Elections - Town Candidates
I understand town elections are approaching. Can someone guide me where to find the candidates info, the goals they have set forth, etc...
On a side note, I really wish the town website was more user friendly....it just feels ancient. With so many website platforms this website could be reworked for info and act as a go to resource!
readyforchange Ok I guess I will respond:
Here is an article listing the 3 candidates that will appear on the ballot along with 1 person ( me) running as a write in. I unfortunately didn't secure enough names on my petition to make it on the ballot ( 100% my fault and I'm kicking myself for it):
https://www.njherald.com/20180530/hackettstown-primaries-will--shape-november-contest
there is a quick bio and vision on the 2 Democrat candidates. As for me here is my bio:
13year resident of Hackettstown, father of 2 boys in the school system and 15 years married to my wonderful wife, Robyn.
I have volunteered with the BID event committee the past 9years helping to put together events like the St Patrick’s Day parade, Hometown Holiday and Autumn Lamplight Dinner.
As councilman for the past 3 years, I have worked to continue to keep the town portion of our taxes down while still providing additional services to the residents; I have helped form a grant committee to find federal and state money to help fund local projects and consistently meet with Congressman's Gottheimer's staff to look for ways to bring federal grant money to Hackettstown.
I have encouraged and listened to residents attending council meeting and have worked to help address their concerns.
I have worked closely with the 2 elementary school principals, the PTA and local police to encourage and provide safe walking routes to/from our schools
As a member of the Land Use Board, I have made numerous recommendations to our 2018 Master Plan that will help identify and encourage redevelopment of some areas of Main St that have been neglected over the years.
Between council, BID, Rec, Land Use and BOE meetings I spend roughly 20 hours in town meetings per month on top of my full time job and volunteer coaching my kids’ sports teams. So you can see the dedication I have put in and will continue to put into this position.
Some of my goals for my next term are:
Walking/biking trails along the Musconetcong River connecting Brook Hollow estates all the way down to the Lowe’s, all funded by grant money.
Finding grant money to help repave depleted sidewalks in our residential areas
Increased lighting and signage for crosswalks and parking lots along Main St.
Better communication directly from the town via a town run Facebook page to keep residents up to date on meetings, projects and other useful information.
If anyone has any questions or comments feel free to share them here or email me and I will be more than happy to answer them. I think you will see I am the most vocal councilmember on social media as I do feel it important to get the facts out to the public rather than let local gossip pass misinformation
Thanks for reading, the good news is this year, we as residents have multiple candidates running and I encourage them to come share their bio and vision as well. Hopefully I have done enough to earn your vote and if so I ask that you write in JIM LAMBO as town councilman on November 6th. Thank you
Councilman Jim Lambo
Cell: 908-801-2397
jlambo@hackettstown.net.
Jim L You've certainly convinced ME, Jim... I'll be writing you in to serve on the Alpha Borough Council as well. Hope you can squeeze it in.. (-;
ianimal thanks ianimal. that's why I hesitated so long to respond, figured most on HL don't even live in Hackettstown LOL
Jim can you explain why Scott Sheldon has signs just with his name on it for Council and not yours? Are you both getting support from the Hackettstown GOP as I find it odd Scott Sheldon, who is a great guy does not have your name on his signs, when you are on the same ticket, or there are no signs to write your name in. Seems like the first Democrat could possibly get elected with Scott Sheldon come November.
Also Jim, if you cannot even manage to get the necessary paperwork to get on the ballot or win a write-in in the primary to get on the November ballot, why in the heck should people vote for you when you cannot even do that? Why post the newspaper article with your opponents information and stances as you just gave them free advertising. You do not seem to have a clue.
resident08there's one of my trolls I was expecting to see.
I will be polite and answer your questions;
1) Scott needed to get new signs because previous years he ran with Bill Conforti, I had my own signs since I ran solo last time.
2) Yes I am getting support from the GOP
3) yup I messed up on my paperwork. I own it and won't do that again.
4)I posted the newspaper article because the OP asked a question and I answered it. I am an honest person and im not going to pretend there aren't others running. I am happy that residents in town have a choice, I have no problem with people comparing my bio and qualifications to those running against me. I think I stack up quite nicely to all the candidates running.
So why is your name not on the sign if Scott needed new signs? Are you getting signs to write your name in? I am not a troll as I do not live in Hackettstown but think you just helped elect Democrats to the council which is fine because you screwed up. If you cannot get the paperwork in to run on time you have no business being on the council. Hopefully next time the GOP runs a competent candidate instead of you.
Skippy Thanks Skippy
Yup so a non Hackettstown resident jumping on a thread about Hackettstown town council candidates busting on someone hiding behind a screen name. Yea I would call that a textbook troll
Jim L
"I am not a troll as I do not live in Hackettstown". By that is "resident08" implying that only trolls live in Hackttstown, or that only people that question you that live in Hackettstown would be trolling you? That's a rhetorical question of course, because I think most of us know the answer to that anyway... .
Best of luck to you as a write in candidate. I can appreciate that with your council duties, full time job and coaching duties that you somehow didn't fully take care of your paperwork, but you "owned" your mistake and posted it for all to see. I can appreciate that honesty and your admission that you'd still love to serve the people of Hackettstown.. Your presence here (as a councilperson) has helped to try to keep head level by straightening out a good number of rumors and misinformation. At least that's what I've observed. You've also been open about things and I haven't heard you give any negative or derogatory "info" on others that you work with.
If I was living in Hackettstown & believe me, I really hope to be able to move back within the next year or two, you'd have my vote. At least until such time as you'd show me that my vote was miscast, though currently I think that unlikely.
Phil D. Jim, you use to hide behind a fictitous name on Hackettstown Life Forum when the Bergen Tool Debacle was raging. Just sayin.
Hackettstown Resident.
pampurr 
Strangerdanger 
Calico696 
joyful I'm writing in Jim. Now Jim, does it matter my political party this time around?
Jim stepped up to the plate years ago volunteering for hometown holiday after bad mouthing it. He has made things better. I've seen him in action at the parades, he cares!
He coached one of my kiddos too a few years back and is great with the little Hackettstown peeps as well.
YUP some people are so lazy !!! Just loves to "party".
Jim desires to be a council person for more than one municipality.
Bernie Thanks everyone for the kind words. Wish you guys live in Hackettstown lol
No WGM you don’t have to be affiliated with a certain party to write me in for the general election. And I’m glad I got a chance to coach your kid, I just got finished coaching a game for a team of 3rd graders tonight even though I don’t have a kid on. I enjoy being able to help out.
Good luck Jim L, we butt heads occasionally on here but I know your heart's in the right place and your intentions are what you feel is in the town's best interest.
