Over a Frivolous Referendum
Interrupting Atlantic Highlands Mayor Lori Hohenleitner when she referred to the idea of a non-binding referendum on education’s future in her town as “frivolous” ended a late night very agitated chastisement this reporter received from the mayor Saturday night. Mayorial Meltdown
When it was all said and done, it wasn’t the story, its contents or accuracy, of the news story I wrote in my blog, VeniVidiScripto.com that brought on the agitated call. Nor was it the fact that Atlantic Highlands Council is never going to seek the public’s opinion on school regionalization on a non-binding “frivolous” referendum.
It wasn’t the news at all. It was the headline.
The call only lasted minutes before the Mayor hung up after I questioned the “frivolous” statement about a non-binding question.
It took me the first minute or so to learn who was calling. For me, calls after 10 p.m. and with children, grandchildren and great children scattered throughout the country, including in the military, always instill a level of apprehension and a quick prayer even before answering. Being awakened makes it even more difficult.
At first, in answering all I could hear was the unintelligible ranting, screaming and a stream of words I could not understand. When asked, Ms. Hohenleitner identified herself as “the mayor.”
She then berated me for being rude and disrespectful while I was still trying to figure out the purpose of the call. When I asked for more information, I was told it was over the story I wrote. And how terrible the headline was. Writing numerous stories just about every day, and thousands of words, I still needed to find out which story she was talking about.
It was only then I learned it was the story on Highlands and Sea Bright approving a non-binding referendum on their ballots in November to get the public’s opinion on whether Sea Bright should ever come into the Henry Hudson Regional District. To make the story complete, I had requested, and received, the reasons from Mayor Hohenleitner why Atlantic Highlands would not do the same, information that was included as a lead in the story.
Once I learned it was the headline that bothered her, I asked what it was. I am a journalist, not a headline writer. Those very well-paid specialists have a distinct talent for drawing attention to an article with the fewest words, ensuring a story will be read, a skill reporters do not possess. Headline writers write the leads after reading the edited story that is forwarded for publication. For most journalists, certainly myself, the writer doesn’t see or hear about the story again and it goes to print.
I know my headline writer very well. He’s my son, and he’s outstanding at writing headlines, as is evidenced by the thousands of my stories that are read around the world.
After much shouting and more questions, I learned the headline on this particular story was Ho Ho Says No. My first reaction hearing it, even from a ranting woman, was it was a clever way to draw attention to an important story without trying to squeeze the name Hohenleitner a 12-letter word, into a headline. For at least one reader, it apparently worked, considering the importance of an after 10 p.m. call on a Saturday night.
I went on to explain I don’t write or see my headlines and that my son does them, an explanation that brought forth many non-complimentary words about him as well, before the Mayor then assured me she would not be responding to any future queries from me for any information.
It was while I was questioning why she would not answer further questions in the future, from me, now knowing I had not written the headline, she blurted something about the non-binding referendum being ‘frivolous.”
At some point she told me she knows the peoples’ opinions, she talks to them all the time, she hears what they have to say. Sounding very much like she did not think going to the polls to express a Yea or No was important. I interrupted at that point, asking for confirmation that she really identified asking the public for their opinions on a question of this magnitude as frivolous?
She did not hear the end of the question. She had already slammed down the phone.
My question on the frivolity of the referendum question is because it does not cost anything to put a question on the November ballot. Simply a courtesy to let people express how they feel, yes or no. Days before my late-night phone call, the governing body approved a different non-binding referendum for the November ballot. That one has to do with raising taxes another two cents for a specific purpose, open space acquisition.
Perhaps taxes are not as frivolous as the future of education for students.
When someone “comes after you” for an article or a headline it reveals more about the subject of the article or headline than it does about the author. You know you’re doing your job properly when people start coming after you, especially politicians. Why 10:00 pm? Did it take that long to work up the courage (if you want to call it that) to make the call?
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