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[quote="Guest"]I thought both candidates did a great job - both were prepared and knowledgable on town issues. The only thing I was not sure of was Karen's motivation to be on the council - in her opening statement, she said she is running because she "was asked to" - that was it. With Susan, it seemed very clear that she has gotten so much from this town for the last 30 years and she now has the time and experience to give back. I wanted to hear more from Karen on her motivation to get involved as she has only been in Cranbury for three years. Again, not a knock, she may have a good reason but I didn't catch it on candidates night. Both seemed capable but I am voting for Susan.[/quote]
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<table border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1" width="100%" class="forumline"> <tr> <th class="thCornerL" width="22%" height="26">Author</th> <th class="thCornerR">Message</th> </tr> <tr> <td width="22%" align="left" valign="top" class="row1"><span class="name"><a name=""></a><b>Guest</b></span></td> <td class="row1" height="28" valign="top"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tr> <td width="100%"><img src="templates/subSilver/images/icon_minipost.gif" width="12" height="9" alt="Post" title="Post" border="0" /><span class="postdetails">Posted: Sat, Oct 15 2011, 4:46 pm EDT<span class="gen"> </span> Post subject: Re: Tonight: 8:00 PM Candidates Night</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2"><hr /></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2"><span class="postbody">Let me add that I also think Win felt and is doing what he thinks is best for the town. It may not be what the other TC members feel is right or what some residents feel is right, but there is no doubt he's trying his best. In fact his prior two years I thought he was excellent. <br /> <br />No person will be right 100% of the time and even on the part that matters the finances it still comes down to the long term. <br /> <br />Even being right or wrong is often subjective. I'd rather have a TC that disagrees than votes blindly 5-0. I just think how the TC approaches the vote and discussion is key.</span></td> </tr> </table></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" height="1" class="spaceRow"><img src="templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" /></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="22%" align="left" valign="top" class="row2"><span class="name"><a name=""></a><b>Guest</b></span></td> <td class="row2" height="28" valign="top"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tr> <td width="100%"><img src="templates/subSilver/images/icon_minipost.gif" width="12" height="9" alt="Post" title="Post" border="0" /><span class="postdetails">Posted: Sat, Oct 15 2011, 4:26 pm EDT<span class="gen"> </span> Post subject: Re: Tonight: 8:00 PM Candidates Night</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2"><hr /></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2"><span class="postbody">Here ate the points where the Mayor was wrong. <br /> <br />1) he stated he thought the economy would rebound. <br /> <br />2) he stated the master plan changes on which he is a member ofthe subcommittee last year and this would be implemented. It has yet to be. <br /> <br />3) that we would have an increase in ratables. We have notvseen new building and rates continue to drop. <br /> <br />4) he stated we had over 3 million of surplus on capital. It was proven wrong. <br /> <br />5) he stated the library surplus had to be returned to the town ( it did not) <br /> <br />6) he accused the town of having an illegal surplus andvwould speak with Christie. <br /> <br />7) on the money from the state we used it to pay down debt. If it had not come in and the town borrowed from surplus on the assumption it would we would be in a dire position next year. If you want to blame someone blame the governor for not guaranteeing aid. Now we have 500k less of debt and we have more surplus to use in 2012 to reduce the tax rate. And before I get an argument here is the math. 4 million of surplus minus 1 million from tax appeal reserves and minus 2 million from AAA rating leaves us with 1 million left to offset taxes in 2012. This year the town raised taxes two cents and used 1.7 million from surplus. If the state money did not come in we would have 500k to use. So we would have a tax increase in 2012 even if we exhausted surplus and made cuts. So the TC did the right thing for the long term interest of the town.</span></td> </tr> </table></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" height="1" class="spaceRow"><img src="templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" /></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="22%" align="left" valign="top" class="row1"><span class="name"><a name=""></a><b>Guest</b></span></td> <td class="row1" height="28" valign="top"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tr> <td width="100%"><img src="templates/subSilver/images/icon_minipost.gif" width="12" height="9" alt="Post" title="Post" border="0" /><span class="postdetails">Posted: Sat, Oct 15 2011, 3:52 pm EDT<span class="gen"> </span> Post subject: Re: Tonight: 8:00 PM Candidates Night</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2"><hr /></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2"><span class="postbody"></span><table width="90%" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="3" border="0" align="center"><tr> <td><span class="genmed"><b>Guest wrote:</b></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td class="quote">Hindsight is 20/20 but the recent budget update proves our mayor was wrong about fighting this year's tax increase</td> </tr></table><span class="postbody"> <br /> <br />Can you be specific about this point? How in hindsight was Win wrong about saying the Township would get money from the state that it could use instead? I thought they got it in the end.