Sports Complex Issue in Lincroft

Pat Short is going to be taking his case about the proposed Lincroft sports complex issue to the Middletown Committee this Monday night at 8 p.m. He has been in touch with the residents over at the Lincroft Village Green Association and has listened to some area residents.

A big part of this isn't just about leveling blame at the committee for not really telling anyone in the area about this project, though that is there. Patrick is proposing the committee take a look at the idea of helping to refurbish some ball fields that the school board has had to retire and then open them up not only to students but to the public at times. In this way, Lincroft doesn't have to accept a sports complex it doesn't want, the residents get the ball fields they want from around the township, and the kids in school get more fields back.

The worst sign of bad leadership is for elected people not to go with an idea simply because of who suggested it. Since Patrick is a candidate for the Middletown Committee this year, I am more than a bit cynical about this committee's ability to do what is right for residents based on partisan interests.

One party rule is what is wrong with Middletown, it is what has been wrong with Middletown and, unless residents go about the business of making a change, it is what will continue to be wrong with Middletown. However, I just don't believe that this Republican Party is as popular as it once was.

Middletown Committeeman Ray O'Grady is in the middle of a federal corruption trial, and he's bringing witnesses about more corruption that has taken place in the county and in Middletown. I think it's reasonable to say that if corruption is this big of a problem in the GOP that people should take a hard look at where they are casting their vote, and for whom.