Political campaigns are curious things, especially when candidates make statements that fly in the face of common sense.

I have been following the upcoming election for the Sanitary District Board. There are two challengers running against two incumbents. The incumbents, Tom Reski and Gregg Dudash, have a combined total of 70 years of experience in the areas of wastewater treatment and sanitary districts. The two challengers have no experience in those areas.

Common sense says that the choice is obvious. The two challengers seem to think that their very lack of experience is somehow a qualification. Go figure that! Challenger Tony Finocchio actually stated that “You don’t need to know about wastewater to manage a board and people.” That is completely ridiculous! Such an assertion might possibly be valid if you were on the board of anything other than a sanitary district, which runs 24/7/365 and requires technical knowledge.

Moreover, the board does not manage the staff, the district manager does that. The board provides strategic and budgetary direction in the running of the sanitary district. That means that you have to actually know about a sanitary district in order to provide competent direction as a board member. The more you know the better.

Mr. Finocchio’s apparent ignorance in this area is a red flag to voters. Would you fly with a pilot who said that, “You don’t need to know anything about an aircraft to fly it?” I don’t think so. Competence requires experience, not empty campaign assertions that fly in the face of common sense.

We have two candidates running for re-election that have years of relevant experience with sanitary districts. Because their opponents lack any similar experience, the difference is stark and the choice is simple. Vote for Tom Reski and Gregg Dudash. It’s just common sense.