Dear Editor:
An examination of the votes cast in Tuesday’s Secaucus School Election is a strong indication that the voters of Secaucus are fed up with machine politicians.
Although not a candidate in this school election I did urge that the school budget be approved by the voters. I took this position since I worked closely with the school superintendent, board secretary and other committee members and we came up with a tight budget good for the students and very aware of the burden to the taxpayers. I am pleased the voters responded in a favorable manner.
What I found truly interesting about the school vote is that a close examination of the results shows that the voters are getting fed up with machine politicians. Usually, in a school election, the candidates poll more votes than budget question. In this election the reverse was the fact.
The results of the voting disclose that 1278 citizens of Secaucus voted on the budget question. Of these approximately 500 voters ignored the organization candidates who ran unopposed. This refusal by some 500 Secaucus voters to pull the lever of the organization candidates could only be viewed as a strong protest against machine politics. Once could say that 500 Secaucus voters who went to the polls this past Tuesday would have voted for Mickey Mouse rather than pull the lever for any of the organization candidates.
If this reaction could be expressed in a school election where there was no candidate opposition and actually no campaigning just imagine what an organized popular movement presenting candidates who owe their allegiance to the people rather than a political machine could do in next years municipal election.
Tom Troyer
Board of Education