</span></td> </tr> </table></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" height="1" class="spaceRow"><img src="templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" /></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="22%" align="left" valign="top" class="row2"><span class="name"><a name=""></a><b>Guest</b></span></td> <td class="row2" height="28" valign="top"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tr> <td width="100%"><img src="templates/subSilver/images/icon_minipost.gif" width="12" height="9" alt="Post" title="Post" border="0" /><span class="postdetails">Posted: Sat, Oct 15 2011, 8:33 am EDT<span class="gen"> </span> Post subject: Re: Tonight: 8:00 PM Candidates Night</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2"><hr /></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2"><span class="postbody">Here are two other concerns. Karen repeatedly states we have 2.9 in capital surplus. That is wrong, shown to be wrong and stands by the number. It is okay to come off a stance when you get better facts, in fact I want a TC member who is not afraid to change their mind. <br /> <br />Second I am not sure where the 28% warehouse vacancy number came from and I have not seen it cited. <br /> <br />Lastly, Karen comes off as extremly smart. I think she would do well if we simply needed intelligence. However, Mayor Cody is brilliant and i don't think he's accomplished a whole lot other than dividing the TC and party. So I can't dismiss the big government comment. I took that as a play to her base. So when it comes to tough decisions will she take the easy road and pacify the small hard core group or will she do as Dan and Jay did and make the decision that may not be easy, but is right for the town. I cannot answer that question. She seems to be a strong person, but it's always tough to go against peer pressure.</span></td> </tr> </table></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" height="1" class="spaceRow"><img src="templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" /></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="22%" align="left" valign="top" class="row1"><span class="name"><a name=""></a><b>Guest</b></span></td> <td class="row1" height="28" valign="top"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tr> <td width="100%"><img src="templates/subSilver/images/icon_minipost.gif" width="12" height="9" alt="Post" title="Post" border="0" /><span class="postdetails">Posted: Fri, Oct 14 2011, 11:00 pm EDT<span class="gen"> </span> Post subject: Re: Tonight: 8:00 PM Candidates Night</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2"><hr /></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2"><span class="postbody">I totally agree with the above post - I am worried about Karen's connection to the current Republican Party leadership. Her two endorsement letters so far in the Cranbury Press were from the party chairwoman and the Mayor - two endorsements I did not want to see. Hindsight is 20/20 but the recent budget update proves our mayor was wrong about fighting this year's tax increase, and for him to put our town\'s budget in jeopardy to please a few local hardcore anti-taxers was just wrong. In today's financial environment, we need people who can make tough and sometimes unpopular decisions, even it's against their ideals and principles (and backers). So glad Dan and Jay held their ground this year, Cranbury is better for it</span></td> </tr> </table></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" height="1" class="spaceRow"><img src="templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" /></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="22%" align="left" valign="top" class="row2"><span class="name"><a name=""></a><b>Guest</b></span></td> <td class="row2" height="28" valign="top"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tr> <td width="100%"><img src="templates/subSilver/images/icon_minipost.gif" width="12" height="9" alt="Post" title="Post" border="0" /><span class="postdetails">Posted: Fri, Oct 14 2011, 10:45 pm EDT<span class="gen"> </span> Post subject: Re: Tonight: 8:00 PM Candidates Night</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2"><hr /></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2"><span class="postbody">I don't want to speak for Karen, but I think in her comment about "big government" and the trash collection, she is trying to make the point that the township should not be in the business of deciding for all individuals who live in Cranbury what type of trash collection service they should be forced to have. Let each household make their own decision.</span></td> </tr> </table></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" height="1" class="spaceRow"><img src="templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" /></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="22%" align="left" valign="top" class="row1"><span class="name"><a name=""></a><b>Guest</b></span></td> <td class="row1" height="28" valign="top"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tr> <td width="100%"><img src="templates/subSilver/images/icon_minipost.gif" width="12" height="9" alt="Post" title="Post" border="0" /><span class="postdetails">Posted: Fri, Oct 14 2011, 9:01 am EDT<span class="gen"> </span> Post subject: Re: Tonight: 8:00 PM Candidates Night</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2"><hr /></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2"><span class="postbody">Sadly we have hard core people on both sides and candidates or TC members who try to go out and put the town first get ostracized from their party. Tom saw that with the Dems and Dan and Jay saw that with the Reps. I think the Dems learned you can't run a town this way and have long term success when they started to lose seats after 10 yrs of control. l think this is why Dave and Glenn get support even though they often vote opposite of each other. Conversly, the Republican group did not learn from the Dems and as a result banned Dan and Jay. It is for this reason I don't know what Karen will do. Will Karen view her first concern as being in with the party faithful even if it is wrong for the town or will she look at the town first. The trash answer that she does not like big government even if it saves money is a concern. I oppose trash collection due to service, but I want someone who will explore all options to save money and not dismiss it simply because of how the savings are achieved. <br /> <br /> I had one of the core Republicans tell me they would not tell Karen what to do, but they had no answer when I asked why then the dufferentbstandard for Dan and Jay. The answer was they raised taxes and did not listen. So right there I am concerned.