Voting for the candidate with the most integrity: Occhipinti

Dear Editor:
I like to consider myself fairly politically inactive. By that, I mean I don’t usually commit to anything outside of voting. I don’t donate. I don’t walk door-to-door. I don’t make phone calls, nor do I put up signs in front of my house. I really do keep my vote to myself. It’s not because I’m not motivated or compelled to display my voting habits on my sleeve, but it’s because of how people judge one another.
However, given today’s economy and perpetual mud slinging, I can’t help but feel that the elections this year really will be about character and integrity. This election is about how I plan to judge my sitting-councilman.
As I said before, I’m not your everyday political junkie. I do my homework on the main candidates and vote on what vision they have for my government. In doing so, and in reading Hoboken’s lively blogging community, I couldn’t help but notice that there is one candidate who doesn’t talk out of both sides of his mouth; that candidate is Tim Occhipinti.
To give you an example, Tim is against laying off police officers. As an American, I wouldn’t really approve of the President of the United States decreasing the size of the military. As an urban resident, I certainly do not approve of Mayor Zimmer’s police reduction. What I noticed was that Mike Lenz was adamantly in support of the layoffs before he was against it. He was willing to place my safety and security on the line, and didn’t exhibit any real independence on this issue.
If you ask me, I want my next councilman to be an outsider. I want it to be someone whose character has not been compromised. I want this person to be genuine and not throw stones if they live in a glass house.
This November, I’m exercising my right to vote by voting AGAINST Mike Lenz and voting FOR the one person who doesn’t seem to be corrupted and blind to his own actions.
I’ll proudly be voting for Tim Occhipinti, and I hope you do, too.

Michelle Aksamit

© 2000, Newspaper Media Group