Misleading GOP ad had racist and misogynistic overtones

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In the Oct. 14 edition of the Center County Gazette, Center County Republicans ran a full-page announcement regarding the Ferguson Township Supervisory Board. This ad answered hypothetical questions about the stormwater impact fee, berated a Democratic candidate and current board chairman for unrelated questions, and touted the Republican candidates as “fiscal conservatives.” .

This ad is intentionally misleading and full of spurious dog whistles. Here’s why.

Supervisors who have passed the stormwater impact fee are not currently running for election or re-election. Lisa Strickland, who currently sits on the board and is running for re-election for the At-Large seat, voted against the stormwater impact fee. Tierra D. Williams, candidate for an At-Large seat, and myself, candidate for Ward 2, publicly told the League of Women Voters’ Forum that the fees deserve reconsideration and further discussion.

So we’re all on the same page here, aren’t we? Wrong.

If this ad was honest about the stormwater impact fee, it would end with a call to repeal or revise the policy. But this is not the case. It ends with racist and misogynistic overtones. They reprimand Ms Williams, a candidate of color in the Ferguson Township race, for her leadership in the 3/20 Coalition, and cite critical race theory for fomenting white grievances. It is obvious that the Republican Party fears those who speak out and speak out, especially women.

We’re looking at a historic moment when Ferguson Township could be represented by an all-female identification board, comprising a young African-American woman and a young queer Jewish woman, both from working families. Advice like this is what the future of local government could and should be. It is high time to diversify our representation, because in doing so, we will finally be able to nurture and develop the equity, inclusiveness and accessibility that many of us seek, instead of our priorities being us. dictated by those in power.

Speaking of power, Central County Republicans chairman Kris Eng has asked for funding for this ad from those who represent special interest groups, namely real estate and land developers. And who controls these special interest groups? The same people who have been in power since the founding of this country. And as we have seen, by diversifying our representation, we prove that we are not beholden to these traditional actors of power or to particular interest groups. We respond to our families, friends and neighbors, and prioritize the well-being, progress and voices of our communities.

Finally, I would be remiss if I did not point out that this announcement is just sloppy, something mainstream Conservatives scorn. For a party that claims to be fiscally conservative, it should have saved its own money by checking facts and spelling. I’ll explain. A full-page black-and-white ad for the Center County Gazette costs $ 1,048, which is no small amount. However, there were some pretty pathetic oversights. The website they listed as a reference for stormwater impact charges is incorrect – it’s ms4partners.org, not .com. And in their big thesis to take down Ms Williams, they misspelled the very word meant to entice readers (hint: they ended up calling the cops a bunch of crows). They delegitimized their entire ad and threw a big price tag by including a bogus website and reckless spelling mistake. It does not seem tax conservative to me. It seems irresponsible.

Center County Republicans have nothing to offer but bad leadership and prejudice. Ms. Strickland, Ms. Williams and I would bring a variety of skills, global priorities and unique lived experiences to the Ferguson Township Supervisory Board for the benefit of all members of our community.

Hilary Caldwell is a Democratic candidate for the Ferguson Township Council of Supervisors Ward 2. Lisa Strickland and Tierra D. Williams, Democratic At-Large candidates for the Ferguson Township Supervisory Council, contributed to this editorial.

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