</span></td> </tr> </table></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" height="1" class="spaceRow"><img src="templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" /></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="22%" align="left" valign="top" class="row2"><span class="name"><a name=""></a><b>Guest</b></span></td> <td class="row2" height="28" valign="top"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tr> <td width="100%"><img src="templates/subSilver/images/icon_minipost.gif" width="12" height="9" alt="Post" title="Post" border="0" /><span class="postdetails">Posted: Fri, Oct 14 2011, 12:49 am EDT<span class="gen"> </span> Post subject: Re: Tonight: 8:00 PM Candidates Night</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2"><hr /></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2"><span class="postbody"></span><table width="90%" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="3" border="0" align="center"><tr> <td><span class="genmed"><b>Guest wrote:</b></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td class="quote">He is as far left as t gets and of course he prepped Susan and was sent in as the attack dog to get Karen. I hope he is happy with himself as he represents the old guard wrong way of doing things. <br /> <br /> <br /></span><table width="90%" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="3" border="0" align="center"><tr> <td><span class="genmed"><b>Guest wrote:</b></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td class="quote"></span><table width="90%" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="3" border="0" align="center"><tr> <td><span class="genmed"><b>Guest wrote:</b></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td class="quote"></span><table width="90%" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="3" border="0" align="center"><tr> <td><span class="genmed"><b>Guest wrote:</b></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td class="quote"></span><table width="90%" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="3" border="0" align="center"><tr> <td><span class="genmed"><b>Guest wrote:</b></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td class="quote"></span><table width="90%" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="3" border="0" align="center"><tr> <td><span class="genmed"><b>Guest wrote:</b></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td class="quote">They both said no tax dollars and that they encourage private fund raising.</td> </tr></table><span class="postbody"> <br /> <br />The answer was little more nuanced than this. It is true they both encourage private funding of the library, but, Susan stated she was against it because individuals she spoke with were against the funding. That did not seem like a strong no from Susan. <br /> <br />There was one questioner who supported a tax payer funded new library and was attacking Karen stating the taxpayer funding of a new library is not too expensive. He tried to trip her up with some numbers. It was probably the least cordial part of the debate but Karen held her ground well. <br /> <br />I found out that the person who asked the question was David Nissen who is a major supporter of Susan, Democratic Party official and had a campaign function at his house for Susan with Linda Greenstein & Wayne DeAngelo the prior week.</td> </tr></table><span class="postbody"> <br /> <br />I was kind of worried about this misunderstanding. David was not supporting tax payer funding of the library. In fact the first words out of his mouth were, "I am not advocating tax payer funding of the library". <br /> <br />What David was railing about was what he saw as a less than rigorous thought process on financing. Karen said 2.7 million dollars divided by 1500 houses was too expensive a project. David asked her if she had done the math. She replied no. He had done the math and stated the impact was about one cent on the tax rate, or about $60 per average house. <br /> <br />I am uncomfortable speaking for him, but I believe his point was that (since his opening statement was that he was not advocating government financing of the project) whenever looking at a project the first thing that must be done is the math. While we will not fund the library, I can guarantee we will see a 2.7 million dollar type project in the next three years(possibly a parking solution?) The first thing to do is run the math and then make an informed decision. <br /> <br />The reason I say this is I have watched David make this same point time after time over the last 20 years or so. It is a valid point. Also, If you are complaining about his politics, you should be unhappy with the three questions Art Hasselback asked, sometimes interrupting the candidates. <br /> <br />I did not find Art or David offensive, that is the general give and take of candidates night. My problem is that as we try to parse it on this forum we let our own biases and misunderstandings leak in. Again, I say if you could not make the event call the candidate and ask them your question directly.</td> </tr></table><span class="postbody"> <br /> <br />What we miss when we use the "it only costs $60 per year on a 600k house" argument is that that only covers the debt service. I would hope that people have learned over the last few years, given the housing crisis, or months given the National Debt crisis, that you HAVE TO PAY BACK THE PRINCIPLE!!!! I do no agree with leaving my kids a 2.5 million dollar bill on 1100 households (a number that is physically possible to meaningfully increase) for a library when we 1. already have a basic facility and 2. have access to a state-of-the-art facility in Plainsboro. <br />This country has to get away from the "just pay the interest" philosophy that is so pervasive. You can either afford to buy it, or you can't. Whether you can make the payments should not be part of the equation. We can't leave large obligations to future generations, especially in a community like Cranbury that we hope will be home to our kids, and their kids, etc...</td> </tr></table><span class="postbody"> <br /> <br />Again the point was, she did not do the math. The point was please sweet jesus do the math first. He was not advocating public finance of the library. The fact that he said that in the first sentence should have been a clue.