Denis resident08.
The answer is not getting the paperwork work in.
More like getting signatures that were not Hackettstown residents.
Mike Rolls I got my paperwork in and had enough signatures and everyone that signed it was a Hackettstown resident. The problem was some were not registered voters and some didn’t realize they were registered Democrats so those names didn’t count. Lesson learned.
Oh Jim, that's unfortunate - so not your error, but erroneous signatures.
How did Jim first get involved you may ask? Well, he had some constructive ideas for Hometown Holiday and instead of just complaining, he showed up at the BID Office asking how he can help make it better.
From that day on, he has been active and present, finding every little way (and some pretty big ways) to get involved and help improve our town.
I gladly will write in Jim Lambo for Council because I've seen first hand how hard he works, his ethics and how he brings new ideas. He doesn't hold grudges or hold it against you if you disagree, he moves on and moves up. To date Hackettstown is a better place because of the work he's done so far, but his best work can be done on Town Council, bringing a voice to the next generation.
Thank you Jim for stepping up!
trekster3~ Jim L. Good luck, you have my vote, even though i'm on the other side. The trails sound like a great plan!
You're a better resource than the town website itself - but please, can we add "Abolishing the use of Comic Sans on Hackettstown.net" to the list or goals for next term? :)
I'll take anything - Verdana, Calibri, Segoe UI even Arial! The other towns are laughing at us. I even heard Independence called us "childish"!
Sounds like you should consider running for freeholder
alpha1beta I wonder how many people would sell you or r.o.w. you part pf the tow path. You mifht already have a historic hiking trail...
Wildstar My perception is Jim L is more focused on the people of hackettstown and not political parties A1B - we often disagree politically but he always treats others with respect - i sincerely hope he retains his position for those that live and work there. He’s definitely not a party line republican
I don't know, I still can't get Darwin out of my head. I've been trying. He hasn't been a resident long enough to really understand Hackettstown, it's residents, it's history, or it's heritage. It takes years and years to really know this town, understand this town and Love it, truly truly Love it. Some day but not yet to get my vote. That doesn't mean I can't say good luck to you Jim.
auntiel Party line Republican or not, I just can’t cast any votes for the GOP. They’ve chosen party over people to the great detriment of our country and democracy.
Make our Country Decent Again.
Res2 wildstar to answer your question, I am past the point of needing signatures to run. I didn't get enough o make it on the ballet so now I need write in votes come Nov. 6th.
http://wrnjradio.com/nj-warren-county-political-archives/
The WRNJ political forum for Hackettstown Town Council is Monday October 29th at 11am. Tune in. I am confident your will hear a distinct difference in experience, knowledge, vision and commitment between the candidates.
Metsman Be sure to keep this bumped till the election so we remember Jim L is a write in and not on the ballot.
Thanks Bruce
Reminder the WRNJ Town Council debate is today at 11am. Tune in, all four candidates will be there.
“Just say no to Democrat.”
Even at the local level. Amazing. Even I am not that jaded.
https://m.facebook.com/wrnjradio/
The town council debate this morning was recorded on WRNJ’s Facebook page and available to view. You will see 2 empty seats as the Dems decided to call in together rather than actually attend
Also there was a clear difference in the knowledge of local issues between the candidates as the Dems seemed to be very confused with the Quick Chek project.
I see. So the democratic candidates work and therefore couldn’t make it. Good for them.
Lol nice try. The 2 Dems called In together so they weren’t at work. Also you’ll see in the video I came in dressed in my work suit so I came from work and went back to work afterwards. But again nice try
Interesting that the two Democrat candidates kept talking about a plan but had vague ideas about every topic and "felt" things. When they did bring up concrete ideas it was either things the council was already doing or were just plain wrong (QuickCheck).
I have to say that regardless of what Jim says, a lot of people will have a fault with him. But let me ask you, how many others from council will come on here and take a beating and still give you information you can easily find on the internet?
I don't think Jim has some agenda to screw anyone over here.
So i have to say if you want someone that you can get information from and express your concerns with, he is your candidate. Weather you like him or not he is doing more then most. I myself have differed on topics with him but i will not let that get in the way of voting for who i think will do the best job.
Even though he doesn't believe in crypto currencies.
CJ. 
Luca Question, I live in town and now seeing BOE signs up? The BOE is an elected position? I though they were appointed by the superintendent of the district.
Nick Finkelstein Hi Nick. BOE members have always been elected officials....and as a side note, the ONLY elected officials in NJ who receive NO compensation for their public service. Until the laws were changed several years ago, BOE members were elected in April when school budgets were also publicly voted on. The April vote was, in my understanding, intentional to keep BOE from being politicized. When the new rules for how to keep a budget from needing public approval went into effect, BOE elections were moved to coincide with general elections. I have to assume that it was a cost saving move: no need to print and mail additional sample ballots, hire election workers, etc.
I can assure you, though, that there were campaign signs, both for candidates and budget, out and around for those April elections.
summerrain1 One last thought about BOE candidates: the only appointed BOE members are those appointed to fill an unexpired term, and they are appointed by the sitting members of the BOE, never the superintendent.
Hi Nick -
You’re probably only seeing signs now because there hasn’t been a contested BOE race in years. I am one of the candidates, the only non-incumbent.
My campaign platform is one of change that seeks greater transparency, communication and accountability. I have one child in the schools and 2 more to come through.
I’m actually hosting a meet the candidate event tonight and would love to meet you!
Jim Lambo will also be there and I invited other candidates in town but they had prior commitments.
The event is at 15 Dalton Rd from 4-8 if you are interested or you can reach out to me separately through my Facebook page or website.
Happy Halloween!
JamiCavanagh Jami.... I would love to hear what you plan to bring to the table. I know we can't change the world over night but do you have any topics you can cut and paste here. I am unable to attend the meet and greet.
“He hasn't been a resident long enough to really understand Hackettstown”
Well I guess I can understand your point of view. But I will point out, one Dem candidate has only lived here 5 years and the other Dem has lived here less than a year. So if you’re voting solely based on length of time in town I at least come in second lol.
Hi C.J. - hopefully I can meet you in person someday!
In February after I petitioned the board to bring back our security guards they did in about a month - many community members rallied behind that as well. I feel strongly about continuing to enhance our security efforts as well as exploring ways to support the mental health of our children. To be clear - either/or won’t cut it. We have a tremendous duty to enhance programs, curriculum and outreach as it relates to mental health.
I believe the community deserves greater accountability from this board and the administration. Months after work at Hatchery Hill was complete in their remediation and fixing of the lead in the drinking water I reached out to see where the test results were after they fixed it. They retested it that same week of my email and the results were posted the following. I’m hopeful we can get in front of those things.
