Every other day I have been getting ads in the mail encouraging me to vote for state Assemblywoman Grace Meng (D-Flushing), City Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village) and that other candidate whose name escapes me. Printed on 9-by-12 stock card paper, a lot of trees must have been cut down to provide the pulp.
The Democratic Party primary is weeks away, and after that the winner will not be going up against Councilman Dan Halloran (R-Whitestone) until November. Running low on paper, they may be forced to raid our parks, yards and streets for trees, including those million the mayor wants planted.
Our dogs will not take too kindly to that, which might solve the problem. In peeved-off moods to begin with, they may make it impossible for their natural enemies to deliver our mail without incurring hearing loss from all the barking and possible gnawing upon a limb, ensuring that we will not have received any more literature from politicians ever again.
Granted, we also will not receive letters from our daughters and sons, filling us in on college life and the good grades they are getting. Our paychecks will not get to us either. Nor will that $100 Staples reward refund, aimed at making us feel OK about paying so much for printer ink. The sacrifice will be more than worth it, though.
It is not like we learn anything valuable from the political fliers. It is mostly propaganda — exaggerating the importance of some small success politicians have managed, in the petty offices they have held, granted room on their brochures to begin with. Full-figure portraitures adorn the leaflets, similar to those in fashion ads. It is not just the office-seekers: Reasonably well-known politicians they have schmoozed with are included, too.
There they are seated at a table with Claire Shulman, Borough President Helen Marshall or city Comptroller John Liu.
Big deal. So they had dinner at some political shindig and shook hands and said cheese together. So they have families like the rest of us. Am I supposed to be impressed by that and be more inclined to vote for them?
Many of us really want to learn more about the candidates not only for the upcoming election, but for all elections. The plethora of ads we receive do little to advance that. So why not put a stop to them?
At least be more environmentally friendly and print the ads on recycled card stock. Better yet: Print them on ordinary paper and mail them in plain envelopes. We will not rip them up and toss them directly into our trash cans as we do with junk mail.
Ease up on the face-dropping photos and provide us with more facts.
Ken Klinger
Bayside
