Republican Councilwoman's Diatribe

There were some entertaining, and valid, comments in the Courier News in response to Stefanie Gara's diatribe in the Opinion area on January 26. They are reprinted in the following paragraphs.

Wow Stefanie, someone hit your nerve! Are you so defensive because the only one vocally opposing the Busky Lane closure is a Republican ex-Mayor?

Private citizens plead for safety. Your response as a "new" public official is to lash out at them in the paper. You work for them, not the other way around. Shame on you!

You are defensive because you grossly exaggerate your effort here. The previous Council did all of the research "you found." Perhaps you are defensive as a smokescreen because "do nothing Liptak" did just that - nothing! Ask teacher Liptak to get a book on local government, and please read it together.

I called the Borough and in fact we can't have your "report" because the minutes were not approved yet. There's an issue you can latch onto. Where are many of last year's minutes?

You are making this political. You mention a "terrible and freak accident did occur in 2007." It was not 2007. It was 2009 when you got into office on the Anti-Corzine hate vote.

Another blogger writes...

Marked Man, I enjoyed reading your post; keep it coming. The politicians (all of them) deserve what they get. It is disappointing that Gara uses the newspaper to attack residents.

While I enjoy your style, I prefer facts. Stefanie, with all of her "research" MISLEADS THE PUBLIC by leaving out the most important fact. The Council already approved the closing of Busky Lane last year. The resolution is done. She should share that with the Patente's. The Council needs to find some money and put up the barricade; but the closing was painfully researched, discussed in public, voted on and done.

Furthermore, she makes Patente's case for them. The traffic counts on Busky are so low, that you can close it and no one will notice! You can close this lane with negligible inconvenience, while improving safety for residents. Come on, Stefanie, it is a no-brainer. Just because a Democrat majority approved this last year does not mean you can't agree this year. Put politics aside and do your job.

This is my final report for the year; but also for my term of office. I would like to share with you some highlights of my term. When I started, in 2005, I suspected that my professional background would help me to be a good Councilman. I underestimated how much that experience would help; for in fact it set the course for the kind of Councilman I would be. I graduated college with honors, and I am certain that my educational background was invaluable. However, it was my profession as a Systems Engineer for AT&T that had a far greater influence on the decisions I would make. A systems engineer looks at complex systems and designs them so they work together. This trains you to ask questions, the right questions.

One of the first challenges I encountered was a former fire code official that wanted to put a lock box on every business in Raritan. His reasoning was that in case of a fire the firemen would not have to break down a door; but could get a key from the lockbox and open the door without damage. The phrase that kept repeating in my mind was "every business in Raritan." I had three thoughts. My first thought was, this sounds like a bureaucracy. I don't like bureaucracy (I never have) because it breeds inefficiency. My second thought was, the firemen will not be happy to hear this, because they like breaking down doors - why use a key when you can use an ax?! My third thought was, have we proven that this is necessary? At this point I asked the question, "how many times in the last three years have we had to break down a door?" That was the right question to ask. The answer was perhaps once. We don't have a mandatory lockbox on every business in Raritan, and since 2005 we have not needed one.

When I started as liaison to the Police, I was told that we could not get an emergency radio in JFK School, that basically the former Chief would not have it. I've never believed anyone when they say that something cannot be done. I sat down with the former Chief and had a one-on-one conversation. There is today an emergency radio in JFK School. If there is an emergency at our School, and phone lines and cell phones are jammed, the Principal has another means of calling for help. Our children have every means of safety that I could possibly provide for them.

I produced the Police coverage report in 2006, which analyzed, and displayed, the budget impacts of adding additional officers. I also did the research, and analyzed, population, square miles, police force size, crime statistics, and population per officer, for all of Somerset County. I presented this to the public. Now, if you think the importance of this was the effort that I put in, I say thank you, but you are wrong. The value was that it empowered citizens, armed with information, to ask the right questions. We in fact formed a Special Police Committee, comprised of citizens. We did not hire four more officers, and this leads to my next point. I am proud that I played a pivotal role in appointing Police Chief Hess. He is doing a fantastic job, and he is doing it with a responsibly sized police force.

Recently, we crossed the finish line for what was simply called "Hidden Pond." Residents on the Bridgewater border were being double-billed for sewer use. This was terribly unfair, and I put a stop to it. I did not do it alone. I produced a report for the Council so that they could ask the right questions.

I am thankful for the opportunity of being a Councilman. I put my heart into it, and I leave here with accomplishments to be proud of. I am thankful for the colleagues I've met and worked with, and for the friends I've made. I'll miss working with Councilman Lamaestra, Councilman Laggini, Councilwoman Carra, and Councilwoman Wilson; but I leave here confident that because of their dedication and experience I,like you, are in good hands.

Raritan is a safe town, with a thriving downtown. We have a very good school system, and it is a great place to raise a family. I wish all of you and your families a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a Happy New Year. God Bless you.

The scrolling headline on CNN, Wednesday morning after the election, was "Election 2009 fueled by anger, frustration." This was, unfortunately, a very accurate summation. It is evident that voters pushed the "R" button for Governor and then went blindly down the line in Somerset County. It did not matter if you were running for Assembly, Freeholder or Council; the numbers show 60/30 down the line. The voters left reason, issues, and facts at the door, and voted in anger.

We may have lost a battle; but we are winning the war. Our Democrats are uniquely qualified to defend and assure our Democratic principles; principles of fairness, opportunity, equal justice for all and a firm belief that the mission of government is not to stand on the sidelines, but to be active in pursuing these goals for the people.

Patriot Day as we are all aware is a sad day in the history of America. Let us not forget those that unwillingly made the ultimate sacrifice. It was to be a typical morning and many Americans had recently celebrated a long Labor Day weekend with family and friends. The memory of that day will forever be carried in all of our minds and hearts for decades to come, and for future generations to read about in history books. We must prevail, and move forward in our daily lives; but we will never forget the utter evil we witnessed that day.

The spirit of America is not broken and will live on.

Councilman Joe Licht and Councilman John Lamaestra attended a Gang Awareness meeting on June 25, presented by Sgt. Joe Walsh. It was reassuring to hear Sgt. Walsh commend Chief Hess and our local police, and note that Raritan is a safe community. A member of the audience, a former North Plainfield resident, remarked that he could not walk after 9:30pm in North Plainfield. He is amazed, and finds it almost unbelievable, that he is perfectly safe walking through Raritan even in the very late evening.

In contrast to simply calling a meeting, Democrats take action! Councilman Licht asked Sgt. Walsh for samples of the ordinances he mentioned for curtailing gang activity (basically making them very unwelcome), and assured the audience he will work with Chief Hess and the Council to audit our current ordinances and address any loopholes.