</td> </tr></table><span class="postbody"></td> </tr></table><span class="postbody"> <br /> <br />And Art is as far right as you can get and he went after Susan. This is fine. That is why we have candidate nights. I think it is sad that you can't understand this.</span></td> </tr> </table></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" height="1" class="spaceRow"><img src="templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" /></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="22%" align="left" valign="top" class="row1"><span class="name"><a name=""></a><b>Guest</b></span></td> <td class="row1" height="28" valign="top"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tr> <td width="100%"><img src="templates/subSilver/images/icon_minipost.gif" width="12" height="9" alt="Post" title="Post" border="0" /><span class="postdetails">Posted: Thu, Oct 13 2011, 11:12 pm EDT<span class="gen"> </span> Post subject: Re: Tonight: 8:00 PM Candidates Night</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2"><hr /></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2"><span class="postbody">He is as far left as t gets and of course he prepped Susan and was sent in as the attack dog to get Karen. I hope he is happy with himself as he represents the old guard wrong way of doing things. <br /> <br /> <br /></span><table width="90%" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="3" border="0" align="center"><tr> <td><span class="genmed"><b>Guest wrote:</b></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td class="quote"></span><table width="90%" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="3" border="0" align="center"><tr> <td><span class="genmed"><b>Guest wrote:</b></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td class="quote"></span><table width="90%" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="3" border="0" align="center"><tr> <td><span class="genmed"><b>Guest wrote:</b></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td class="quote"></span><table width="90%" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="3" border="0" align="center"><tr> <td><span class="genmed"><b>Guest wrote:</b></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td class="quote"></span><table width="90%" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="3" border="0" align="center"><tr> <td><span class="genmed"><b>Guest wrote:</b></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td class="quote">They both said no tax dollars and that they encourage private fund raising.</td> </tr></table><span class="postbody"> <br /> <br />The answer was little more nuanced than this. It is true they both encourage private funding of the library, but, Susan stated she was against it because individuals she spoke with were against the funding. That did not seem like a strong no from Susan. <br /> <br />There was one questioner who supported a tax payer funded new library and was attacking Karen stating the taxpayer funding of a new library is not too expensive. He tried to trip her up with some numbers. It was probably the least cordial part of the debate but Karen held her ground well. <br /> <br />I found out that the person who asked the question was David Nissen who is a major supporter of Susan, Democratic Party official and had a campaign function at his house for Susan with Linda Greenstein & Wayne DeAngelo the prior week.</td> </tr></table><span class="postbody"> <br /> <br />I was kind of worried about this misunderstanding. David was not supporting tax payer funding of the library. In fact the first words out of his mouth were, "I am not advocating tax payer funding of the library". <br /> <br />What David was railing about was what he saw as a less than rigorous thought process on financing. Karen said 2.7 million dollars divided by 1500 houses was too expensive a project. David asked her if she had done the math. She replied no. He had done the math and stated the impact was about one cent on the tax rate, or about $60 per average house. <br /> <br />I am uncomfortable speaking for him, but I believe his point was that (since his opening statement was that he was not advocating government financing of the project) whenever looking at a project the first thing that must be done is the math. While we will not fund the library, I can guarantee we will see a 2.7 million dollar type project in the next three years(possibly a parking solution?) The first thing to do is run the math and then make an informed decision. <br /> <br />The reason I say this is I have watched David make this same point time after time over the last 20 years or so. It is a valid point. Also, If you are complaining about his politics, you should be unhappy with the three questions Art Hasselback asked, sometimes interrupting the candidates. <br /> <br />I did not find Art or David offensive, that is the general give and take of candidates night. My problem is that as we try to parse it on this forum we let our own biases and misunderstandings leak in. Again, I say if you could not make the event call the candidate and ask them your question directly.</td> </tr></table><span class="postbody"> <br /> <br />What we miss when we use the "it only costs $60 per year on a 600k house" argument is that that only covers the debt service. I would hope that people have learned over the last few years, given the housing crisis, or months given the National Debt crisis, that you HAVE TO PAY BACK THE PRINCIPLE!!!! I do no agree with leaving my kids a 2.5 million dollar bill on 1100 households (a number that is physically possible to meaningfully increase) for a library when we 1. already have a basic facility and 2. have access to a state-of-the-art facility in Plainsboro. <br />This country has to get away from the "just pay the interest" philosophy that is so pervasive. You can either afford to buy it, or you can't. Whether you can make the payments should not be part of the equation. We can't leave large obligations to future generations, especially in a community like Cranbury that we hope will be home to our kids, and their kids, etc...</td> </tr></table><span class="postbody"> <br /> <br />Again the point was, she did not do the math. The point was please sweet jesus do the math first. He was not advocating public finance of the library. The fact that he said that in the first sentence should have been a clue.