I also think we leave a lot of money on the table without having someone in place to write grants or goals set to apply for X many. The NJSBA has a grant portal for all board members, so they have a major database at their fingertips, but when I asked about this at a previous board meeting this year it didn’t seem like something they tap into that much.
The board’s mission statement at the top of every agenda states:
“Building on tradition and success, the mission of the Hackettstown School District is to educate and inspire students through school, family and community partnerships so that all become positive, contributing members of a global society, with a life-long commitment to learning.”
I think there’s a great opportunity to form new, lasting partnerships with the community and a lot of that starts with better communication about ways people can get involved, school needs, etc. I think we either need a new mission statement or members with new ideas on this board who can and will do everything they can to support our children, teachers and community as a whole.
Please feel free to reach out to me directly at jlschlicher@gmail.com
Jamie
Not sure what you reference to mental health is. Mental health is a medical issue to be diagnosed and treated by medical professionals....not educators.
Educators can only identify and report potential behaviors. Schools do not need mental health programs, ciricculumn and outreach...those are already available elsewhere through county, state and private providers. This is the responsibility of parents to see that their children,s health is provided for. If they do not, it becomes a county and state social service issue.
Are you advocating increasing the district school budget to hire medical professionals to diagnose and treat in our schools. Isn’t money better spent on curriculum which is the legal purpose of public education?
I do not want the school invading my child’s health...physical or mental.
Hi, Timmy - that’s not what I am suggesting.
First I would like to share 2 important links that I hope you will check out:
https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2018/06/15/many-recommend-teaching-mental-health-in-schools-now-two-states-will-require-it
http://apps.npr.org/mental-health/
I’m not saying we require any of this, but we owe it to our children to at least explore different options to support them and set them up for success, not further stigmatize and perpetuate a societal health crisis.
what are you suggesting?
It is time for parents to be responsible.
The school is not nor should it be a health provider.
You should be concentrating on the real problems of budget control and space restrictions, as well as declining sending district revenue, that Hackettstown will be facing in the short term.
Your website does not address one real issue facing this district...”stand for what’s right, United around a common goal, enhance everything” does not address any issue at all. Sounds more like a class president platform.
Let’s not suggest solutions to problems that are not there. Do your homework on the real issues facing the district as noted below. Some specifics would be great.
How about the town taxpayers get better performance for their tax dollar....Hackettstown
Test scores are stagnant year after year. Hold administrators and teachers responsible for ciriculum improvements which result in better results.
Facilities do not appear to be sufficient to accommodate expected increased enrollment.
How about holding the line on spending...creative solutions to managing a budget while maintaining programs.
2 million over charged to GMRSD...how about some accountability?
The space and enrollment issue is urgent and will be costly. What can you offer to solve that issue?
Every contractor the board has hired for capital projects have failed....auditorium roof this year, the incorrect measurement of the gym so the bleachers could not be used several years ago. How about better vetting of contractors.
Timmy - I agree with much of what you are saying, but I want you to know that some of what you are saying are things that I have also talked about.
One thought re: mental health-
We have nurses in every school, but that doesn’t make the schools a healthcare practice.
Re: holding the line on spending- I talk about pursuing grants in my post.
Re accountability - YES. I mention just the lack of retesting at Hatchery above, but there are so many hard questions to ask. Some I have already asked and some I would certainly address and look for solutions to that if elected.
I’ve talked about the Hackettstown test scores on my Facebook page and agree with you.
Many of the things you raise are some of the issues I align with and have talked about because I agree!
Some of your points are interesting and for the ones that positioned these issues differently, i really appreciate that perspective!
Thank you Jami for your support of Mental Health at the school level - I frankly had no idea how bad one of my children was struggling until her guidance counselor brought me in - Children present to parents much differently to everyone else - When you ask questions of your kids, they often try to be 'pleasers' and will present a happy persona, when they're in so much internal pain. Timmy, trust me, I've struggled with how I missed it.
Much like the school nurse can see things parents cannot, general health wise, some Mental Health program would be a huge benefit to the children at all grade levels. Not sure what that should be. And Timmy, you have to remember, schools are often the ONLY place that kids get seen by any professionals at any level, they are our front line to raising happy, healthy, productive adults. Should the schools be our be-all and end-all, absolutely not, but they are a powerful resource that should not be ignored in the area of Mental Health. Especially, since so much of the issues I've seen in my kids revolve around what is happening at the school.
For the budget, with the 2% cap and contractual obligations, there is little or no room for new programs, the BOE struggles with maintaining the current programs - Jami is spot on with seeking out grants, that is virtually the only way we can see some expansion / improvement in programs.
I look forward to seeing what all this enthusiasm brings, I'd love to see folks step up for the Hackettstown Foundation for Educational Excellence - it is a wonderful organization that partners with the schools and community to bring innovative programs that would not otherwise be funded with BOE or PTA funds. Teachers have the opportunity for micro grants to fund some very interesting things above and beyond the curriculum.
@Timmy - my hope is that you, as a community member, tax-payer and someone who has concerns, would have the opportunity to ask about the platform and ideas of the other incumbent candidates that are running together. I know some of them read this site, so maybe you’ll get some context about where all of the candidates on the ballot stand.
In the meantime, I would truly value a conversation with you face-to-face or by phone. Please reach out to me at jlschlicher@gmail.com
@trekster3 - the HFEE foundation is a wonderful foundation that doesn’t waver from their mission of supporting the schools through their grant program. (Pardon the plug) but they recently launched a new website - www.hfeenj.org - and we are revamping social to engage with the community in new ways. I had the opportunity to get involved earlier this year and it’s full of some wonderful people and we started doing more community engagement and fund raising through the innovative Kindness Matters program that we launched this summer where kids were sponsored to do random acts of kindness in the community. That program was successful on so many levels outside, but still including fundraising, and put an emphasis and focus on encouraging the children to go out of their way to do something nice for their neighbors, our environment and the community!
We are always looking for new members, and they admittedly, have struggled to get new community members to support that. So if anyone is interested, please check out the site and reach out.
For any parents on this board, HFEE is going to have information tables during the parent-teacher conferences and we welcome anyone who wants to get involved!
http://wrnjradio.com/nj-warren-county-political-archives/
https://m.facebook.com/wrnjradio/
With Election Day being tomorrow I will make 1 last post. Above are the links to the Town Council WRNJ debate. Please listen and or watch the debate. There was so much misinformation and I had to spend so much time correcting the Dems on QC I didn't have time to correct them on the other issues so here I go:
1) The Site Plan fro QC has been approved by Zoning and there will be no more meetings or votes in town.
