And the Beat Goes On

I continue to appear before groups and meet new people almost every day. The main question, of course, is taxes and what we can do about them. I have never promised to CUT taxes, because I know that may be an empty promise. With the Governor's latest budget, there come some enormous aid cuts, and municipalities are included in the slicing. We all know that electricity, gas, and other day to day operating expenses increase every year, and we don't have much say about it.

So what do I plan to do about taxes? I will do my very best to hold the line. One thing I did repeatedly on the school board was work on budgets. I can promise you, I will do a line by line analysis of any budget placed before me, and I will try to make sure that everything being spent is accounted for. I want to understand every expenditure, and if I don't understand, I will ask. I know we have fixed costs such as contracts, bonds etc., but where there are items that can be cut, I will certainly try to do so.

Bonded indebtedness is another issue I plan to address. It is so very easy to go out to bond anything we want, but this bonding has to be paid for over time. The taxpayer's obligation to pay for these bonds can significantly impact taxes. I want to make sure that if we DO go out to bond, the cost of the bonded items is pretty tightly monitored. And I would be very, very cautious about accepting only one single bid for anything.

Surplus is another issue I would like to address. In my past experience, surplus was applied to the bottom line and was used to reduce taxes. I want to make sure I know what our surplus is, how it got there, and what amount, if any, can be applied to reduce the tax impact of a budget.

None of this can be done in a vacuum. I know Mike Reina and Mike Kafton are as concerned as I am, and like me, they are going to be right in there fighting to hold the line.

Coffee Tea and Me

Last night, "Mike, Mike, and the Mad Dog." attended a Coffee Klatch in someone's home. These coffees are a good way to get our message out to the people, one intimate group at a time. We have quite a few coffees scheduled, and we really hope to meet as many new people as we can.

Several issues were addressed. Amongst them was EMS, land use and conservation, commercial rateables, and Council communication. Mike Kafton and Mike Reina both have a very strong history in this town. They will be invaluable resources to the Council and to the township.

One of the questions we addressed was the diversity of opinion on our team. We come from different political backgrounds, but we are united in our belief that the makeup of the Council must change. In order to have a truly non-partisan governing body, we need to have a majority of the Council accountable to nobody but the people of Jackson. This team will disagree on issues, and that is a good thing. I know I personally will take each issue seriously, and I will not vote until I have all the information I need. That is my training as a school board member, and I don't plan to change. We cannot vote as a block, or we defeat our own purpose. All of us stand together on being accountable to the people. We will listen to what the residents of Jackson have to say.

I am truly looking forward to other such gatherings, because only through communication can we show our constituency that we are the RIGHT team for Jackson.

Shall We Dance

Last night I had the pleasure of going to the Jackson Gives Back Father Daughter Valentines Dinner Dance. It was amazing. To see the love between those kids and their dads was wonderful. The ballroom at the AMVET Hall was decorated beautifully, and the kids were having the time of their lives. There were more than 300 people there, and I understand there was a waiting list of 100 people. There was a free raffle with "Webkinz" donated by The White Butterfly. Please don't ask me what "Webkinz" are, but the kids were screaming with pleasure when they saw them. I drew the winning numbers out of a bowl, which immediately had half the room ticked off at me for not picking their number, but it was a delight to see the looks on the kids' faces when they won. And the food, catered by Classic Caterers was delicious. I can't even describe the dessert table which included a chocolate fountain. Ah, if only I ate dessert.

Jackson Gives back was started by Mike Kafton as a way to help Jackson families in time of need. Whenever a problem strikes a Jackson family, Mike gets many callers asking him how they can help. So Jackson Gives Back was born. It is a not-for-profit organization which will be sponsoring other events in the future. I plan to attend those events.

Bob and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We are born volunteers at heart, and I can't count the number of organizations we were part of in Merrick. We are also very active in our community here in Jackson. Recently, we volunteered at the Jackson Food Pantry, and that was another rewarding experience. There are so many people less fortunate than we are, and it feels really good to help. We plan to continue volunteering here in Jackson as long as we are able.

