An Outstanding Candidate

To the Editor:
During Dan Lockwood’s first campaign, I was one of his greatest supporters, hoping to end the one-party dominance. As he goes for his third round, I will be equally involved to end his professional, political career.
After attending meetings for many years, I have given up because of the tactics from this new majority. Speaking at a meeting, you are often demeaned by the guys with the gavel. Worse are the party servants in attendance attempting to intimidate you while making a presentation. There were some in our group who are members of this majority’s party and they were silenced with favors granted. Because of this futility and their party’s attempted infiltration, the taxpayer’s association was dissolved. These fellas have just grown too big for their britches. We need to turn this around.
Lockwood is a party loyalist and that’s who he serves. Heading into a third term, you become totally indebted to your party for what is now your profession. Lockwood stepping down for the party chairman’s brother to become mayor was our first sign where this was all going. Lockwood’s expertise is lost to his politics and we are guided by someone with no previous involvement in our government. We need checks and balances to be put in place by someone who knows what it means to serve the community.
We now have a great candidate for township committee. Jeff DeVico is a life-long resident, successful businessman and has recently retired from our township’s police department. From a respected family, the name DeVico is synonymous with Middle Township. None in our government today have that history. As a result of their minimal ties here coupled with their political obligations, they have turned over our administration to out-of-towners. Many major decisions are being made by non-residents of our community. Much of the professional staff in Middle is simply politically connected and contributing to the funding of campaigns.
Let’s put a local in our government. While Jeff’s political leanings are no secret, he has never been a party man. He knows what it means to serve and that is why he is running. I am not just asking for folks to vote for Jeff, but also to get involved in this campaign. Jeff is opposing a very big political machine. Their success is not in the votes cast for them, but from the votes that are never cast by a disinterested constituency. We need Jeff and he needs us. Talk to friends and neighbors. Let your clubs and organizations know about this outstanding candidate.
I will surely be discredited for speaking out. That’s really a pretty simple task, given my somewhat colorful past. Still, no matter all my misgivings, none of these facts are changed. We have the best candidate to be seen in many years facing a huge political machine and we need to get involved.