To the Editor:
With another summer season under their belts, the big business boys can get back to running our area’s politics. They have handpicked many of the candidates and are paying for their campaigns. Now, that’s not quite enough to totally control our politics, so the big boys, along with party leaders, facilitate the nepotism that is our government throughout Cape May County. Their family and friends all can get nice-paying government jobs if they just do as they’re told.
The party leaders are not necessarily big business boys, but they are certainly connected. It’s a well-oiled machine. We, the voters, provide them with the oil, free of charge. Keeping one party in total power negates the checks and balances provided by a two-party system. It doesn’t have to be this way. You can maintain a majority of your party of choice while electing a representative of the other party to foster a bit of public responsibility to their respective governing bodies.
I know of no locally elected panel with less than three members. In fact, Middle Township, which is my concern, may be the only governing body with so few representatives, especially in such a large district.
We were ready to present a change in form of government, but then we, the voters, gave one party full control, so they abandoned the effort. Once again, we, the voters, as my daddy would say, were cutting off our nose to spite our face.
When the Democrats had total control of our township, I worked very hard to bring a Republican on board. Though he and I were at odds more often than not, he brought checks and balances to the municipal budget. Without oversight, the budget serves as a political tool first, the needs of the community come second, but what did we, the voters, do? We went the other direction, giving full control to the Republican Party. Once again, we put ourselves at the mercy of professional politicians.
Let’s talk about why it doesn’t have to be this way. We not only have the opportunity to elect someone to bring diversity, but we’ll also have a person on the committee with credentials to represent our community, not a political party.
Quanette Vasser-McNeal is well educated and works in the social service field. She has presided over service organizations. She knows the why and how to serve. The big business boys are calling her arrogant because she is assertive. They are truly afraid of her.
We can alter the partisan politics of both parties that have controlled our community, as long as I can remember. Democrats, Republicans, and independent voters need to bring Vasser-McNeal to Middle Township Committee.
