JACKSON – With the municipal campaign season starting early this year, all sides have taken to social media and posting political videos to get their messages out to voters.
Those seeking the mayor’s seat are said to include Mayor Jennifer Kuhn. She was appointed to the position last October following Mayor Michael Reina’s resignation. Prior to that she was council president. She is expected to face challenger Elliott Shem-Tov.
There are two council seats up for re-election. Councilman Ken Bressi’s appointed seat is one of them. Up for re-election to a full council term is Councilman Chris Pollak. He is on Shem-Tov’s team running with council running mate Amanda Trombetta.
Videos by the candidates are frequently seen on social media. Inspired by the coming election are several township-oriented pages that have been critical of certain candidates and have employed artificial intelligence graphics to poke fun of them and some non-candidates.
One featured Kuhn dressed in the costume of the Batman villain the Riddler while Vice Council President Guisseppe Palmeri was depicted via AI in a Robin costume.
Pollak spoke about what he saw on social media during a recent council meeting. “I was banned off Facebook for speaking against our leadership here. I try to keep up on what is going on. There is a Facebook page that is making fun of some of our elected officials. I disagree with what they are doing. When I have something to say I do it here in front of their faces just as I am doing right now.”
He added, “there are so many substantive things to talk about and to confront here. I believe it takes away the seriousness of what has gone on and continues to go on in our town. Our elected officials are posting about it commenting about it in Facebook. I think that is below who we are and what we are supposed to be and its funny because they are outraged by a political climate that they themselves have created.”
“The pearl clutching from our leaders is almost comical after what they did to me in the last election and I won’t let you live this down because you did it. They paid a news source with tax money to try and destroy my character and ruin my life…and now you are upset about somebody who makes funny AI about you,” Pollak said.
Resident Yehuda Tomar spoke during the public comment period regarding a cartoon posted “that depicted Jews and not in a positive way. The post is now down and I am glad it is.” He asked Pollak if his denouncement of such Facebook pages included the content of that page.
“If it is something negative towards others, sure,” the councilman responded.
Tomar said 244 comments were made toward the cartoon. He read one remark which stated “‘the black hats should be eliminated they are taking over New Jersey.’ Some comments have no place in Jackson. It is now down but the people who wrote them are still in the group and no council member or the candidate for mayor responded to the people who wrote what I just said.”
Pollak responded that he did denounce anyone posting items that were hateful and based on ethnicity and religion. “I’m not even on Facebook. I can’t speak for random people on the internet and I don’t know how I am held accountable for any of that. I don’t know these comments. I don’t see these comments and I certainly don’t support it”
He would later respond in a social media video, “the man who came forward at the council meeting making accusations of antisemitism and demanding denouncements from me and Elliott Shem-Tov over comments and posts made by strangers on Facebook is not just some random concerned citizen he’s politically connected to Council President Mordechai Burnstein and Assemblyman Avi Schnall. These attacks are coordinated and planned. They’re political and they are designed to silence the opposition. The people of Jackson are tired of intimidation.”
Resident Joseph Sullivan also spoke out on the subject during the public comment period. He noted antisemitic remarks posted on social media. “They have personally attacked me for my disability, my weight, my looks. They have accused me of being a homosexual.” He called for Pollak to denounce the posts on that page.
Pollak replied that he had “disagreed with what they are doing. It takes away from the actual issues in town. I think it’s a distraction. I think it’s silly. I do denounce anything that is negative.”
Kim Kaminsky of Mason Drive is a former school guidance counselor who remarked that social media has changed the landscape “of our social lives.”
She said she understood how those who came forward about what was posted offended them. “It isn’t just one group. I have seen people from the Orthodox community say things that were totally inexcusable. People become keyboard warriors once they are on that computer. It’s terrible what happens with that but I think there was misguided anger expressed here tonight.”
“The only thing I’ve seen with Elliott is that if someone says something he is willing to meet with them. He wants to talk and meet with them and that’s the way things happen. Chris was a victim of this stuff. People should not pay attention to social media. If you don’t like it, don’t go on it. No one should support any type of antisemitism or hate talk that goes on there,” she added.
Resident Deb Jones agreed with Kaminsky, “I think it’s awful some of the things that get posted on Facebook but again, it’s been going on for a long time. We watched the person who was paid (by the township) rip people apart with a lot of false information. It’s time we start looking in the mirror and stop trying to blame everyone else.”
Pollak responded to Jones saying there was a difference. “They paid them with tax money to attack me. These are people online that I don’t even know. This is a disgusting political stunt.”
