Last month was a doozy. I'm just getting back to writing about all the stuff that happened. One of those events that I didn't get to tell you about was a meet & greet night that we had at our house for Josh Gottheimer. Who's that? Well, he's the guy who is going to beat Scott Garrett for the US Representative for NJ's 5th congressional district. How Bergen County is lumped in with Warren and Sussex, I'll never understand but the common folk are probably not meant to understand. Or we'd be yelling and screaming that this whole district map is complete bunk. (I like that word- bunk). I just looked at that map. It's literally like different countries making up the district. Unreal.
I've already been to anti-Garrett rallies in front of his office that he won't come out of to acknowledge us. Us, the people. The people that make up his district, he cares nothing about. He seems to care especially little for the rights of women and gay people. He only cares about his people. Straight, white men. But that's okay. He won't be in there for long. But only if we get the word out. I voted for Roy Cho, but apparently, not enough people voted along with me.
Usually it's me with the politics, and B stays out of that kind of thing, at least on a larger scale. He started getting into town politics though as a way of trying to help revitalize the downtown. He decided that running for office wasn't him so he was done with politics to focus on our store. In focusing on our business, he went to do right by a customer and drop something off at a house in Alpine. The customer said she was having a party and needed her lighting so he figured he'd bring it to her. In parking at her house, he got blocked in. Since he was sort of "stuck" there, he asked what this party was she was having. It turned out that it was a meet & greet/fundraiser for Josh Gottheimer. He got to learn all about how Josh is the antithesis of Scott Garrett and way more in line with our political views than Garrett will ever be.
B thought it would be nice if we had something for Josh at our house so we could help spread the word that there is a worthy candidate to get behind. It also meant we got to have Eddie's (Silk City Catering) food at our house too. It was a win-win for everyone.
Josh came, along with Tim Eustace, NJ Assemblyman who has represented the 38th district since 2012. Tim's Chief of Staff, Christopher Hillman, I got to speak to both Josh, Tim, and Christopher, in the group and each one-on-one, and I was then even more thrilled to have been able to host this event. They're all really good people. I didn't realize that I had been sitting next to Tim at the Glen Rock council meeting in support of Sgt McInerney and Officer Bryan Scott when they were suspended unfairly without pay by the now ex-chief. Seems we have a lot in common- support of the underdog. That's what I like!
Josh wanted to get home in time to say goodnight to his kids, so we didn't make it a long night. But everyone enjoyed meeting him, Tim, and Christopher.
Josh is a lawyer (Harvard Law grad!), a speechwriter (wrote for Bill Clinton!), and a public policy advisor and he's only forty-one. I think his history is pretty impressive. Josh Gottheimer Wikipedia
Garrett is against the gays, I'm for the gays, so I'm for Josh. Seriously, Josh is for equality. Equality for everyone. Garrett has also just held this office for WAY too long. He's old-school in a bad-school way. We need fresh blood because Scott Garrett does not represent all the people, just some of the people, the people willing to be discriminatory. I don't feel you should be allowed to discriminate anyone when you're supposed to represent all and that's what he wants to continue to do. Whoever is willing to represent all groups of people is the one we should have for our district.
Don't just be like some people I know personally, that have no clue what's actually going on around them, just voting down their party ticket. This is one of those time I hope people really investigate who they're planning to vote for. Do your research! Don't just walk in that booth and check boxes. This is such an important election year on every level.
It's all here- educate yourself and see how you don't want Scott Garrett representing YOU:
http://josh4congress.com/
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/20160403_ap_2ed61246e71c4289ae3214c92c13fc13.html
http://bergendispatch.com/articles/37755937/Gottheimer-And-Elected-Officials-Say-Scott-Garrett-s-Ideology-A-Tax-On-District-Families.aspx
Even republicans are backing away from Garrett and endorsing Josh:
http://politickernj.com/2016/03/republican-councilman-backs-democrat-gottheimer-in-cd5/
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