2) The Dems clearly didn't bother to look up out town budget that's on our website because if they did they would see that not only are we debt free, we also have a large surplus in our Capital Improvement Fund to fund future needs with out having to go out and bond and raise taxes. We pay as we go, something most towns don't do.
3) Again if they bothered to look at our budget they would see we do have a Strategic Plan, something they said we don't and that we NEED to do. We do, we list all the large equipment we know are aging and will need to replace in the future. We also list how much we are setting aside each year for each item so we SAVE UP for them and not waste taxpayers money bonding. We believe in saving up for things rather than maxing out our credit cards to buy them. Sound logical to us.
4) Our First Responders are more than prepared to handle any emergency that is thrown out them and have already proven themselves time after time. From the 2013 School Shooter threat, that turned out to be a prank, to Sandy, to the School bus accident on 80 last year to this month's missing boy scare, our First Responders train and prepare for every situation and have shown their value to the town time and time again, so for 2 people that know nothing about this topic to say we are not prepared is insulting.
5) We all gave our bio including length of time in Hackettstown, except Bob Hinrich, he only mentions his tenure in Warren County, That is because he has lived in town less than a year.
Scott and I have done a great job paying down our debt, while increasing services to the residents. We added a police officer on Main St, we added a shredding event and an Electronic recycle event. Our Rec has added more sports such as Track and now Golf. Our BID has attracted great restaurants, breweries and specialty stores. Now is not the time to take a step back and go into debt. I have and will continue to give as much factual information out to the public so you all are properly informed.
So I am asking for you to vote to re-elect Scott Sheldon and write me in as Town Council on Election day. Thank you
Councilman Jim Lambo
cell 908-801-2397
jlambo@hackettstown.net
Jim and Jami- I have a hopeful suggestion for you if you are elected- please try and fix the very apparent divide that has taken place between our BOE and Town Council. I think if there was better communication between the two, the whole town could and would be so much more productive.
Also Jim, if you’re elected, I’d like you to walk the streets of my neighborhood (Hurley Dr) and see what a mess the trees are. I understand that a tree replacement project is a lot of money, but over time, it can be done. They have been cut around the powerlines and are now dead and all unsafe. After a bad storm, we look like a war zone. I like the idea of trails and such, but there are areas of this town that need some TLC.
Jac’s mom Hi Jac's Mom,
for the past 3 years as town councilman, I have been the BOE Liaison for council and attend just about every BOE meeting. I speak with the BOE pres and Superintendent often about the town's concerns so I will say our communication has gotten better between the 2. For example, the town and BOE joined together to host public meetings regarding school safety concerns after Parkland as well as we reached out the BOE regarding the current issue regarding legalizing marijuana in NJ to get the BOE's input. We also met numerous times to give our input on the BOE's idea of moving 7&8th grade to Great Meadows( we were against it). Also I was glad to see the BOE now has a Town Council Liaison who tries to attend most Town Council meetings. So we are taking the right steps to improve the communication between the 2. As the only current councilman with kids in the school district it has been a priority of mine to improve the dialogue between the 2 and I think the BOE will agree it has gotten better.
As for Hurley Dr area, I am actually meeting with a non-profit organization tomorrow along with the 2 elementary principals regarding walking routes to schools and your area is one of my main areas in town where a neighborhood sidewalk plan is needed. If I can get grant money to do that, then we can clean up some of the trees that need to be removed and improve that area. But as you said tree maintenance is expensive so looking for grant money to fund a project like that is our first goal.
Jim-I live in the Willow Grove section of town. I hope I am misreading your post from above as I really would not want sidewalks installed in our neighborhood. Sidewalks are just something else the homeowner would have to maintain that town trees would ruin. I know the town would not be maintaining the sidewalks....the town hasn't fixed the curbs in the 28 years that I have lived here and our street has only been repaved once. We really do not have enough children walking to school that would justify the expense. Money would be better spent fixing the curbs and repaving the streets. Before any action is taken, I would hope a survey of the impacted homeowners would be taken.
Nancy If I may. I have had great success with the DPW responding quickly and taking care of two different trees on separate occasions, that were located on town property adjoining my property. Both trees posed a danger so one was removed and the other the crew cut back the problem limbs. Mr. Armstrong was very helpful and took care of the trees within just a few days of me notifying him.
If there are trees in that area that require immediate attention because they pose a danger to life or property, I would most certainly contact the DPW. Otherwise the path Jim is looking at is the way to go. There are state grant funds available called Statewide Livable Communities Grants that provide monies for these types of projects. In addition there are Community Forestry grants as well. I'm sure Jim has these and other sources in mind.
Greg With the polls opening tomorrow, I just wanted to post that I hope everyone who can will turn out to exercise their right to vote!
I’ve been as transparent as I can, answered every inquiry, knocked on doors, had a booth at the Spring festival and much more because I wanted to hear and engage with the community.
As a voter it’s important be informed about the candidates and wanted to share a couple links to where Hackettstown’s B.O.E. candidates had the opportunity to respond and provide their thoughts on various topics.
I’m also always reachable (jlschlicher@gmail.com) and value every conversation that I’m lucky enough to have with our community members.
https://www.njherald.com/20181104/four-vie-for-3-seats-on-hackettstown-board-of-education
http://www.artsednj.org/survey2018/
So if you like Hackettstown status quo, and where its heading, you vote for Jim L. If you don’t and you want change, you vote for someone else.
Did I sum that up right?
"the town hasn't fixed the curbs in the 28 years that I have lived here and our street has only been repaved once. "
Nancy our street program is to repave each street roughly every 10 years. We have about 70 streets in town and do 5-7 per year so roughly every 10 years each street gets repaved so I'm not sure you are correct with the once in 28 years.
And no I am not saying we are looking to put in sidewalks on every road in your area. What I am saying is we are trying to get kids to walk to school more and are exploring ways to do that. The first thing this non profit organization does is come out and do a study to see which route to school is the best for the neighborhood and makes recommendations on how to improve it. If sidewalks are recommended, and we can find grant $ then we would invite the neighbors to get their input to see if its something you want. So I apologize if I was unclear, its not something I am pushing for, its something I think we should explore to see if there is a need and a want. I hope that clears up my post.
Jim, Thanks for the update. The last time Carol Drive was paved was 19 years ago (I know for a fact as I was pregnant with my youngest at the time and it was a challenge getting groceries home as we weren't allow access to our driveways). Curbs were never fixed. We received a letter from Tom Kitchen at that time they were repaving that it was the home owners responsibility to repair. All the work that HMUA/contractors did this summer has made our roads a mess. Hopefully, they will be repaved next year.
