Election 2003 10/22/03

Every year on Election Day, Hazlet voters choose the candidates whom they hope will professionally manage our tax money well enough to maintain, or even improve the quality of life in our community.

I believe that the ideological differences between Republicans and Democrats are only relevant to state and national issues such as abortion, foreign policy and social services. There is, however, a significant behavioral difference between these political parties in Hazlet

In May 2002, I read in the newspaper that the Hazlet Township Committee was planning to convert our library into a new town hall complex. As president of the Hazlet Township Library Commission, I contacted then-Mayor Christopher Cullen to discuss how this plan would effect Hazlet’s library service.

Mr. Cullen assured me that the township committee had only considered the possibility of using the library’s building as a foundation for a new town hall, that there was no “plan” for the library, and that I should not be concerned, because the conversion was only a concept that had been prematurely leaked to the press.

At a township committee meeting in June 2003, an engineering and an architectural firm presented cost estimates and renderings of a new town hall on the library’s current site. Although there were no architectural renderings of a new library, cost estimates for a replacement at the current town hall site were under two million dollars. County and state library professionals estimated that it would cost at least $4-5 million to build a minimally adequate new library in Hazlet. A professional timeline scheduled the project to commence in August 2002, and included a twenty-six-month closure of our library.

The township committee’s new town hall “concept” posed a serious threat to our library services. Our library commission unanimously voted to question this “concept”, until the township committee developed a viable plan to replace the library.

In July 2002, the mayor denied the existence of the cost estimates and the timeline that had been presented to the committee in June. In August 2002, the township committee continued developing their “concept” without acknowledging the precarious position in which it put our library services.

I was not interested in local politics before the summer of 2002, but I had a responsibility to act in the best interests of Hazlet’s library. I feared that we would lose this valuable asset, if I did not talk to Hazlet’s politicians and attend meetings of the township committee.

I contacted the 2002 candidates for township committee, Kevin Lavan and Tracey Maffiore. I was not concerned with their political affiliation.

Mr. Lavan listened attentively and assured me that I need not worry, because he knew that the mayor would do the right thing.

Mrs. Maffiore asked for more detailed information. Soon after, a member of the Hazlet Republican Club invited me to speak at their club meeting. I received no such requests or invitation from the township democrats.
At the bimonthly township committee meetings, democratic township committee members repeatedly dismissed the concerns of residents and argued openly with citizens during the public portion of several township committee meetings.
At the township reorganization meeting on January 4, 2003, Mayor Steven Peich did not re-appoint two long serving, hard working library commissioners. I submitted an editorial letter to local newspapers, in which I questioned these and several other appointments made by Mayor Peich.

Democratic party boss, Marc Nusbaum, responded by attempting to discredit me with outright lies. He did not address the appointments that I criticized.

I wrote an editorial letter questioning the impact of a new office building and a funeral home at the corner of Middle Road and Poole Avenue. Vice Chairman of the planning board, Kevin Lavan, responded with insults to my character, but did not address my concerns.

The democratic leaders of Hazlet have based their opinions on political affiliation, hyperbole, past history and assumptions, rather than on facts that are relevant to what is currently best for Hazlet.

The republican leaders of Hazlet have listened and offered ideas and solutions instead of lies and insults, and have shown a willingness to work with the opposing party to set realistic goals and develop plans that promise to benefit the majority of taxpayers.

I will continue to drive my concerns down the middle of the proverbial road in search of a professional, common sense approach to municipal administration. Whether this journey leads me further to the right, or back toward the left, will continue to depend on what I find along the way.