</td> </tr></table><span class="postbody"></span></td> </tr> </table></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" height="1" class="spaceRow"><img src="templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" /></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="22%" align="left" valign="top" class="row2"><span class="name"><a name=""></a><b>Guest</b></span></td> <td class="row2" height="28" valign="top"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tr> <td width="100%"><img src="templates/subSilver/images/icon_minipost.gif" width="12" height="9" alt="Post" title="Post" border="0" /><span class="postdetails">Posted: Thu, Oct 13 2011, 10:38 pm EDT<span class="gen"> </span> Post subject: Re: Tonight: 8:00 PM Candidates Night</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2"><hr /></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2"><span class="postbody"></span><table width="90%" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="3" border="0" align="center"><tr> <td><span class="genmed"><b>Guest wrote:</b></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td class="quote"></span><table width="90%" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="3" border="0" align="center"><tr> <td><span class="genmed"><b>Guest wrote:</b></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td class="quote"></span><table width="90%" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="3" border="0" align="center"><tr> <td><span class="genmed"><b>Guest wrote:</b></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td class="quote"></span><table width="90%" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="3" border="0" align="center"><tr> <td><span class="genmed"><b>Guest wrote:</b></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td class="quote">They both said no tax dollars and that they encourage private fund raising.</td> </tr></table><span class="postbody"> <br /> <br />The answer was little more nuanced than this. It is true they both encourage private funding of the library, but, Susan stated she was against it because individuals she spoke with were against the funding. That did not seem like a strong no from Susan. <br /> <br />There was one questioner who supported a tax payer funded new library and was attacking Karen stating the taxpayer funding of a new library is not too expensive. He tried to trip her up with some numbers. It was probably the least cordial part of the debate but Karen held her ground well. <br /> <br />I found out that the person who asked the question was David Nissen who is a major supporter of Susan, Democratic Party official and had a campaign function at his house for Susan with Linda Greenstein & Wayne DeAngelo the prior week.</td> </tr></table><span class="postbody"> <br /> <br />I was kind of worried about this misunderstanding. David was not supporting tax payer funding of the library. In fact the first words out of his mouth were, "I am not advocating tax payer funding of the library". <br /> <br />What David was railing about was what he saw as a less than rigorous thought process on financing. Karen said 2.7 million dollars divided by 1500 houses was too expensive a project. David asked her if she had done the math. She replied no. He had done the math and stated the impact was about one cent on the tax rate, or about $60 per average house. <br /> <br />I am uncomfortable speaking for him, but I believe his point was that (since his opening statement was that he was not advocating government financing of the project) whenever looking at a project the first thing that must be done is the math. While we will not fund the library, I can guarantee we will see a 2.7 million dollar type project in the next three years(possibly a parking solution?) The first thing to do is run the math and then make an informed decision. <br /> <br />The reason I say this is I have watched David make this same point time after time over the last 20 years or so. It is a valid point. Also, If you are complaining about his politics, you should be unhappy with the three questions Art Hasselback asked, sometimes interrupting the candidates. <br /> <br />I did not find Art or David offensive, that is the general give and take of candidates night. My problem is that as we try to parse it on this forum we let our own biases and misunderstandings leak in. Again, I say if you could not make the event call the candidate and ask them your question directly.</td> </tr></table><span class="postbody"> <br /> <br />What we miss when we use the "it only costs $60 per year on a 600k house" argument is that that only covers the debt service. I would hope that people have learned over the last few years, given the housing crisis, or months given the National Debt crisis, that you HAVE TO PAY BACK THE PRINCIPLE!!!! I do no agree with leaving my kids a 2.5 million dollar bill on 1100 households (a number that is physically possible to meaningfully increase) for a library when we 1. already have a basic facility and 2. have access to a state-of-the-art facility in Plainsboro. <br />This country has to get away from the "just pay the interest" philosophy that is so pervasive. You can either afford to buy it, or you can't. Whether you can make the payments should not be part of the equation. We can't leave large obligations to future generations, especially in a community like Cranbury that we hope will be home to our kids, and their kids, etc...</td> </tr></table><span class="postbody"> <br /> <br />Again the point was, she did not do the math. The point was please sweet jesus do the math first. He was not advocating public finance of the library. The fact that he said that in the first sentence should have been a clue.