Candidate for
Council Member; Township of Middletown; Ward 4

My goal in running for Middletown Township Council is simple - good government. I also feel that one-party rule lacks the checks and balances that are needed for good government. For many years, the Middletown Township Council has been exclusively Republican. I run as a Democrat to add some balance to Township Council.

The effect of this one party rule can be seen by examining the makeup of the various Township Boards, Commissions and Committees. Most are exclusively Republican in their makeup. The Planning Commission, Zoning Hearing Board, Sewer Authority, Board of Health, Business Liaison Committee and Parks & Recreation Committee are 100 percent Republican. The only exceptions are one Non-partisan member of the Cable TV Advisory Committee and one Democrat on the Senior Citizen's Advisory Committee. While Democrats make up about 25 percent of the Township voters, they make up only two and a half percent of the Township boards and committees. There is an obvious under-representation here.

Partisan politics should not dominate government. Government should not intrude into private matters. The protection from harm and well being of the citizens should be the role of government, and the power of government flows directly from the people. The proper role of government is not to further the agenda of one political party. It is to serve the needs of everyone.