Sep 15, 2013

Generalness is Popular, Specificity is Better

Remember Walter Mondale's frankness about taxes in a 1984 presidential debate with President Ronald Reagan, many said that it set the stage for Reagan's 49-state landslide that year.  Voters didn't appreciate Mondale's candor since people, generally, don't like politicians giving them negative news even if it's true, which is why it wasn't particularly politically astute for me to be the messenger of austerity in the Newcastle News interview, but matters of principle, like being specific and frank in politics, should take precedence over political ambitions, I think.  Of course, everybody wants million dollar streets to drive their vehicles on, but if at the same time people don't want their taxes raised by a single cent, then something has to give.  Newcastle can't spend two million dollars a year on streets every year unless the economy rises significantly or taxes are raised, and right now, in this period of economic stagnation, I simply told the News reporter the truth about finances, and said that the expenditures for roads may have to be cut by half (with the implied caveat: if constituents don't want their taxes raised).  That was one of several specifics in the article's portion about me.  Regarding John Drescher, however, the majority of politicians in America wouldn't mind saying the same words as him in that article, in some sense, which gives you an idea of how general his statements were.

-- Mark Greene, Newcastle City Council Candidate, Position 6  

[revised on 10/13/13]

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