</span></td> </tr> </table></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" height="1" class="spaceRow"><img src="templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" /></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="22%" align="left" valign="top" class="row1"><span class="name"><a name=""></a><b>Guest</b></span></td> <td class="row1" height="28" valign="top"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tr> <td width="100%"><img src="templates/subSilver/images/icon_minipost.gif" width="12" height="9" alt="Post" title="Post" border="0" /><span class="postdetails">Posted: Thu, Oct 13 2011, 9:49 pm EDT<span class="gen"> </span> Post subject: Re: Tonight: 8:00 PM Candidates Night</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2"><hr /></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2"><span class="postbody"></span><table width="90%" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="3" border="0" align="center"><tr> <td><span class="genmed"><b>Guest wrote:</b></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td class="quote">Let me explain. Dan and Jay clearly explained the issue at budget time and I felt did a good job at the meetings. They both knew the budget as did Dave and Glenn. <br /> <br />My concern is if they have changed their view and are now taking a different position coaching Karen. I do not know that they are and don't believe they are as this would indeed contradict their own views from this year. However, if they have changed their views and how they work the budget and surplus from last budget season I am concerned.</td> </tr></table><span class="postbody"> <br /> <br />I believe your way off base. It sounds more like she is taking advice from Win or others. Jay and Dan are on the outs with that bunch since budget time. At least that is what I hear. Also I have not heard either change what they are saying about the budget. In fact I keep hearing from Dave and Dan the budget will be tough again next year.</span></td> </tr> </table></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" height="1" class="spaceRow"><img src="templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" /></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="22%" align="left" valign="top" class="row2"><span class="name"><a name=""></a><b>Guest</b></span></td> <td class="row2" height="28" valign="top"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tr> <td width="100%"><img src="templates/subSilver/images/icon_minipost.gif" width="12" height="9" alt="Post" title="Post" border="0" /><span class="postdetails">Posted: Thu, Oct 13 2011, 9:14 pm EDT<span class="gen"> </span> Post subject: Re: Tonight: 8:00 PM Candidates Night</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2"><hr /></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2"><span class="postbody">Let me explain. Dan and Jay clearly explained the issue at budget time and I felt did a good job at the meetings. They both knew the budget as did Dave and Glenn. <br /> <br />My concern is if they have changed their view and are now taking a different position coaching Karen. I do not know that they are and don't believe they are as this would indeed contradict their own views from this year. However, if they have changed their views and how they work the budget and surplus from last budget season I am concerned.</span></td> </tr> </table></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" height="1" class="spaceRow"><img src="templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" /></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="22%" align="left" valign="top" class="row1"><span class="name"><a name=""></a><b>Guest</b></span></td> <td class="row1" height="28" valign="top"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tr> <td width="100%"><img src="templates/subSilver/images/icon_minipost.gif" width="12" height="9" alt="Post" title="Post" border="0" /><span class="postdetails">Posted: Thu, Oct 13 2011, 9:09 pm EDT<span class="gen"> </span> Post subject: Re: Tonight: 8:00 PM Candidates Night</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2"><hr /></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2"><span class="postbody"></span><table width="90%" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="3" border="0" align="center"><tr> <td><span class="genmed"><b>Guest wrote:</b></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td class="quote">Karen, <br /> <br />Thank you for a wonderful response. I have to comment on your budget piece though. As someone who attended all the public hearings 4 members of the TC David, Jay, Glenn and Dan all explained in detail the components of surplus. In fact I recall one member referring to the amount of current tax appeals in process and why the million dollars was needed to be kept in reserve. <br /> <br />Further, as was explained at another meeting when Win led the TC through a discussion on the capital budget after claiming we had 3 million in surplus it was found that the town does not have 2.9 million surplus in capital. In fact the Mayor who stated the same position you are now was forced off his comments when it was found that this money was allocated and is not a surplus. <br /> <br />My concern is only with your view on the budget. I do not recall seeing you at the budget discussions and you are repeating information that was proven false. <br /> <br />As a long time attendee at the meetings this year has been the most disorganized I have seen because there is no leadership. As a resident I do not want a repeat. I applaud your effort and commitment. I agree with 99% of your positions, but the budget is key and it concerns me. If Dan, Jay and Win have given you this information than I am more concerned for next year as it will be Jay's third year and Dan's second year. They should know the accounts by now.</td> </tr></table><span class="postbody"> <br /> <br />You contridicted yourself. <br /> <br />In the first paragraph you said: <br /> <br />"4 members of the TC David, Jay, Glenn and Dan all explained in detail the components of surplus" <br /> <br />In the last paragraph you said: <br /> <br />"If Dan, Jay and Win have given you this information than I am more concerned for next year as it will be Jay's third year and Dan's second year. They should know the accounts by now."</span></td> </tr> </table></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" height="1" class="spaceRow"><img src="templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" /></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="22%" align="left" valign="top" class="row2"><span class="name"><a name=""></a><b>Guest</b></span></td> <td class="row2" height="28" valign="top"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tr> <td width="100%"><img src="templates/subSilver/images/icon_minipost.gif" width="12" height="9" alt="Post" title="Post" border="0" /><span class="postdetails">Posted: Thu, Oct 13 2011, 9:05 pm EDT<span class="gen"> </span> Post subject: Re: Tonight: 8:00 PM Candidates Night</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2"><hr /></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2"><span class="postbody"></span><table width="90%" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="3" border="0" align="center"><tr> <td><span class="genmed"><b>Guest wrote:</b></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td class="quote"></span><table width="90%" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="3" border="0" align="center"><tr> <td><span class="genmed"><b>Guest wrote:</b></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td class="quote"></span><table width="90%" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="3" border="0" align="center"><tr> <td><span class="genmed"><b>Guest wrote:</b></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td class="quote">They both said no tax dollars and that they encourage private fund raising.