Thanks for keeping us posted. I really do appreciate that you take the time and come on the forum to keep us updated. Will be voting for you tomorrow.
Thanks Nancy. And yes HMUA will be paving the roads next year. I forget the exact timeframe that we have to wait after the water main project before we can repave the road but it’ll get done in 2019.
Thank you Jim- currently there is one tree that is touching phone or power lines which is not on my property and many of the trees are just plan rioted and dead that follow down the row of houses in the 100 through 200 section of the street as well as scattered around the whole development. I did approach the DPW and was told it was too expensive of a project (which I understand). Tree limbs have fallen on cars, across our roads etc. DPW was very responsive when the tree in front of my house needed to be taken down bc they were on lines and you could see the tension on the wires. But I walked in with pictures and they had no choice to cut them down. I appreciate the DPW and all they do to get it cleaned up so quickly. But I’d like to see us get ahead of the problem instead of always cleaning it up.
I live on Mitchell rd. I have a Maple tree in the front yard that every fall drops all it leaves everywhere. What a mess! I'd like DWP to come over take care of that asap.
Jac's mom,
JCP&L is responsible for maintaining the trees near power lines. Their local rep has been very good at keeping the town informed and actually came to town council meeting last month to let us know they are spending $100mill in tree servicing next year. I will reach out to him and let him that your neighborhood is in need of some TLC with the tree trimming.
Jim- thank you very much!!! I appreciate you putting forth the effort to help our section of town.. I wish you lots of luck today!
Congratulations to Jami Cavanagh!!! You did it! Gus Bordi is out!
Now make the most of it.. All the vultures will be watching.
Samiam No I was not re-elected. With Not being on the ballot I had a very slim chance. If I was on the ballot I would have won, my own fault and I’ll learn from my mistake
It looks like it’s too close to officially call between the 2 Dems so they are waiting for the mail in ballots but looks like Hinrich has a slight lead and will probably win
joyful - No. The Council election was won by Scott Sheldon and Robert Hinrichs per results released on nj.com
GC Bordi's damage will never be undone. Start with not hiring Sarcone or Pittenger. The district slumps lower on the rankings every year. More ESL students are his answer. Take away French, make the kids learn Spanish. Bordi made is own bed.
Acl76 Jim - Sorry to hear that you didn't win. It was nice to meet you as you visited the neighborhood and please tell your campaign manager that he did a great job.
Jaks Jim you did more on the council in your short time then any other member has done in along time. Especially Scott Sheldon. Very sad to see you did not get elected.
JD This election really opened my eyes. While I was at my voting location a student from Centenary came in requesting an absentee ballot because she was not sure she can make it back to her home in New York. She went on to say that she had voted here once before and when they looked up her name, she was registered to vote here in Hackettstown. The address she gave was 400 Jefferson Street. The girl was also still registered to vote in New York. And after voting here in New Jersey she was on her way back to New York to vote. After looking it up I found out that yes you are allowed to vote in two different locations.
Thanks for the kind words and don’t worry I’m not done helping our town. I will still be on the Land Use board and I will continue to be the grant writer for the town. I will continue to volunteer with the BID and our Rec dept, I will still be at every town council meeting and will voice my opinions on how we can improve. It’ll just be at the podium for 3mins at a time. Lol.
Jim, glad to hear you'll still be active with town concerns. Please continue to address issues on this forum. Your willingness to provide accurate information & updates on local topics is much appreciated.
LDJ Jim - You were my first ever write in candidate. I look forward to seeing your posts on this forum.
htownnewbie So glad Bordi is out. He was such a waste. A pathetic excuse for someone in a position to make change. Looking forward to new beginnings. Let's hope Mango found another school to screw and moves on.
Don ok so elections are right around the corner, here is who is running in Hackettstown for town council:
Republicans Matt Engelau and Jerry DiMaio are running for re-election.
For the Democrats: Mark Gillian who ran last year is running again. The other Democrat was originally Nicole Wolfrum, she ran for the June primary and won.
http://www.co.warren.nj.us/Elections/Current%20Election%20Results/vote.pdf
but after the primary she withdrew her nomination. So the Dems replaced her with Janis Meichsner. But then it seems she too withdrew her nomination so it's just Mark running for the Dems
http://www.co.warren.nj.us/CountyClerk/Download/2019%20Candidates%20for%20General%20Election.pdf
As of this Morning there will be no WRNJ debate as Mark has declined to participate. Seems weird to run for office but not want to get your voice and platform out to the public. Maybe Mark can come on here and explain why he is not going to debate? I get that he did an awful job on the debate last year but he had a full year to prepare and actually learn facts about the town I would have figured he was prepared for this year and would want to redeem himself. Oh well.
well to be fair it's hard to get out and vote when you have no clue who the candidates are or what they are running on. You're basically just voting on the (R) or (D) next to their name. If only there was a debate where we could hear their voice and what their platform was....hmmm??
"You're basically just voting on the (R) or (D) next to their name."
According to the statistics, people aren't even doing that. 16% voter turnout? That's really horrendous.
General election information for all of Warren County can be found here:
http://www.co.warren.nj.us/CountyClerk/Download/2019%20Candidates%20for%20General%20Election.pdf
justintime People just don't care. Year after year of elected officials bumbling around and power grubbing. Whether it be for a small town or in Washington. No change, same old crap.
I still manage to vote, but I totally understand why most don't. And let's not forget about the woman vote. Still a small turnout throughout the US, so much for liberation when they just don't care.
Most politicians are narcissistic control freaks. When you see zero change and nothing but tax increases and an archaic voting system in a modern age, you don't care.
I find it interesting that the person who ran against Mark, should have known better than to wait too long get his own name on the ballot last year (and should have known better considering he was previously in office) and bashed his opponents repeatedly on social media is currently calling Gillan out. Perhaps he declined the debate because of all of this kind of stuff that followed it? All I know, is that this town needs someone who stays away from the drama and gossip and is in it because they care. After a nice long talk with him when he came to my door, who Gillan seems to be to me.
Sam - actually, the percentage of women who vote is higher than the percentage of men who vote.
MB Well ok then. Usually that isn't the case. But with only 17% voter turnout, I still say most people just don't care or feel like it won't matter. In past polls voter turnout of woman voters has been low overall. Most woman that I know and talk to don't vote, they could care less about politics. I'm starting to believe it's just healthier not to give a crap. It takes a certain kind of deviant to want to be a politician. No thanks.
Because women care. I will be voting... down the line picking Democrats. Our country, our County and our small Town all need progressive change that Republicans forgot about long ago. I don't think anyone should be running if I have to write in their name on the ballot... I want my votes to count and don't want to chance messing anything up with a write in name.
