Demonized for Disagreeing?

In his column June 18 in the Cape May Star and Wave, Norris Clark issued what I thought to be an immature tirade attacking the Republicans on Lower Township Council. He accused them of playing politics with the location of the police building and dismantling of the Lower Township MUA.
It is difficult to see how politics gets into the location of the police building. That seems to be a dollars- and-cents issue. Clark had no real explanation of how being a Republican on township council would lead one to oppose the relocation of the police. Clark did allege though, and in quite ugly and personal language, that the Republicans were trying to save the Lower Township MUA because it is a dumping ground for cronies and well-connected engineers.
Clark should probably talk to Mayor Michael Beck and ask him why, through 2011 and 2012, Beck had nothing but good things to say about the LTMUA. Beck was quoted in news reports saying, “The MUA worked hard and managed to get their fiscal house in order and they were quick to grab the fruits of that decision, which is the [MUA] surplus.”
Now Clark wants to get rid of the LTMUA and grab that surplus for the township to use. Beck also said that “the MUA went through a lot of pain and turned the place around.” He told the MUA, “You didn’t do that to balance the budget of Lower Township; you did that to get this place in order. Just keep the course the way you are.”
Yet now, Beck and Clark want to shut down the MUA in order to save a supposed million dollars. How did the MUA go from getting so much praise from Clark’s running mate Beck to being a Republican dumping ground while Clark and Beck are in control of the township? Looks like Clark didn’t check his facts.
But what is really troubling about this is that Clark says the MUA must be demolished because it will save the township a million dollars. Republican Councilman Erik Simonsen stated that he spoke with the county and is exploring a proposal that would upgrade the current police building and potentially save the Township $2 million to $3 million. If the standard for approving something is how much money it will save the township, then how can Clark and Beck possibly be opposed to renovating the current building with the county sharing the expenses? Or is Clark playing politics with the police building?
It appears Clark is really the one playing politics and his effort to demonize good Republicans simply because they disagree with him is the worst kind of politics that can be played.