I don't know about you, but I'm glad the election is over here in New Jersey! Every time our country engages in the democratic process, we the people are put through a torturous deluge of negative ads and mudslinging in which politicians exxagerate or twist facts, or just lie to paint their opponent as the worst person in the world.

Tax Lien Predator?

One particular ad blasts a politician fo buying tax liens and then forcing poor homeowners to give him money in order to keep from being thrown out of their homes! How dare he! New Jerseyans pay the highest taxes in the country, very high real estate taxes, and he is profiting from this! Sounds bad, right?

Not At All!

Except this is perfectly normal, and a part of our real estate tax sale foreclosure process! If you don't pay your real estate taxes, then private investors can bid to purchase a "tax sale certificate" that earns interest. In effect, they pay your taxes to the town, so they can get the money and continue to render services like schools and police protection, while you have two years to redeem the certificate by paying the taxes (plus interest) that you were required to pay all along!

So, to recap, your taxes get paid for you so your town doesn't suffer, you get two more years to pay (albeit with interest), and the certificate purchaser gets an investment that pays off! But for participating in this process, this politician shouldn't be elected? We are being lied to!

Social Media Makes It Worse!

This is bad enough, and has been going on for a very long time, but these days that's not the worst of it! Thanks to Mark Zuckerberg and others we have social media! This kind of mudslinging, and worse, is splashed all over Facebook, Twitter, and other platforms.

We can't keep up with family and friends without scrolling through very divisive posts about "libtards," "Trump Nazis," and yes, links to Fake News being perpetrated by both ends of the political spectrum now that anyone with a blog is a "journalist." I don't know what to believe anymore!

Enough Already!

This is my wish for everyone here in New Jersey. Let's learn from last year and come together as a people again. No protests, no cries of "Not My Governor," no ongoing nastiness on social media. Let's go back to simple birthday wishes, smiling over the latest pictures of the grandchildren, and sharing important life events with each other. We will all be happier and better off!

But what do you think? What have your experiences been with election campaigning and social media? Please join in and let me know in the comments!

Steven J. Richardson
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Bankruptcy, Collections, Student Loan, DUI and Traffic Court attorney in Woodbury, NJ.
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