I agree that voter turnout in general is abysmal. But pegging it on women "just not caring" isn't exactly fair. Every statistic I've seen contradicts your anecdotal evidence.
No Dems even ran against the incumbent Mayor of Hackettstown last election..Again Pathetic.
I think anyone can run for office. Maybe the things that prevent you from running are similar to what keeps others from running???
Another coffee spew award, this one to Concerned. Or is that skewer award? Man, that's a stinger with a barb. Cleverly done.
IMO, local elections are about people, not parties. And can't be politics, otherwise we couldn't post :>) So, missing a debate --- personal ding. Missing a filing --- personal ding. Rabid Republican (or Democrat), not so much so. After all, much of what they do is live within a fixed budget --- not to much to damage there. Corruption? I guess for criminal underachievers…. Think the big one is development --- it's gonna happen, but they do exert some pull on how it happens. See planned apt. mess behind CVS, five corners planned Qchek traffic disaster. Then again, they get better, IMO CVS pretty OK for what it is, WaWa ditto IMO. 57 access --- very nice, oh wait, that's Mansfield.....But again, not sure how much of those decisions are based on party politics. Could be wrong though, don't really dig in that deep.
Concerned, if Mark wants to stay out of the drama and gossip as you call it then he should probably stop with the bashing of the council and stick to his own platform. But instead he is going around and telling misinformation about Quick Chek, the fire department and posting “the apathy and business as usual attitude of our current town council is unacceptable." on his Facebook page. Especially when he has been to exactly 1 town council meeting this year. He has no idea the amount of effort the council puts in, the number of meeting each month they are a part of or what goes into running a budget.
I have no problem him running as a Dem and I like that voters actually have a choice on to who to vote for in town vs other towns where no one is running. But I think voters deserve to hear facts and there should be a debate where we can actually hear the candidates’ platform. And I think it’s pathetic to go around town telling mistruths. This isn’t corrupt DC, the members of council are family men, they are honest people, and our neighbors.
Oh and cause im a stickler for facts, i handed in my petition on time, had more than the required # of names on it. I had 4 names that were "disqualified" from signing my petition so my petition ended up being 1 name short to qualify. I owned that misstake. Still hasn't stopped me from being an active member of the town. Can Mark say the same thing?
Jim L- candidates rarely run because they are happy with the status quo. Is Mark supposed to keep his opinions and thoughts to himself during an election? Don't you find it a bit hypocritical that you are preaching the honest, family oriented, and neighborly virtues of council members and in turn attacking a community member seeking a change that he believes necessary?
Corruption is not unique to Washington, just open a newspaper and you will find it on the local level almost daily.
Old Bitty Progressive change.... LMAO.... Sure lets make it a sanctuary town while we're at it....
You don't even know what that means...… We are already a sanctuary town, remember...…
Hello everyone,
This is Matt Engelau, from Town Council. Typically, I tend to keep quiet, and prefer to let my work for Hackettstown speak for itself. However, I find it disconcerting that Mark Gillan refuses to have a debate. The simple question you have to ask yourself, is why?
I believe it was Concerned, who said, it was "because of the stuff that followed after the debate." What happened? Gossip? Drama? I find that to be convenient, and no pun intended, concerning. As a candidate wanting to hold public office, he will be scrutinized by said public. So why not come out, make his views known, and engage in a discussion with his opponents?
Mark Gillan is, of course, welcome to his opinion Old Bitty, that is not the issue. The problem I have, is that he is misleading residents. Opinions are one thing, factual inaccuracies are another matter entirely. Mark has been corrected on some of these items multiple times (including in last years debate on WRNJ), and he brazenly continues in his attempts to make use of them.
That is why he does not want to debate. He cannot be corrected if nobody has the opportunity to refute all of his misleading statements. I have respect for the fact that he is putting his hat in the public arena, and I believe he cares; but factually, he is wrong. There is no debating that. Which leads to the next question, why is he continuing to make these statements? You, the voters, will have to be the judge of that.
If anyone ever has any questions about Mark's talking points, or anything else, please feel free to reach out to me. My town email address is the first letter of my first name, then my last name @hackettstown.net. I will get back to you as soon as I can. The email of each member of Town Council is right on the town website, and we always encourage residents to come to the public meetings.
I work hard for this town, and I vote based on what I believe is best for Hackettstown. To me, it is just that simple. I truly hope that if any of you have questions, you will reach out to me, through my town email.
Matt E Matt,
I agree he should debate.
You have a lot of conjectures, opinions, and bogus conclusions in your piece. You don’t know why he does not desire to debate, that was your opinion.
We are off the issues, this is now political.
Pampurr,
I would be able to refute, in my opinion, almost every bullet point item he has made, within his public posts. I could do this with facts from the town budget, and knowledge of how some of these agenda items work.
Why ask me? Well, that is subjective, and also, a matter of opinion. Perhaps you would just like to hear a different perspective. Perhaps, I might be able to answer something you'd like an answer to.
SD, my apologies if you feel that way. You are welcome to your opinion. I apologize if I forgot an "In my opinion," on a section that you feel required it. That being said, a lot of this is on the public record, public agenda minutes, and in print.
In the end, facts are facts. As noted, I encourage anyone who would like to, to reach out to me. Obviously people are welcome to weigh whatever it is that I have to say, and come to their own conclusions. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
I don't question at all why Mr. Gillan might not want a debate. First Jim L is nasty with his comment about Mark's performance last year and then Matt E. writes a lengthy post based on conjecture.
Mark is the lone Democrat running against two Republicans for 2 spots. Maybe a debate would be helpful to him, but I think he's smarter letting his opponents do a slow burn.
Yes, when you state a conjecture, an opinion, in a series of unsourced “facts,” sure, I love to point it out for what it is; your guess. A political one at that.
He still should debate. Seems really strange not to. Usually, IM experience, one only ducks it if they know they will win. Can’t imagine that’s the case here. Although, unlike you, I wouldn’t hazard a guess why. I just don’t know.
“Yes, when you state a conjecture, an opinion, in a series of unsourced “facts,” sure, I love to point it out for what it is; your guess. A political one at that.”
Lol SD, lol. Please reread that looking in from the outside :-)
Matt do you and Mr. DiMaio plan on canvassing door to door with your plans or changes for Hackettstown? Met Mr. Gillian today he was out and about meeting folks in Hackettstown and discussing the issues.
I enjoyed speaking to Mr. Gillian today about our town and what he would like to accomplish if given the chance.
To keep bringing up last years debate which Jim and Matt continue to do is unproductive.
Since Mark still doesn’t want to go on the debate, let’s look at his talking points that he goes around telling residents and let’s learn the facts.
