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Paul Silberman for Mercer County Freeholder

I have lived in Mercer County all my life, with the exception of several years in Pennsylvania and New York, for educational reasons.

I completed kindergarten through fifth grade in Trenton. I attended intermediate and high school, through the eleventh grade, in Lawrence Township.  My twelfth grade year was at The Solebury School in New Hope, PA, and I graduated from Solebury.

As I see it, the most important issue in American politics today is CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM.  I believe that the current system is a major roadblock on our nation's life-long march toward the promised land of true DEMOCRACY.

I believe the only remedy is PUBLICLY FINANCED CAMPAIGN MEDIA.   

The issue of private money in politics is the major thrust of Ralph Nader's campaign, and I hope that we can make it a cornerstone of our Mercer County Freeholders campaign -- after all, the environment, along with every other issue, will be in the hands of those with the most $$$$MONEY$$$$$ until we, the People, can change this thing!

I am especially motivated around social issues.  Equality of educational opportunity is an issue close to my heart, since my primary school experience was in an inner-city school, and then, from sixth-grade on, I was in the suburbs, so I know first hand the immense discrepancies that exist.  I would also strongly advocate extending public education to younger children. 

Also important to me as a candidate is the recognition and addressing of racism in our area, with a goal of true equality.  If we can ever attain a true equality of opportunity and a full recognition of the dignity of every human being, regardless of ethnicity or religion, we can move on to the next step. That step will be putting into practice the reality that "race" is cultural model which has no basis in nature. I emphasize, however, that we are far from that place today, and if we use the notion of a "color-blind society" as an excuse to prematurely end affirmative action and to ignore issues like racial profiling, we will only continue to live a lie.

AA, Mercer County Community College, Major: Humanities and Social Science.

BA, Trenton State College (now The College of New Jersey), Major: History, Minor: Psychology.

MDiv, Union Theological Seminary, New York City.