Which is more liberal: SOMA or Montclair

bramzzoinks said:

If the statists have their way the only lawn mover allowed will be push ones. Forced exercise and no pollution.

and even lower cost than gas-powered.  it's a win-win for you.  or maybe even a win-win-win

Credit is due to Zoinks for torpedoing this thread.

bramzzoinks said:

Or maybe just extreme statism like banning leaf blowers most of the year, thereby inevitably driving up the cost lawn and yard maintenance, which is already going up due to the new minimum wage rules.

0.25 < 0.51

dave23 said:

Credit is due to Zoinks for torpedoing this thread.

Yup

This thread is kooky. And I still don't understand what OP is trying to learn.

It looks the OP has been asking different types of questions about SOMA for the last two years. Don't know if they are thinking of moving here or what, but they are definitely in no rush to do so.

TarheelsInNj said:

This thread is kooky. And I still don't understand what OP is trying to learn.

Either the OP is trying to glean which is the more conservative community (while being clueless about the inherent insult to liberals embedded in her question) or she's just trolling us.

Shoshana said:

jimmurphy said:

Still on the fence???  

https://maplewood.worldwebs.com/forums/discussion/id/114958-Montclair-vs-Maplewood-South-Orange-honest-opinions-advice-requested-?page=5#comment-2957182

You've gotten plenty of input.  Please stop trolling us.

That thread, if you remember/read, was not about the political leanings of the towns, and was asking a different question.

Why is it that when I ask a question on this board, there's always someone with a snarky comment?

Maybe the question I should ask then is:  which is the least obnoxious town?

I think you've gotten plenty of input on that also   

jimmurphy said:

Either the OP is trying to glean which is the more conservative community (while being clueless about the inherent insult to liberals embedded in her question) or she's just trolling us.

Which begs the question asked earlier in the thread - if you're looking for a conservative community, why look at these two at all? 

I can't imagine why asking if mapso is "obsessed with its own liberal-ness" would engender snark.

dave23 said:

I can't imagine why asking if mapso is "obsessed with its own liberal-ness" would engender snark.

I feel like we're being set up for a Fox News segment.

Shoshana, shoshannah, no shanabana ...

I feel like we're being set up for another verse of "The Name Game."

I don't think M/SO or Montclair are vastly different in terms of political leanings, and both are relatively big places, so it's likely if you're looking for something specific, you'll find it. Anyway, my experience is people do sometimes talk politics, particularly local stuff, but are just as likely (if not more) to talk about taxes, real estate prices, schools, kid care and activities/college applications/their adult kids (depending on age), new businesses/restaurants they like, new businesses/restaurants they don't like, contractor/plumbing/painting recos, traffic, commuting, Mets/Yankees, Jets/Giants etc. So I'd weigh my decision more on how much I want to hear about that kind of stuff, as opposed to political leanings.

To whatever extent it's a serious question, I think they're similar, but SOMA, having allowed themselves to become the punchline in a "look at the town that banned Halloween" story (and I'm phrasing it that way carefully and saying how it was portrayed, so if you feel the truth was completely different, you don't actually need to say so, not that you won't anyway), definitely "wins." 

As a pretty moderate guy (who can't imagine voting for a Republican for president as long as what they call "social issues" and what I call "equality" are campaign issues), I find West Orange pretty comfortable, but if you're an actual conservative (as opposed to someone who is basically progressive/liberal but also pro-law-enforcement and anti-ridiculous-crap-like-banning-Halloween), moving a little farther west might be a good idea. 

bramzzoinks said:

If the statists have their way the only lawn mover allowed will be push ones. Forced exercise and no pollution.

Don't worry, you can still hire people who are paid poorly for hard work.

kenboy said:

To whatever extent it's a serious question, I think they're similar, but SOMA, having allowed themselves to become the punchline in a "look at the town that banned Halloween" story (and I'm phrasing it that way carefully and saying how it was portrayed, so if you feel the truth was completely different, you don't actually need to say so, not that you won't anyway), definitely "wins." 

As a pretty moderate guy (who can't imagine voting for a Republican for president as long as what they call "social issues" and what I call "equality" are campaign issues), I find West Orange pretty comfortable, but if you're an actual conservative (as opposed to someone who is basically progressive/liberal but also pro-law-enforcement and anti-ridiculous-crap-like-banning-Halloween), moving a little farther west might be a good idea. 

So, you kind want it both ways about the Halloween thing.  Other people don't need to state their opinion about it, but you're free to call it "ridiculous crap"?

I think it's hard trying to find the line between being inclusive (especially in the public schools) and impinging on the actual rights of those who are doing the including.  A lot of people confuse "the way things have been which has benefited people like me for generations" with "rights". When you genuinely try to be empathetic to other people in situations like the Halloween debate last fall I think you're being progressive.  Dismissing their concerns and the efforts of the school to try and alleviate those concerns with terms like "ridiculous crap" hampers the discussion.

So I'll take the SOMA form of progressiveness, thanks.

mrincredible said:

kenboy said:

To whatever extent it's a serious question, I think they're similar, but SOMA, having allowed themselves to become the punchline in a "look at the town that banned Halloween" story (and I'm phrasing it that way carefully and saying how it was portrayed, so if you feel the truth was completely different, you don't actually need to say so, not that you won't anyway), definitely "wins." 

As a pretty moderate guy (who can't imagine voting for a Republican for president as long as what they call "social issues" and what I call "equality" are campaign issues), I find West Orange pretty comfortable, but if you're an actual conservative (as opposed to someone who is basically progressive/liberal but also pro-law-enforcement and anti-ridiculous-crap-like-banning-Halloween), moving a little farther west might be a good idea. 

So, you kind want it both ways about the Halloween thing.  Other people don't need to state their opinion about it, but you're free to call it "ridiculous crap"?

I think it's hard trying to find the line between being inclusive (especially in the public schools) and impinging on the actual rights of those who are doing the including.  A lot of people confuse "the way things have been which has benefited people like me for generations" with "rights". When you genuinely try to be empathetic to other people in situations like the Halloween debate last fall I think you're being progressive.  Dismissing their concerns and the efforts of the school to try and alleviate those concerns with terms like "ridiculous crap" hampers the discussion.

So I'll take the SOMA form of progressiveness, thanks.

Beautifully stated.  

mrincredible said:

When you genuinely try to be empathetic to other people in situations like the Halloween debate last fall I think you're being progressive.  Dismissing their concerns and the efforts of the school to try and alleviate those concerns with terms like "ridiculous crap" hampers the discussion.

I would also call it progressive, but much more progressive than I personally am. To me, that's far-left Berkeley stuff, while I'm center-left.

kenboy said:

mrincredible said:

When you genuinely try to be empathetic to other people in situations like the Halloween debate last fall I think you're being progressive.  Dismissing their concerns and the efforts of the school to try and alleviate those concerns with terms like "ridiculous crap" hampers the discussion.

I would also call it progressive, but much more progressive than I personally am. To me, that's far-left Berkeley stuff, while I'm center-left.

I don't think it's particularly "progressive" at all.  I don't think being responsive to other people's customs or beliefs falls anywhere on a left-right continuum.  

kenboy said:

To whatever extent it's a serious question... but if you're an actual conservative (as opposed to someone who is basically progressive/liberal but also pro-law-enforcement and anti-ridiculous-crap-like-banning-Halloween), moving a little farther west might be a good idea. 

It is.

And I'm not.