Mark’s point #1: “When you see how our first responders are using old fire equipment because our council won’t invest in suitable replacements. They would rather wait until it breaks and replace at a higher cost from our emergency budget. That’s not the kind of leadership that should be looking out for our FD or our town.”
Wow that sound terrible right? Of course, it not true at all. If Mark bother to learn facts he would know that in 2014 the Fire Chief met with the Fire Committee and told us that one of the fire trucks had some repairs needed. Also due to changes in Fire standards it needed certain upgrades. He told us the truck is getting old and they want a new one. So, we asked how much would it be to make the repairs and bring the truck up to code and how much would a new truck cost.
The fire committee took those figures to the full council and we voted at a public meeting, that Mark doesn’t attend, to give the fire dept the money to make the repairs and code updates while at the putting money aside each year in the capital improvement fund to save up for a new truck.
If Mark would take the time to look at the town budget, he would see each year there is a section for 5-year Strategic Planning (something Mark has stated doesn’t exist) that shows how much money each year the town saves for a new truck. If the budget all goes as plan there will be enough money to buy the truck by the end of 2020. Its’ in every town budget from 2015 on and available for everyone to see.
So which way is better to buy a new truck? Spend 5 years saving up for one without raising taxes or issuing a 15year bond that tax payers would have to pay the interest on for 15years? Hmmm????
But again Facts be damn right? It’s easier to get elected by just going around telling everyone the town council won’t buy the fire dept a new truck and not going on a debate where you would be called out for that.
No dog in the fight but I grew up in Hackettstown and live in another township. Mark also claims on his Facebook page Hackettstown’s infrastructure and roads are in bad shape, yet does not mention where and I have not noticed any town assets crumbling.
He does not appear to be a good candidate with a grasp on any meaning positions from what I can tell. He seems to have a solution in search of a problem.
Hackettstown residents should be happy they have what appears to be a fiscally responsible council which has eliminated debt.
I wish the school boards would plan better as well as the State government.
I'm relatively new to the town and know very, very little about the local politics. About a month and a half ago Mark knocked on our door and we chatted for probably about 45 minutes. He had nothing but good things to say about the council and those serving on it, which is more than I can say for some posters in this thread with regards to Mark. Nor did he mention substandard fire equipment, despite the fact that I live within sight of the fire department. In fact, he went out of his way to tell us what a nice town we've moved to, and how happy we're going to be here. The only negative issues he mentioned were speeding on our street, and his concerns over the possible new (Quick Check?) gas station that has been discussed here on HL. Which I don't really know enough about to form an opinion. Yet.
Of course I have no idea how effective Mark may or may not be on the council, but I can say that --to me at least-- the more and more negative, sarcastic and disparaging remarks are made about him here, the better he looks by comparison.
Monty I agree, any candidate that doesn't know to get extra signatures because of the games played by others to get names thrown out, isn't going to be a very qualified candidate.
I don't understand why Jim L is being bashed so much. He's an experienced councilman that just wants to make sure the right people are being elected. If Mark is refusing to debate, then the opposition needs to call him out on his inaccuracies some how. Why should they just let Mark get away with saying whatever he wants? I know Jim isn't on a ballot right now, but I appreciate how invested he is with Hackettstown.
Smilingbecs Did the repairs and code updates come from the emergency fund? May just be the way you stated it but if his issue is that repairs were made from the fund then did they or did they not come from the emergency fund?
1)Timmy you don’t live here. Concentrate on your town.
2) Jim L, Mark never said a bad word about council during our conversation. Only improvements and changes he would like to address if given the chance. Why all the bashing of Mark on Social Media?
Calico, Yes ...Seriously, he has an awful lot to say. I live in Hackettstown. My taxes are paid to this town. He is bellying aching and bitching about a place he does’t live in, or so he indicated.
Pampurr - Plenty of non-Oxford people chimed in on the the Oxford referendum thread. I don't see an issue with it.
No SD I am not currently on council. I am not running this year because I respect the 2 Republicans that are up for re election and think they are doing a valuable job and therefore I don’t see the need to replace them. I will run again once my original term is up again and in the meantime continue to be involved in the town anyway I can through volunteering and being on various boards.
Calico. His commentary does not add any value to our local election..he does not live in Hackettstown.
Jim seem to be very much in favor of the employment of workers from Texas and California at the movie theater in Hackettstown this summer because as he said that's the way that particular company preformed there work and brought there own workforce. Even after unemployed Hackettstown constituents expressed there concerns. I only wish he was more consistent in his loyalty to the town and constituents in it. Good luck at the poles.
ROBBY BABY polls, baby....polls....
Very interesting point, that's some memory you gots! Even with that, and I don't think, in context, it was a biggee at all, Jim L., love him or hate him, has Hackettstown's well being at heart. He is engaged, involved, and an asset to our political community. He is seems pretty well immersed in the process, with, unfortunately, one small guffaw on his own paperwork.
Frankly, I don't know why Jim would not run against other Republicans. No matter how good he thinks they are, I have to imagine that Jim feels he is better. Hopefully that's his choice vs. taking the "advice" of the party.
I was joking about his "we's", and "us's" when talking about the council; his involvement gives him the right IMHO.
Mark is a good guy too; just not sure he's my cup of tea, given he wont' debate. Love it or hate it, debates are a prerequisite to the job, IMO. As is Bob Hinrichs, a good guy and our resident liberal on the Council. Again, at this local level, I think it's more about the person and not the party.
"I was joking about his "we's", and "us's"'
Ha well SD I was on council at the time of the fire truck discussion and on the fire committee so at the time i was part of the "we" and "us". i wouldn't use those pronouns when discussing events that took place before or after I was on.
And thanks Robby for the post, that gave me a chuckle. Although I'm not sure how a councilman in Hackettstown would have any power or say on who a company in Mansfield hires to do their work.
?? me? we're still talking about the mansfield movie theatre? They hired their own out of state employees to come do the renovations. What power do you think the local gov't has to tell them who they should hire for that job? How's it any different if M&M hires an employee that lives in PA vs. one that lives in Hackettstown? What do you want the local gov't to do about it?
Jim L
When was the last meeting you attended? As I remember your performance on debate last year was more of the same (yawn), generalizations about under investment in infastructure. Again, if you know so much that you respond to every single thread on this page why would'nt you run? I'll ask again, where is the park the residents that live in and around cvs where promised? Real answers, not the usual please. Isn't the quick check thing falling apart because of them? The school referendum is perfect example of how town and leaders avoid problems. Hackettstown hasn't made "Best Town" in a looong time, why is that? How do you loose that status, one might ask? There are voters that have been around before you Jim, I remember a town that once had at least diversity on ideas on its council.
