Meet the Middle Township Candidates

COURT HOUSE – The Middle Township Chamber of Commerce held its “Meet the Candidates Night” at the Sand Barrens Golf Club Oct. 23. All contests from the congressional race to the school board were on the agenda. Moderator Bob Noel set the tone by asking the candidates to talk about who they are and what they will do if elected. “We are not interested in what you think of your opponent,” Noel said.
The format for the evening was a presentation by each candidate with points in the agenda set aside for questions. The evening kicked off with U.S. Rep. Frank LoBiondo and William Hughes Jr., the contenders for the U.S. House of Representatives seat in the 2nd Congressional District.
LoBiondo ran on his record based on 15 years representing the district. A native of Bridgeton, LoBiondo spoke of his background working in his father’s trucking company. Emphasizing his understanding of the importance of small business needs, LoBiondo cited his history of support for the small business owners. His concern for South Jersey has even led him to buck his party leadership when necessary, LoBiondo said, using the example of his fight to free up funding for Sandy relief.
LoBiondo is a Republican who is not shy about his advocacy of GOP economic policies. He promises to continue to fight against government regulations that impose a “hidden tax” on business owners. He wants to grow the economy by lowering business taxes and to spur job creation by making it easier for individuals to start and expand small businesses. In response to a question, LoBiondo did have to defend the role of the House in terms of the frequent gridlock in Washington. He did so without apology, citing the actions of the House to resist regulation by federal agencies, regulations that do not go through the Congress.
Hughes also began with his long family roots in the area. “I grew up in Ocean City,” he noted. After a stint in the U.S. Justice Department, Hughes is a practicing attorney in an Atlantic City firm. Like LoBiondo, Hughes did not overlook the fact that he was speaking to a business chamber. He noted that many of the firm’s clients are area small businesses and that this has given him insight into the needs of business owners in the district.
For Hughes, having his opponent run on his record was not a problem. Hughes is unhappy with the state of the local economy and is not bashful about laying some of the blame at the feet of incumbents in Washington. For Hughes this is not a good business climate and the long-term unemployment is becoming increasingly a structural problem.
While LoBiondo spoke of a need to reduce government interference in the affairs of small business, Hughes talked of Washington as a system that was broken and needing “new vision and new direction.” He painted a picture of a dysfunctional congress that “sits only three days a week.” He spoke of a need for more Congressional oversight. For Hughes there is a positive role for government to play in fostering growth, supporting education, and defending health care reform.
Sheriff and Freeholders
Cape May County Sheriff Gary G. Schaffer and Freeholders Kristine Gabor and Will Morey made brief presentations. The fact that these were relatively brief presentations had everything to do with the fact that they each run unopposed in this year’s election.
Schaffer reported on progress with the new county jail facility. The controversial development effort has turned out to be much more expensive than originally thought and Schaffer has recently defended the project in several forums. The current facility has been out of compliance for over a decade and most consider a new jail necessary. Schaffer also spoke of his commitment to better training for officers.
Gabor spoke of her responsibilities as a freeholder. “I have responsibility for the human side of things,” she said. Gabor’s areas of oversight include aging and disabilities, public health, and human services. She spoke on the need for community involvement in combating the addiction problems in the county and about the need to help what she termed “the working poor.”
Energized by her work on behalf of some of the county’s most in need constituents, Gabor welcomed the opportunity to have another term to continue her efforts.
Morey used his time to discuss county efforts at economic development. Focusing on new activities at the county airport, on fostering light manufacturing and on emerging areas of business opportunity, Morey spoke of the importance of embracing new technologies.
He also made a special point of support for the growing wine industry in the county and its importance to tourism. The county is working to secure a special designation for our wines as one more effort to increase the reputation of county wines.
Township Committee
In an election that has special importance to the chamber membership, Mayor Timothy Donohue is running for reelection against long-time resident Samuel Kelly. Kelly is seeking a seat on the township committee but has clearly acknowledged that he does not want to be mayor. If elected he would support Committeeman Michael Clark. The designation of mayor is based on majority support in the three member township committee.
Donohue began by thanking chamber business owners for “taking a chance on this town.” He thanked them for getting up every morning to run businesses that “put people to work” and “pay taxes.”
Donohue then recalled that he had stood before the same organization three years ago when running for his first term on the committee.
Donohue walked listeners through the promises he made three years ago and took pride in citing his accomplishments with respect to those promises.
