Thomas A. Della Croce, Hughey Lane
Frank DelCore is a good friend of mine and I want to congratulate him on his election to the Township Committee. I sincerely believe that Frank will be an excellent councilman. He is a good and humble man, a selfless man with a good heart, and I am confident he will do his level best to advance the good of the township.
That is not why I am writing, however.
The purpose of this letter is to pay homage to the campaign waged both by Frank DelCore and Paul Drake. These two men have demonstrated for all Hillsborough residents that an election campaign can be conducted with honor and integrity, devoid of the rancor and personal attacks that all too often have infected prior campaigns in this township; indeed, throughout the state.
Indeed, compare the dignified and mutually respectful campaign undertaken by Mssrs. DelCore and Drake to the bullying tactics employed by some, not all, members of the Charter Commission, when citizens with good intentions, including other members of the commission, dared to disagree with the predetermined opinion of some.
I firmly believe those tactics, and the accompanying dishonesty, scarred much of that commission’s work, and doomed the ballot question. For those residents who wish to effect change in our township, regardless of the nature of that change, I urge you to find leaders who will have an open mind from outset and who will extend respect and courtesy to the opinions of others, understanding that we all have the same goal making Hillsborough a great place to live for our families.
I for one have become sick and tired of the politics of demonization, whereby candidates and office-holders inexplicably find it necessary to vilify those who dare disagree with them, as if a differing opinion is not worthy of respect and consideration. I can’t speak for others, but I have always learned more from those who disagree with me than from those who concur with my opinions.
Differing views aren’t to be feared, they are to be welcomed.
I strongly believe that the voting public has had enough of nasty politics where politicians find comfort in disparaging others, rather than thoughtfully setting forth their own positions and convincing voters why those positions are worthy of their support. So there is no mistake, I direct this rebuke to both political parties, as well as Independents.
Mr. Drake, although you lost, I congratulate you on your dignity and integrity and thank you for your service to the township. Although I am a Republican, men and women of honor, such as yourself, are always needed and I hope you will continue to serve the needs of the township as you deem fit.
Again, I am very happy for Mr. DelCore; I supported him and I am proud of how he ran his campaign. I firmly believe that Hillsborough was the winner on Nov. 6th, not solely because Mr. DelCore won, but because we now have a template for waging honorable, respectful, thoughtful election campaigns.
I urge future candidates of both parties to learn the lessons provided by Mssrs. DelCore and Drake, and make the mudslinging and demonizing of those with differing views a permanent part of a shameful past.