Old school I’m just asking because your response hung your hat on the fact that it was Mansfield and you decided to chuckle that the poster didn’t know that the theater was in Mansfield.
Your rebuttal suggests that actually it doesn’t matter that it was Mansfield and that local gov’t can’t do anything about it.
Thank you for the clarification.
Old school:
Last town council meeting I attended was 8/9. I last one I got up and spoke at the 6/27 meeting and the 2/13 meeting. I will be at tomorrow's meeting to speak again.
Last Rec meeting I was at was on Monday
Last Land Use Board meeting I was at was last night
Last Parking Authority meeting i was at was 10/7
Last BID meeting I was at was on 9/25
Shall i continue or does that answer your question?
" I'll ask again, where is the park the residents that live in and around cvs where promised? Real answers, not the usual please "
The Planning Board approved the site plan in Nov 2016. I was the lone no vote. The developer has yet to work on the project. That's the only answer I have for you, as the developer is the one to ask why they haven't started work on the plan that was approved.
"Isn't the quick check thing falling apart because of them?"
because of who? And no the QC thing is not falling apart. The DOT has made their requirements and if QC accepts their requirements then construction will start in the spring
"The school referendum is perfect example of how town and leaders avoid problems."
The town and BOE are 2 different entities and run seperate ways. The town is debt free and has a capital improvement fund well funded to handle any unexpected expenses that may pop up. The BOE on the other hand has debt and not enough funds to cover their repairs hence the referendum
Anything else?
Isn't it the job if council to talk to develooers about their intended plans, so that when a constituent asks questions of their council members they can answer?
You didn't answer a couple of others but lets stick to the point, why not run if you are the local "Norm". I disagree that boe and town are separate, budgets yes but in one horse town like this council cant just shrug their shoulders and say thats them. Especially when most council members start their political careers as boe members! But you got an answer for everything, maybe thats the problem, you only listen to yourself. Again, diversity of thought is valuable why does this current team want to tell you what they know and not listen to how voters feel?
And answer for everything except not getting the required amount of signatures to avoid shenanigans. Honestly, the BID and BOE don't speak and should, at least that's what goes on in other towns. Increasing the school sizes or the schools themselves is something that no doubt spills over into other areas. Just like adding a CVS or more apartments. It changes the demographic and traffic situations and yet this town seems to leave all that for a back burner. Until you can bridge the river and divert traffic from the archaic 5 corners intersection, nothing will really improve traffic wise. Just keep building taxing.
1) the town has asked about the Bergen tool ptoject to the developers numerous times. Doesn't mean the town gets answers.
2) " I disagree that boe and town are separate, budgets yes but in one horse town like this council cant just shrug their shoulders and say thats them"
I don't even know what that means. The town and BOE are 2 separate entities. The town can't tell the BOE what to do and they can't tell the town what to do. They are completely separate. How do you not get that?
And i have already answered why I am not running this year. Perhaps you can answer your own question? Why is your name not on any ballots?
looks like I have a new troll.... or are you an old troll with a new name? hmm???
They may be two separate entities but they should know what the other hand is doing, they should coordinate as much as possible especially when there will be things that overlap and spill into each others lanes. That's what good government does that's transparent. Anything less smells fishy.
Not a new troll. Just another person with common sense that see's through your ruse. In fact a lot of people see through it. And apparently you don't like it.
Jim L-
What is your definition of a troll? Anyone that disagrees with you and says so?
You get to air your questions in "public", why can't I? Your constant generalizations and half truths are a problem, so you should be called out in the same manner you did Mark? You are not even running (lame excuse, btw) and you gotta stir the pot to put the other canidate in a bad light. Your mastery of facts is biased at best. Boe and council should communicate for all the reasons sbove and then some. For example; population growth (you know so you dont move the line for no reason) but proper town plannjng requires ALL stakeholders to have a voice. We have a lot of work to do in this town and unless you are willing to admit that then you are protecting status quo. Oh and I guess Im an old troll that has had enough of your two cents! PS: you forgot to comment on the national nut day thread.
I don't think Sam, I mean Don knows how gravatars work...
Maybe if he moved to Morris County, he could figure it out.
They're much more intelligent there.
WGM & Jim L
Apparently "Mickey" doesn't either - an even earlier name
It's interesting how there are new folks chiming in that have lived here for years and never gone to any meetings as well as ones that change their name as they feel like. The moderators know who they are, as do those of us who notice things like Gravatars. I've had the same name since I started posting, which was within the couple years that the forum was started.
While I don't think I've met Jim L. I think it's ludicrous that some continue to take him to task for not getting enough "extra" signatures to "guard against shenanigans". Since he seems to be above pulling shenanigans himself, I believe he figured others would also be standup citizens. Obviously, a lesson learned for him. I also can't see condemning him because he doesn't want to run against those in his own party that he thinks are already doing a fine job, but would rather wait out the term of the person that took his seat, then run against them. Not running against someone you liked working with and wanted to continue working with only makes sense, at least to most people I know. From what Jim L has been stating, I believe that's the gist of things. Jim, feel free to correct me if I took any of that incorrectly.
I think all candidates should be willing to debate and make public their accusation(s) of malfeasance, indiscretions or attempts to hide the facts from the public, rather than running a campaign on those accusations without giving those accused an even forum in which to rebut those accusations or be shown that those accusations have grounds.
Phil D. do you live in Hackettstown?
Old school - Jim L. use to hide behind a fictitous name on Hackettstown Life Forum when the Bergen Tool Debacle was raging.
I agree, he should debate. Usually the only time someone ducks is if they have a great lead and can only lose from the affair. One can't imagine that's the case here, which could lead one to believe that Gillan only thinks he can lose by debating. Since the position is basically one of persuasion through debate to begin with, that's not exactly a great resume entry. "Looking for a job persuading others; does not like to debate." Hmmmm.
Funning someone for a sign-up foul-up, or a politician not running because he likes em, Mikey, he likes em ----> that's a line not to be crossed? I mean come on....he defined the line where a Republican can actually lose around here. Much less to a newbie who barely lived in town. Hey, if you go public, you takes what comes and this is pretty tame as compared to the innuendo's, hearsay, and unsupported allegations being thrown from the source.
Uh oh.....stand up citizens offended by name-changing on an anonymous site, oh, the horror of it all. Now we can't know the anonymous person because they changed their anonymous name to an anonymous name..... Think about it.....anonymously though please.
NOTE: two extra scoops of coffee today, I can't stop my fingees…..funny how this thread keeps chugging along.....I'm starting to get the shakes.....maybe alcohol will help.....is it happy hour in England yet.....
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