He noted efforts to reduce spending and significantly lower the rate of increase in the tax levy that had characterized the township in the past. A commitment to responsible economic development, improved services and more police officers on the streets were all cited as outcomes of his promises in the previous campaign.
Donohue is not changing the agenda. He said he has been “humbled and honored” to serve as mayor and asked for another term to continue the work that has been started.
Kelly recalled moving to the area in the 1950s. “I have farmed, hunted and fished here,” Kelly said. Kelly founded the Middle Township Taxpayers Association and is often in attendance at township meetings.
Kelly said he is running because he doesn’t feel “the people are represented anymore.” Kelly is also critical of the township government prior to the ascendency of republican candidates three years ago. He wants to be a true representative of all of the community. Citing service on the township committee as a full-time job, Kelly says he has the time to embrace it in that way.
What concerns Kelly most is out of control economic development. This is a geographic area in which the environment needs special care. He sees a township in which “big-box” stores are taking over.
“Middle is the only township in the county that welcomes big-box stores,” he notes. He bemoans the loss of mom-and-pop businesses and sees things like the expansion of Wal-Mart as a continuation of dangerous trends. Where Donohue sees responsible economic development, Kelly sees dangerous uncontrolled expansion.
Kelly also feels that township employees in jobs that impact policy should live within the township. He cited a number of high-profile jobs like director of public works, solicitor, business administrator, and township engineer, all filled by individuals who do not reside in the township. Donohue would note the need for the best talent for effective and efficient township services.
In many ways, Kelly feels things are moving too fast and that by encouraging change the present township committee is putting in danger an environment and a way of life that needs careful attention. His “make Mike Mayor” campaign, referring to Clark, is his way of showing he has no larger ambitions.
Donohue is proud of the accomplishments of the last three years and Kelly is fearful of the direction the township is moving in. The candidates present a clear choice for the voters.
School Board
Five individuals are running for three open spots on the current school board. Current members running for reelection are Dennis Roberts, board president, Linda Koch, and Robert Bakley. Those seeking new seats are Melanie Collins and Gloria Jean Hodges.
The members seeking reelection all cited the excellent chemistry on the board, which manifested itself in an ability to work together despite some differences. The board faces the challenge of doing more with “much less” as financial support from Trenton decreases and forces hard choices.
Bob Bakley presented himself as a person “with no exceptional talents” but with a commitment to the mission of the board. Bakley is the son-in-law of Kelly.
Like the other members of the board, Bakley talked about the loss of local control and the increasing interference in local school board policy that comes from federal and state agencies. He feels the board can make a difference but needs to walk a tightrope in order to influence policy where it can.
Roberts serves as board president. He has served on the board since 1999 and notes his achievements in the areas of school physical security, the academic achievement in the system and the ability to keep programs open even in the face of reduced financial support. Roberts says that initiatives like the use of solar power have helped divert dollars from utilities to academic programs and thus offset cuts in aid. What are the challenges? Funding, financing and enrollment, Roberts said.
Koch used her time for a specific purpose. She wanted to tell the world how good the Middle Township system is. “This is not just an OK system,” Koch said. She praised the quality of the academic programs and said she does not know why the system does not get more recognition for that quality.
Reciting her experience in non-profit organizations and her work at Atlantic Cape Community College, Koch expounded her belief that education is the way to reach goals in life. In these days of endangered funding, Koch says she is committed to giving citizens “the biggest bang for the taxpayer buck.”
Collins described her long service through non-profits in the community. She spoke with pride about her background as a teacher and considers herself an educator in whatever role she is playing. The education of our young is an important, even critical task, and Collins is very concerned about increasing regulation. She set off the night’s most passionate exchanges with the audience as well as other candidates when she called the common core an “abomination.”
No defender of the Common Core Curriculum could be found, although Roberts tried to calm the outrage by talking about the evolving nature of the rules and need to work for the changes we would like to see. Obviously the mandate from the state, which carries significant financial carrots and sticks, is something to be handled with care. Bakley called the Common Core Curriculum a “malignancy.” Koch said it “drives the parents out of the process” just when we are trying to get them involved. Several parents expressed similar views.
Hodges, a candidate seeking her first term on the board, was unable to attend.
In past candidate nights, the chamber had not included individuals running for the school board. Noel said the decision to do so this year was obviously a good one.
To contact Vince Conti, email vconti@cmcherald.com.