Matawan mayor needs to get priorities straight

Matawan Mayor Mary Aufseeser has an issue. She talks about government reform and that kind of thing and then she wants to turn around and give the bond counsel job to Peter Carton's firm. She says that Carton's firm is the best firm for the job. Anyone who has been involved with government reform for any period of time knows that the Carton boys are the problem in this county.

Democrats have tried for decades to get rid of Carton's influence in this county. Meanwhile, a Democratic mayor that everyone at the county backed, Mrs. Aufseeser, made it her business to fight for Carton's firm to keep the arrangement it had in Matawan. This arrangement was made by the former Republican Administration that Mrs. Aufseeser made such a big deal about being wrong and corrupt. Well, the first thing she does when she gets in last year was keep Carton's firm. Then, this year, she fights for Carton's firm again. But, this year, real reformers were in office in that town and didn't let her get away with it.

Congratulations to Bud and Megan Mullaney, as well as Mike Canon. They're trying to do something for taxpayers.

Mayor Aufseeser apparently thinks a lot of Holmdel Mayor Serena DiMaso. She thinks Mrs. DiMaso is some kind of non-partisan person. Mrs. DiMaso is a hack for Joe Kyrillos in Holmdel. She has made n obones about it, but Mrs. Aufseeser is buying her bull.

If Democrats are actually going to reform government in Monmouth, people like Mary Aufseeser have to figure out where they are standing. If she is a Democrat, then she needs to be one. If she is a Republican, then she needs to become one. And if she wants to ignore the last 20 years of corruption in this county, then she shouldn't be in office at all.

If Mayor Aufseeser doesn't want to be a Democrat, or reform government, then she should lose the line in her town. If she can get her act together and stop appointing corrupt Republicans and helping to fill Republican campaign attack literature with nonsense then maybe there's hope yet. If she had been a Republican turning on the GOP machine, there wouldn't have been any talking about it. But if Democrats don't do things differently, then that would be a mistake. Mary Aufseeser needs to clean her act up and stop acting like a Republican hack to keep Democratic support in case she does want to run again, I think. And that means penning blogs under her initials as well. Democrats have been fighting corruption in this county for years and if she doesn't want to do that then she can be not elected as quickly as she got elected.

WALSH BACKS UP SHORT ON BENEFITS

PRESS RELEASE/LETTER TO THE EDITOR

For Immediate Publication

POC: Patricia Walsh
Democratic candidate for 13th District Assembly
Tel: 908-601-1252
Email: walshforassembly@yahoo.com

February 9, 2007

Walsh backs Short’s plan to
eliminate benefits for politicians

I attended a recent Township Committee meeting in
Middletown, where Committeeman Pat Short brought forth
a resolution that part-time township committee members
should forgo pensions.

Until Mr. Short was elected it was unknown to the
public that these pensions are voluntary. They are not
required by law to take them.

Meaning they could save the taxpayer money by not
opting for them.
In addition, he introduced another resolution
encouraging local committee people from opting for
family health and dental insurance coverage at
Middletown taxpayer’s expense, which he has declined.
Imagine my surprise when the former mayor, Tom Hall,
and current Mayor Gerry Scharfenberger vehemently
opposed both resolutions.
Mr. Hall and Mr. Scharfenberger were joined in
attacking the lone Democrat on the committee by the
township administrator, Bob Czech, and by the township
attorney, Bernie Reilly.

Other members of the committee sat silent.

It is this type of self-aggrandizement that is part of
the reason the state is struggling from the
overwhelming costs of pensions. Instead of leading by
example and forgoing optional pensions and benefits,
they are part of the problem that Trenton and
taxpayers have to deal with. They are part of the
reason our taxes have escalated to the degree that we
find New Jersey leading the pack in the burden our
taxpayers carry.

Several times Mr. Scharfenberger attempted to
incorrectly state the position of Mr. Short that as
Scharfenberger put it “you are in favor of increasing
the committee’s salaries”. The record will show that
that is not Mr. Short’s opinion but just the attempt
by a political adversary to incorrectly state Mr.
Short’s position on the issue.

It seems rather hypocritical of the committee to pass
resolutions and issue press releases pointing the
finger at Trenton.

As politicians they always point their proverbial
finger over there, when they should be pointing at
themselves. They had the opportunity to show taxpayers
in Middletown that they were willing to be part of the
solution, and said “NO.”

I agree that the issue of pensions and benefits for
part-time elected and appointed officials is one that
legislators in Trenton will have to deal with. I look
forward to being part of the solution, as a full-time
Assemblywoman from the 13th district. Tough issues
require tough people to deal with them. I will not sit
idly by and watch the abuses take place. I will speak
out about the reforms necessary to provide the tax
relief that our residents really deserve. You can
count on it.

Patricia Walsh
Middletown resident
Candidate for 13th District Assembly