A "Sign" of the Times: A Case of Size Does Matter

A “SIGN” OF THE TIMES

-A Case of Size Does Matter-

Opinion of Don Huber, Warren Township Resident

IN MY 48 YEARS of serving in various government offices on the local, state, and federal levels, I not only gave my best effort to act honorably and strive to leave things in better shape than I found them, I also spent a great deal of time and energy learning how to read people in government by subtle behaviors not always obvious to an unsuspecting public. In the unforgettable words of Yogi Berra, “You can observe a lot just by watching”.

One of my most recent observations (thanks, Yogi) - and a matter very near to my heart as a resident of Warren Township - involves the local political campaign signage we have all seen across town in preparation of the upcoming Township Committee Election on June 4th.

As the many lawn and corner lot signs have revealed, the contest for two open Township Committee seats largely comes down to a race between the team of Dan Croson and Lance Blick versus the team of Jolanta Maziarz and Greg Przybylski.

Allow me to preface my further commentary by sharing my belief that - while I understand the value of such political signage as an expression of our First Amendment rights - what matters most is the integrity, knowledge, perspectives, and capacity to lead in possession by the candidates seeking to hold public office. That being said, with or without signage of any nature or size, for me the only wise choice is to ELECT JOLANTA MAZIARZ and GREG PRZYBYLSKI to fill our open Township Committee seats. I will expound on that well-founded position in short order.

Back to the issue of the signage.

Did you know that the Warren Township Municipal Code on SIGN REGULATIONS (16-25.3-g) states in part that “Signs indicating a political preference for a person and/or political party seeking election…(shall not) exceed sixteen (16) square feet in area…”?

Perhaps the better question is, did Croson and Blick have that knowledge when they designed their non-code compliant political signage, at least one of which is boldly displayed street side of the Township-School District-Pop Warner football field on Old Stirling Road - totally inappropriate and oddly unaddressed by our Township Zoning Office.

In any event, math was never my strong subject (not sure I ever had a strong subject) but it would appear the 4x8’ CROSAN-BLICK signs (wherever they have been placed) are 32 square feet in area, DOUBLE THE SQUARE FOOTAGE ALLOWED UNDER OUR ZONING LAWS.

The 4x4’ MAZIARZ-PRZYBYLSKI signs (while admittedly harder to pronounce) are 16 square feet in area and therefore IN COMPLIANCE WITH OUR ZONING LAWS.

Some folks may ask, “Does size really matter?”

In response, I’ll make my answer short (no pun intended, ok, maybe a little)…yes, in this case, it absolutely does, but not so much for the size thing, but more to the point, what it reveals about the mind set of the candidates.

The over-sized and questionably-placed Croson and Blick signs amount to one of those subtle behaviors to which I alluded at the start of this oped.

The sense of entitlement characterized by Croson and Blick in knowingly and willfully violating Township Zoning laws (surely they knew or should have known of such laws) is a huge warning sign and an arrogant display of the “DO WHAT I SAY, DON’T DO AS I DO” mentality that has been the scourge of our political system and a large part of the reason the public has lost so much faith and trust in our government leaders.

And for any fans of the ironic twist, I find it amusingly ironic that the Croson-Blick signs boast themes like “controlling taxes” while ostensibly over-spending on over-sized political signage, “protecting open space” while obstructing open spaces with their illegally placed signage at the ball field, and “supporting law enforcement” while being in violation of the law by the very presence of their signage professing such support.

In summary, if your leaders do not hold themselves accountable to the same laws - large and small - which they expect you to uphold, you have selected the wrong leadership.

The good news is that we have a much better choice at the tip of our fingers.

JOLANTA MAZIARZ and GREG PRZYBYLSKI are people of unshakeable integrity and proven leadership. They are both well-seasoned in government services yet bring to the table a genuine sense of honesty and altruistic service so rare in government today. They jointly possess the knowledge, vision, and perseverance to serve the residents of Warren Township (that’s us) in a manner that we expect and deserve as taxpayers and members of the community.

Yes, their names are not easy to pronounce, but the choice on June 4th Election Day could not be any easier…VOTE FOR JOLANTA MAZIARZ AND GREG PRZYBYLSKI FOR WARREN TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE.