need your help. This weekend it is very important for all of us to spread the word – to every friend, neighbor or relative we know – that there are two people on Tuesday’s ballot who have done their homework. Two people who have filled their campaign literature with facts on what they’ve done, and ideas on where they want to take Byram for the future.
Besides the mailer, Jim and Marie also provide details on themselves – and more information on their goals and objectives for Byram – on their web site, ByramStrong.com.
Jim & Marie’s web site, by the way, is not filled with big red ‘DONATE’ buttons like their competitor’s. Those are only needed when the bills come due after you’ve hired high-priced, out-of-town consultants. You know, the people who take your money and advise you to say as little as possible to avoid letting the voters know you have no plan. Hired-gun advisors to think for you because you can’t think for yourselves.
Instead, ByramStrong.com is powered by something more valuable than money – this community.
The task for all of us this weekend is to get others to compare and contrast all of the candidates, and there is no better way than to have them compare campaign literature and web sites. You wouldn’t buy a new car from a postcard picture, would you? Well then why would you vote for a mayor and council member from a picture of their family? If you are buying a car, you’d want to see all the specs on what’s under the hood, as well as reviews and recommendations from people you know and trust, right? The same is true when voting for the people who will run your town the next four years. You’ll only find that kind of information on two candidates in this election, because none of the others have any facts or plans to put out to the public. Just fluff and puff.
Take some time today to post the ByramStrong.com link to your Facebook wall, Tweet it out on Twitter, email it to all your friends, neighbors and relatives, and for the next three days, spread the word. Tell people to look beyond the empty-promise fluff – and ego-building puff – of the ‘other guys’ and get all the facts before they vote.
Once they’ve done that, the choice should become clear. Jim Oscovitch and Marie Raffay.
Byram Strong. Byram Proud.