</td> </tr></table><span class="postbody"> <br /> <br />The answer was little more nuanced than this. It is true they both encourage private funding of the library, but, Susan stated she was against it because individuals she spoke with were against the funding. That did not seem like a strong no from Susan. <br /> <br />There was one questioner who supported a tax payer funded new library and was attacking Karen stating the taxpayer funding of a new library is not too expensive. He tried to trip her up with some numbers. It was probably the least cordial part of the debate but Karen held her ground well. <br /> <br />I found out that the person who asked the question was David Nissen who is a major supporter of Susan, Democratic Party official and had a campaign function at his house for Susan with Linda Greenstein & Wayne DeAngelo the prior week.</td> </tr></table><span class="postbody"> <br /> <br />I was kind of worried about this misunderstanding. David was not supporting tax payer funding of the library. In fact the first words out of his mouth were, "I am not advocating tax payer funding of the library". <br /> <br />What David was railing about was what he saw as a less than rigorous thought process on financing. Karen said 2.7 million dollars divided by 1500 houses was too expensive a project. David asked her if she had done the math. She replied no. He had done the math and stated the impact was about one cent on the tax rate, or about $60 per average house. <br /> <br />I am uncomfortable speaking for him, but I believe his point was that (since his opening statement was that he was not advocating government financing of the project) whenever looking at a project the first thing that must be done is the math. While we will not fund the library, I can guarantee we will see a 2.7 million dollar type project in the next three years(possibly a parking solution?) The first thing to do is run the math and then make an informed decision. <br /> <br />The reason I say this is I have watched David make this same point time after time over the last 20 years or so. It is a valid point. Also, If you are complaining about his politics, you should be unhappy with the three questions Art Hasselback asked, sometimes interrupting the candidates. <br /> <br />I did not find Art or David offensive, that is the general give and take of candidates night. My problem is that as we try to parse it on this forum we let our own biases and misunderstandings leak in. Again, I say if you could not make the event call the candidate and ask them your question directly.</td> </tr></table><span class="postbody"> <br /> <br />What we miss when we use the "it only costs $60 per year on a 600k house" argument is that that only covers the debt service. I would hope that people have learned over the last few years, given the housing crisis, or months given the National Debt crisis, that you HAVE TO PAY BACK THE PRINCIPLE!!!! I do no agree with leaving my kids a 2.5 million dollar bill on 1100 households (a number that is physically possible to meaningfully increase) for a library when we 1. already have a basic facility and 2. have access to a state-of-the-art facility in Plainsboro. <br />This country has to get away from the "just pay the interest" philosophy that is so pervasive. You can either afford to buy it, or you can't. Whether you can make the payments should not be part of the equation. We can't leave large obligations to future generations, especially in a community like Cranbury that we hope will be home to our kids, and their kids, etc...</span></td> </tr> </table></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" height="1" class="spaceRow"><img src="templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" /></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="22%" align="left" valign="top" class="row1"><span class="name"><a name=""></a><b>Guest</b></span></td> <td class="row1" height="28" valign="top"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tr> <td width="100%"><img src="templates/subSilver/images/icon_minipost.gif" width="12" height="9" alt="Post" title="Post" border="0" /><span class="postdetails">Posted: Thu, Oct 13 2011, 4:56 pm EDT<span class="gen"> </span> Post subject: Re: Tonight: 8:00 PM Candidates Night</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2"><hr /></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2"><span class="postbody">Karen, <br /> <br />Thank you for a wonderful response. I have to comment on your budget piece though. As someone who attended all the public hearings 4 members of the TC David, Jay, Glenn and Dan all explained in detail the components of surplus. In fact I recall one member referring to the amount of current tax appeals in process and why the million dollars was needed to be kept in reserve. <br /> <br />Further, as was explained at another meeting when Win led the TC through a discussion on the capital budget after claiming we had 3 million in surplus it was found that the town does not have 2.9 million surplus in capital. In fact the Mayor who stated the same position you are now was forced off his comments when it was found that this money was allocated and is not a surplus. <br /> <br />My concern is only with your view on the budget. I do not recall seeing you at the budget discussions and you are repeating information that was proven false. <br /> <br />As a long time attendee at the meetings this year has been the most disorganized I have seen because there is no leadership. As a resident I do not want a repeat. I applaud your effort and commitment. I agree with 99% of your positions, but the budget is key and it concerns me. If Dan, Jay and Win have given you this information than I am more concerned for next year as it will be Jay's third year and Dan's second year. They should know the accounts by now.