This coming week is filled with "Meet the People" events for me. I look forward to that, and whether I win or lose this election, I will cherish the opportunity I had for meeting people from all sides of the table and all walks of life. There is much to be said for running for office.

To Spray or Not to Spray

The gypsy moth problem here in Jackson is of mammoth proportions. With all the families who will be requesting spraying from the Township, with one machine, or even two, using BT, we will never have time to go from place to place to attack ALL the problems. BT is only effective in the early stages of infestation. There isn't a huge window of time here. And, of course, Dimilin is out of the question. I would NEVER suggest Dimilin.

The Council is going to have to make some hard decisions. My running mate Mike Reina is right..some people are going to have to bite the bullet and get a private provider. I really don't know how the Township is going to pick and choose among the residents requesting spraying and keep it all within the time frame.

We MUST spray one pass through the state program. We would be cutting off our nose to spite our face if we don't. Two years without ANY aerial spraying would be disastrous. If we don't spray, we have NO chance of any control for the gypsy moth problem. Some help is better than none.

This is partially a result of some very unfortunate decision making last year. But I would assume that the Council and Mayor already know that. Pointing fingers now is not going to solve the problem. We must take viable action, and ground spraying, either by the homeowner or the Township, in addition to one pass from the state, is really the only option we have now.

First Appearance

Last night, our slate was invited to the Jackson Tea Party meeting to be introduced to the group. Mike Reina was the President of the Tea Party, so naturally they knew him. There were many people, both Democrat and Republican, who also knew Mike Kafton. There were some who knew me or had met me recently, but I did not know the majority of the people. Both major political parties were represented, and it felt good to be able to reach out to both sides of the table.

We had a chance to introduce ourselves. It gave me a chance to articulate my views on the state of the Township. The people were very receptive to our non partisan slate, and they were very welcoming and cordial to us. They will be inviting the other slate to address them as well, so they can hear both sides present their view of township issues.

Now that our requisite number of petitions is in, we can concentrate on the election itself. We have several coffees, debates and meetings planned. I know I will be meeting many people of all different political beliefs. I believe if we can get our message of non partisanship across to enough people, we will be elected. It is really quite an experience to be running for Township office.

Run for the Roses

Well, it is official. I am running for the Jackson Township NJ Town Council. It is quite an interesting race. When I was first asked to run, I was stunned. I know I chaired the Jackson Walks Committee for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer organization which was a wonderful venture for Jackson (that's why there is so much pink on this page). But still... ME? For Council?

I certainly have had strong opinions about our current Mayor and Council. I have seen them in action, and I think they have made some incredibly bad decisions in the last year and a half since they've been in existence. And, they wouldn't back down...no matter what the public said. Now, election year 2008, they are suddenly listening to us. In all the years I was on the Merrick School Board, I was never too arrogant to say I made a mistake. We are human after all, and humans make bad decisions sometimes. After 23 years on that board, I swore I would never get so deeply involved again. But here I am.

I ask myself what I bring to the table. I know I am very active in Westlake, my home for the past seven years. I also believe we need a senior viewpoint on the council. We have been the cash cow for way too long, and it's time we had a voice in what goes on. I hope I can be that voice. However, I am also aware that this township consists of many communities...parents, young children, students, people with no children, and so many others. We all have one goal in common...to make Jackson a great place to live while getting the best bang for our buck. I am a soccer Grandma. I know the needs of young people, and I will try to balance and prioritize. I am FOR a senior viewpoint, but not ONLY for a senior viewpoint.

The campaign has been very interesting so far. I have met some wonderful people. I imagine life will get more hectic as the campaign gets heated, but that's what you sign on for when you become a candidate. My running mates are outstanding men who have been very active in Jackson over the years. Former Mayor Mike Kafton and Mike Reina are my go-to guys and now my good friends . I call us "Mike, Mike and the Mad Dog," clearly stolen from the radio show. I only hope I can hold up my end of the bargain. I certainly am independent, and nobody can say I am a rubber stamp.

I know this is a huge undertaking, and win or lose, I will never forget the experience.