Democrats Seek 2 Candidates for November...

[Steve Morlino, LEED AP]

The Howell Township Democrats seek 2 candidates to run for township council in November.  Those interested must be interviewed and appointed by September 15th.  Anyone wishing to be considered please contact me at 732-938-7927 or forward a resume including your phone number to me at Steve@Morlino.com  ASAP.  This is an oppertunity for concerned residents to get involved in local government and make a difference...which we absolutely need at this time.

[Reinhard_Kirchhof]

I find it astounding that with all the residents that live in this town as well as all the residents that voice their opinion about the current issues, our council, taxes etc, that not ONE individual would want to step up and throw their name into the hat. What's wrong with this picture?? IMHO "Put up or shut up".

Fritz

[Pat Garaffa]

Local politics is a vicious spectator sport that eats you alive and spits out the bones.  It’s gotten much better over the years but it still has a long way to go before it gains the respect of the surrounding communities.  They still laugh or use us as a bad example.  

But I also don’t think they understand why Howell is unique compared to some other towns.      

There are two many factions here that range from expensive NY transplants to the 3rd generation back woods hillbillies.  

We have apartments, trailers, condos, townhomes, small houses, big houses and sprawling mansions.  And we also have homeless people living in tent camps in the woods.  

We have one horse farms and bigger ones that that rival the Ponderosa.  

We walk, we ride bikes, we drive Mercedes and big ole’ trucks too.  

We have ¼ lots and 40 acre parcels and lots of stuff in between.  

We get our heat from electric, gas, solar, propane, oil or a log in the fireplace.  Our water comes from the 3 different thievery services or we get it free from a well.  And when we flush the bowl it goes back to one of two other thievery services or into the ground via septic or cesspool so it can contaminate your neighbors well.      

We have NYC Armani suit commuters and farmers who milk cows.  And they both have real kids and goat kids.  

We have cars, busses and trucks screaming down route 9, 195, 18, 33 and 34 and we also have roads where turtles, deer and guinea hens still have (and should continue to have) the right of way.  

We have residential housing and we have a semi-thriving commercial corridor loaded with business big and small.   And half of them have a sewer and the other half is still using a septic tank.   Try to correct that and half the town screams and other half cheers.    And that holds true with any other project that is ever attempted here.  

Why is this important to mention?  Because they ALL want something different.  i.e  - Sports, parks & recreation vs nothing.  Good schools vs don’t care schools.  Smooth paved roads and sidewalks vs dirt paths.  A thriving business community vs “god only knows what they want anymore?”  

Many complain about the taxes and others (like me) are okay with them as long as I get something of value in return.  I would love my taxes to go down but that’s not the reality of how it works.  So I’m fine with what I pay but please don’t attempt to deny me the simple pleasures such as a movie in the park, a clean accessible sports field with a real parking lot or a bike path where I won’t get killed.  But even these things have become a challenge as of late and everyone needs something to complain about.      

No one decision will ever keep us all happy and you are damned if you do and damned if too don't.  Your friends become your biggest critics or your most ardent supporters.  And usually for all the wrong reasons or they don’t understand the intricacies of the budgets or the inner workings of the town or contracts.  And your new friends only come around because they think you can help them.  You’re criticized for everything and blamed for all our problems.  Route 195 went in when Joe Dibella was in 5th grade but somehow he will be blamed for the future noise.  

And no one ever notices when you get it all right.  Many past and present council persons and mayors have done outstanding things here yet they are always criticized for failing or neglecting in one area.   The demands are too much and the rewards are too little.  You are expected to surrender your personal life in exchange for 24 hour access.  

This is a job not for the faint of heart and I applaud anyone, past and present, who is willing to throw their hat in the ring and tolerate an incredible amount of s**t in exchange for some personal satisfaction and 5 grand a year.  Wrong or right (and I’m sure I’ll hear some challenges) that remains my simple and humble opinion.

You did it once Fritz - would you do it again?

[Thom_Worman]

One gets flamed for being a critic. Screw running for office. Especially under a party.

[Pat Garaffa]

I don't have a problem with a party as long as it's focused on the Super Bowl, Memorial Day or Labor Day.   

[Reinhard_Kirchhof]

Would I do it again? Maybe the questions should be rephrased would I LIKE to do it again.

I did acquire a great feeling of satisfaction from being able to serve the people. True, I didn't make everyone happy, but I always did what I thought was in the best interests of the our residents. Politics is a dirty business and unless you have your head screwed on tightly , it is easy to go astray. It goes from what can I do for the township to what can the township do for me.

So without writing a thesis, Yes, I would LIKE to do it again simply because I could have a positive impact on the township, BUT without all the b***s*** , and political infighting that goes on here, but that unfortunatly comes with the job......

Fritz

[Kathy_Baratta]

Fully accepting that bragging about your good fortune in the face of others who are not as lucky is probably not in the best taste; nonetheless, I will still say what I came to say.

Why is it that Freehold Township remains, hands down, the town every other town wishes they could be when they grow up?

Well, I'll hip you to a little secret. Except for one attempt so far back you'd have to  research county archives to find it, for at least the past 25 to 30 years the Freehold Township Committee has been comprised of people who had absolutely no aspirations to any elected office outside the township.

Now compare that to the wanna-be judges, Freeholders, Assembly people and aspiring governors who have been elected in Howell in just the last decade or so.