</span></td> </tr> </table></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" height="1" class="spaceRow"><img src="templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" /></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="22%" align="left" valign="top" class="row2"><span class="name"><a name=""></a><b>Karen Callahan</b></span></td> <td class="row2" height="28" valign="top"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tr> <td width="100%"><img src="templates/subSilver/images/icon_minipost.gif" width="12" height="9" alt="Post" title="Post" border="0" /><span class="postdetails">Posted: Thu, Oct 13 2011, 4:16 pm EDT<span class="gen"> </span> Post subject: Re: Tonight: 8:00 PM Candidates Night</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2"><hr /></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2"><span class="postbody">Dear Readers, <br /> <br />Hi this is Karen Callahan. Thank you for your interest in Candidate’s Night. I have been reading several comments from readers and would agree that I was a bit nervous and did not articulate many of my points the way I had intended. I am not a profession politician so the debate forum is not my forte. I would much prefer to get things done, produce results and let my work speak for itself, rather than stand in a room full of people and “preach” about it. As part of my intro I attempted (but clearly failed) to articulate my accomplishments, and how I went about achieving them, so that people could obtain a better understanding of my abilities ( I guess too many details). Below I have responded to a few of the major items that have been discussed in hopes of clarifying: <br /> <br />Why I am running?- I have been heavily involved in this community in various forms for the past 8 yrs. I was Co-President of the Mothers Club, member of the Swim Club and Arts Council etc even before moving here. I wanted people to know that my active participation in Cranbury and commitment to the community began well before this campaign process or before our move here in 2008. I had planned to serve the community in a larger capacity beginning this fall when my youngest attended full-day kindergarten. When this opportunity presented itself the timing could not have been better for me. Yes the people who have known me for years and have worked with me are the very same people that have encouraged me to run. They know from their experience with me that I exhibit leadership qualities, that I am a sound decision maker, I take a common sense approach to issues, and I portray the abilities to produce results. What I hope to achieve is a balance of honoring and preserving the Cranbury we all love, while planning for our future……that is why I ultimately decided to run. <br /> <br />Budget- I stated that as of Jan 2011 the general surplus was 4.9M, and that there was an additional 2.4M in capital surplus. At a minimum I indicated that a certain amount (2M) needs to be maintained for AAA bond rating, & that approx. another 1M for tax appeals. It is unclear to the general public what is an acceptable level of surplus that should be maintained. That is why I tried to state that a benchmark should be established by the TC & communicated to the public (historically the levels have been @ 4-5M). Therefore the general public views the total of the 4.9 + 2.4 as excessive, not understanding the limitations and uses of capital surplus, and the thought process for maintaining any level of surplus. I believe if it were broken down and explained on how surplus is derived, and the justification behind the levels maintained taxpayers would have a better understanding. My main point regarding our budget is that we are living beyond our means which is not a long term possibility. <br /> <br />Trash- Personally I would prefer to negotiate my own rate & choice my level of service & hauler. However, my position was based on several factors, most importantly the lack of accurate figures to present to the public in order to make their own educated decision. This issue as been on the table for 2 years, and to date the Township has been unable to secure a valid bid. The Township has not yet conducted an overhead cost analysis (which would need to include at a minimum things such as admin costs, processing fees, lawyer fees, surcharges, DPW impact etc) therefore, a cost savings for residents or the Township cannot be assumed. If the figures and details of a bid are not evaluated properly it could actually wind up costing more in the long run if not examined carefully. Also in the NJ the law states that the lowest RFP received is the one that is awarded the contract. Cheaper is not always the best option. Case and point, the numerous issues experience by the Board of Ed and the transportation contracts with Negba Bus Co (ie. The lowest bidder in the RFP process). This particular bus company had major issues, one of the drivers had an accident that totaled a car, let children off at points other than bus stops, and was sited with 153 safety violations by the MVC and issued 14 summons including falsification of records, just to name a few. Cheaper is not always better, and many times there is no getting out of these type of contract without incurring huge legal lawsuits or fees. Just some food for thought when considering the RFP process. <br /> <br />I don’t identify myself as a Tea Party candidate. I would describe myself as fiscally conservative while being socially liberal at times. <br /> <br />Please know that I have been working very hard these past few months for the opportunity to represent this community. I appreciate your patience and understanding. <br />Thank you for your time and interest, please feel free to contact me directly at <a href="mailto:KarenCallahanCranbury@gmail.com">KarenCallahanCranbury@gmail.com</a> or visit my website <a href="http://www.KarenCallahanCranbury.com" target="_blank">www.KarenCallahanCranbury.com</a> for additional info.</span></td> </tr> </table></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" height="1" class="spaceRow"><img src="templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" /></td> </tr> </table>
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