I have lived in Maplewood for a quarter of a century and have owned a business here since 1988. In that time, I have not seen our citizens and businesses as engaged in the elective process as energetically as what we are experiencing now. That passion has also divided the community in a manner that I have not observed before. This dissonance is the opposite of what we all strive for, which is unity as a community. I don’t believe that any of us, including my opponent, want to live in a city where animosity is a prevalent value.
What does a post-election Maplewood look like? First, there needs to be a time for healing and reconciliation. There needs to be a new path where everyone feels free to express their opinion and they need to feel confident that their voices will be heard and considered in establishing public policy that is in the best interest of the entire community.
This is a difficult task since we live in a diverse city. However, that diversity is one of our greatest strengths. That is why people move here and want to raise their families here. We are a melting pot of different races, religions, sexual orientations, ages, and political views. We see each of these characteristics manifest conflict on state, national and world stages, but it doesn’t have to be that way locally. Maplewood and its elected officials can and should do everything possible to protect all of its citizens and create a community where mutual respect and acceptance is the standard. Bigotry of any kind will not be tolerated.
My observation is that most of us in Maplewood embrace the need to take care of all our neighbors. We all want to make all citizens feel safe on our streets and in our homes. Safety is of particular concern to members of the LGBTQ+ community as they feel ostracized by a segment of our population. Safety is also a concern for those of us that are members of religious minorities, as evidenced by the rise of hate crimes, not just nationally, but here in our own town. Our seniors are having a difficult time being able to afford housing, food and medical care with a rising cost of living. That cost of living has priced many of the economically disadvantaged population out of the market and they are not able to enjoy the amenities that our community provides. People of color should not feel disenfranchised in Maplewood.
These are the real problems facing us, not which candidates we support. The next administration must be experienced and qualified. We must focus on doing the work to advance these causes while also focusing on the daily tasks of actually making sure a city functions and can sustain itself. I am proposing an administration that solves as many problems as we can without creating more problems. An administration that seriously considers the opinions of all our constituents, not just the ones that agree with us. The workings of our government should be open to scrutiny. Our decisions need to be carefully thought out to make the best use of our taxpayers’ hard-earned dollars.
You have a choice on April 2nd on who gets a voice in our future. I think the future belongs to every one of us.
-Barry Greenberg