Don't tell me, just answer to yourselves. Who do you think can be counted on to think about nothing but the good of the town they were elected to serve? You know, to tell the carpetbaggers who want to exploit the town,"...and the horse you road in on."

Nuff said,

KB

[Pat Garaffa]

"Fully accepting that bragging about your good fortune in the face of others who are not as lucky is probably not in the best taste; nonetheless, I will still say what I came to say"

Kathy,

I don't understand this statement.  Who was bragging?  And to whom is this directed? 

[Kathy_Baratta]

 I meant in comparing my township governing body (Freehold Twp) to your township governing body (Howell).

KB

[Pat Garaffa]

Okay -  that makes sense.  Freehold has it down pat and has earned their  bragging rights so no offense there.  We can learn alot from them.  But instead, we continue to try and re-invent the wheel. 
 
I thought you were talking about us because we weren't crazy enough to run for office.  And then bragging about our decisions.

[Ginger_Hoffmeier]

It's also worth noting that Freehold Twp has the same diversity of population as Howell but on a smaller scale. They also had years of good management when Fred-whatever-his-name-was the manager that set got them off to a good start.

Freehold Twp got the Freehold Mall and we got Benderson! They have a growing hospital complex and we get concrete block office buildings that builders try to pass off as "medical centers."

Many of those who moved to Howell were looking for bargains rather than quality. As long as the MacMansion had enough square footage they didn't care that it sat in a swamp and the sidewalks dead-ended. They now want the town to provide the amenities and infrastructure that they could have had if they bought the same home for a lot more money in another town.

Howell is the "Cheap John's Bargain Store" for first time homeowners and urban escapees.

Now it's horse farms. Those with delusions of grandeur move  here and pack 40 tired horses on a two acre ARE lot and consider themselves "country squires."

Clueless! 

From the time we moved here there was always someone at the town meeting demanding that the town provide something that the builder promised but didn't deliver. The only way Howell's government can work and entice people to run is with a ward system so that there is always a representative from each area and campaigning can be done on a more personal level.

[Pat Garaffa]

   Ginger,

I agree.  

You mentioned that some of the newer people usually demand that the town provides what the builder promised.  But what’s wrong with that?  And maybe if the town actually held the builder accountable via his performance bond?   Instead, they allow them to build neighborhoods without tot lots or homes on top of one another.  And sidewalks (if you’re lucky) that dead end into a tree or stop in the middle of nowhere because they ran out of cement.  And of course, the rampant cul-de-sacs that back up to a busy road.   In this case, the homeowner is responsible for taking care of the sidewalk in front AND the rear of his house.  Yeah - likes that’s ever going to happen!  

You mentioned that Freehold got a mall and hospital - again I agree.  But we also had many chances here too.

I sat in First Energy Park (Blueclaws) last night.  It was a perfect summer evening with over 8,000 people in attendance.   No problems, no arrests, and just lots of families having fun and paying homage to their local team while dumping tons of cash into Lakewood’s coffers.  The game ends around 9:30 and the parking lot is empty at 10:00.  

And then I remembered - this stadium project originally approached Howell but, as usual, was run out of town on a rail.  Was it the Bog turtles?  Or was it an environmentally sensitive poison ivy plant?  Maybe it was those hidden Indian artifacts?    

Same with Great Adventure, the Stallions soccer stadium, the “Field of dreams” project, an ice rink, a movie theatre, the recent sports complex on Fairfield and numerous other projects.   Not a problem – we still have our porn stores, incomplete sidewalks, shoulder-less roads and a slew of 5 dollar shoe stores, bail bondsman and other broken down garbage business’ that line our corridors barren of sewer, water, curbs or sidewalks.    

We reap what we sow.  You ask for S**T and you get S**T.  You demand more and you’ll get that too.  

I don’t have a problem with people demanding more for their tax dollar and asking that everyone should do their jobs and be held accountable.  

[Phil_Sanfilippo]

Pat and Fritz,
                   How abut you guy's running?
                                                             Phil
       

[Ginger_Hoffmeier]

Pat,

I'm talking about those realtors who hint to prospective buyers that a train station will be built within walking distance, or the retention basin is really a kiddy pond with a township lifeguard. In other words, the bullshit artists who will say or imply anything to make the sale.  The buyer hears what he wants to then freaks out later.

Not you. You go to the other extreme and probably advise a prospective buyer how many rainy days we get each year. How many times have you encountered clients who are in full denial and see only what they want to see?

We have had problems since I've been here where the town did get snookered by developers on a regular basis. I can only think of a couple of elected people that might actually have been in cahoots with the builders or land investors. Most have good intentions but are handicapped by not knowing all the complicated laws, don't have the time to explore them, or the money to meet a challenge in court. We don't have the time or the money to hold builders noses to the grindstone.

Developers rule the state and made sure that there are loopholes in every law that protects us. Right now, the town has to look at its zoning options and perhaps look at land they can get the count or state to preserve.

They also need to act on loopholes that favor us before the builder's lobbies close them up. For instance, a town can now take land from a developer through eminent domain and sell it to another developer with more stringent zoning requirements. Yet as soon as anyone hears the words "eminent domain" they go nuts. A little bit of ignorance can do a lot of harm!

But back to candidates... I'd be happy with Fritz and Pat running. Both have tough skins and won't whine about the barbs and arrows the residents will shoot at them. Who's seats are up, again?

[Pat Garaffa]

Hmmmm..... Do I get sick days?  LOL!