Thomas S. Rue Jeffrey Sternberg and Janet Malman
PO Box 706, Monticello, New York 12701-0706March 14, 1999
Democratic candidates for Mayor and Trustee
Village of Monticello
Monticello, New York 12701Mr. Sternberg and Ms. Malman,
There have been elections in the past, and will undoubtedly be more in the future, to which I have contributed and will contribute energy or other resources, for candidates whom my wife and I considered honest, competent and hard-working. This is a duty, as I see it. But this year, I was just sick of the vicious attack style of local Democratic politicking and bickering. The style of your display ads in local newspapers and shoppers is part of what initially persuaded me to sit this election out. Your approach to the public stinks.
In contrast to me, Carmen decided that she wanted to send a letter to area newspapers, and in fact she did so, giving vent to knowledge which she had about your past business failures which she considered germane to your abilities for the fiduciary trust which you are seeking as a CEO a public entity in which we are taxpayers (i.e., the Village of Monticello.) Carmen questioned your commitment, since you are both newcomers to local governmental processes. I shared her concern, but was not inclined to issue any public statements.
I have reconsidered.
What changed my mind was the recent postcard which your campaign sent to me. The offset-printed campaign literature was standard boilerplate empty political rhetoric. However, my card was personalized. Neatly printed in large blue ballpoint-pen block letters, handwritten on my card, as it was received from the U.S. Postal Service (postmarked 03-12-1999 at Monticello), was a statement paraphrasing Paul's letter to the Galatians (chapter 6, verse 7), to wit:
"You Reap What Yee Sow" [sic]
Yes indeed, and the same to each of you, thank you, poor spelling aside.
On first reading, I interpreted the above as a threat or warning from you or your supporters, perhaps for the public letter my wife sent. But the card in question was addressed to me. I am registered to vote as Blank (unaffiliated with a political party), and have long made a practice of supporting the most qualified candidates irrespective of party affiliation. I did put a "Sommers" sign in our front yard last year, and it's out there again. My wife, a registered Democrat, did not receive your targeted mailing, perhaps because you think you have the votes among local Democrats sewn up and a shoe-in, or perhaps because whoever conducted your campaign mailing pulled her card out figuring it to be a wasted twenty cents. Our two college-age children each received cards, but no poorly-spelled karmic threats were written on theirs. Only I was so honored.
It is poor practice for people who want to run local government to cloak themselves in religious language in order to anonymously threaten voters who they think do not support them. Candidates are responsible for the mailings they send out. Or, as the book says, "Every man shall bear his own burden."
As stated above, I did not plan on exercising my right to publicly comment on this year's Village election. Your postcard changed my mind. By the anonymous comment which you sent or caused to be sent to me, you have shown yourselves to be cowards, quite likely motivated by the brand of vindictive narcissism which is typical of too many of our local political types. Such character traits in government officials threaten decent society. In my opinion, you are unworthy of the public's trust. Monticello government will get worse if you are elected, if your past business failures and recent half-truthful campaign smear ads are any indicator. I wish you well in your private lives and in business, but am more convinced than I was before receiving your recent mailing that your opponents are the more honorable and worthy candidates.
Gary Sommers is clearly experienced and more qualified to be Mayor. He has always proven himself to be approachable and willing to consider various alternatives to an issue. Jim Barnacle, for similar reasons, also has my support.
I join in urging Monticello's voters to vote straight Row A, for Republicans, this year's best field of Monticello candidates, on Tuesday, March 16th at the Monticello Neighborhood Facility. Sincerely,
Tom Rue
The above letter was personally delivered at a candidates' night on 03-15-1999, the night before the Village of Monticello election. Mayor candidate Jeffrey Sternberg publicly admitted writing the note on the postcard. When I pointed out that he and I had never met or communicated in any fashion, and he had no call to cast spells or send "payback" warnings in my direction, he said the note was intended for my wife Carmen, as a result of her letter to the editor, and was addressed to me by mistake. Not only did he misquote the Bible passage, and misspell 'yee', but he sent his missive to the wrong person. Oops.
Later in the evening, when I asked about the matter again, Sternberg lost his temper and made a public spectacle of himself, shouting at me in response to my questions, "I don't want to talk to you. I don't want to see you. I don't want anything to do with you."
"Then you don't want to be Mayor," I told Sternberg.
The next day, by a slim margin, Sternberg got his wish. He and his running-mate lost the election.
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