Adam Bierman for Princeton Council "Do Not Run with the Herd.

Speech at the First Baptist Church Princeton

On the question , qualifications, uniqueness , do I have to be on Princeton Council

4/28/18

First we are all of are own unique skill sets, background experience to bring to council.

 If elected I would never arrogantly believe I could come in and dictate . I welcome dissent and want to know all sides of the rubic que of policy making.  

The issues are complex and interrelated and never one dimensional.  You have more affordable housing, there is more stress on municipal services  That politics at any level does not always offer concrete solutions , but is the art of the best possible outcomes.

  So my job at first, would be to listen, learn the nuances of the issues , and decision making dynamics of the council  Then is some situation LEAD!

With that said, what makes me ready is one : I have the time flexibility to be on council.  I have governance and leadership experience from being an educational administrator, on the PCDO Executive board, and as a CWA shop steward. I am extremely proud that in my Union capacity that we stopped Christie for gutting the CWA , and we held out till we elected a governor who is negotiating for us in good faith. We were able to deliver to our workers their retroactive pay, increments.At the  same I bumped up Union membership in my building to 95%

I can be tough when needed.   In the past few years as Union Shop Steward , I have protested , worked on strategy and kept the rank and file motivated , when there was not a lot of good news to tell my members

. I have be vaguely threatened and when I have to , will  sharpened my elbows and weaponized what leverage I have, if it fits a strategic purpose , when the management is not being “helpful”  In negotiations, not all people want to get to YES , especially when it comes to Unions and management

 Also as a journalist I have learned the art of getting people to talk.  A good skill for any job, I have had the privilege of interviewing such diverse notables , such as Football great Herschel Walker , Jim Florio, cornel West, Tawny Kitaen  of 80’s movie fame who starred with Tom Hanks ( and told me some good stories about the making of i “Bachelor Party”.

I am a native son with deep roots and connections here. This especially helps when researching issues, The devils is in the details and I am not all knowing , I can find tutors/mentors  who can helpcrunch numbers and or explain health care.

Public Service is in my family DNA in town. My  dad was a local doctor/President of the school board and mom a school teacher for 30 years in the PRS . I am quite familiar with local issues , comfortable in a leadership role and want to continue turn social commitment into concrete action

What I feel makes me unique and qualified to lead Princeton into the future , is that I am something of an outsider from the political establishment. I am not running with the herd, are part of any group think. I am not afraid to bring up important issues, which I have been warned are a 3rd rail dangerous to touch

Such as the school referendum, shouldn’t we talk about the pro’s and con’s having local non partisan elections. Giving a chance for all Princetonians to be involved in elections

Which leads me to what I call a tribal malise. , creeping in to our body politic  Some of our democratic members perhaps without realizing it are caught up with as I said before , running with the herd, group think, afraid to cast a dissenting view on commonly held policy for fear of being cast out.   Which also leads to not welcoming new members based on policy , voices just because they are in the clique, the other.

It is funny how cyrical human nature  is. . Let me tell you a story

Around the turn of the century , I was working with an older  local legend vetting new blood /candidates. This person like many of you, was talented , a person of vision , with a long record of creating progressive institutions , that to this day, benifit  the everyday of lifes of Princetonians

But when vetted the new blood of exiting candidates to PCDO positions, this person let out a petty vindictive tirade against the new guard, which now 18 years later is the old guard.

Words like narcissist  , trouble maker but no really concrete reasons why these people were not qualified to serve

I resolve that something had to said to her. I got her alone, I ask her , if she would share some real evidence to back up her diatribe. This bright, scholarly person “intellectual reply” was that one person in particualar was an Ahole

Naturally I would not lecture a senior patriarch

Usually when you want people to talk and be comfortable with you can do 4 things.

1. Agree with them    2. Arouse their self righteous indignation  3. Throw rocks at their enemies 4, Sanctify their failures

Because I was raised to be a tad servile to our elders.

But this had to be said.   I told her, is this going to be your final legacy. Trying to push out a talented new generation of politico’s  , that our seeds for the town's future just based on them being the other.

I continued whether it is ego, pain at seeing your time ending, a personality difference, you have to have the emotional strength to set all this aside   

But because at the end of day public service is not about one person , But attracting , retaining, welcoming  the best people to serve the interests of Princeton.

Guess what her reply was  A grunt. But she did temper her behavior  a little But it had to be said then, has to be said now