Author	Message
guesting	Posted: Tue, Jun 14 2011, 4:14 pm EDT    Post subject: Re: write-in candidate for Township Committtee another mom should someone who has not lived in town for 3 years, still be allowed to vote for TC member,ballot questions, serve on boards, or participate in any decision making process even though they aren't informed enough? Maybe those that have been here for over 20 years should get two votes per person and the rest of us one. That should balance it out. It sounds like you are saying that only a select minority should be considered for the TC. I'm not sure what you mean by "I saw changes recently with the other party and new people making changes", maybe you would like to clear that up to. Is Callahan from the wrong party?
another mom	Posted: Thu, Jun 9 2011, 5:22 pm EDT    Post subject: Re: write-in candidate for Township Committtee newby wrote: What is the recommended minimum number of years you have to live in Cranbury in order to be a qualified candidate? Another mom makes it sound like you have to have generational ties to Cranbury in order to be a TC member. I never said you needed generational ties. I just think someone who has been here for three years may not fully appreciate the town's culture and society and be able to factor the history into the decision making process. I think it's important for someone to fully understand the town and culture before they get on a board that impacts the town now and in the future. I have good friends who lived here for 5 years before realizing the town was not what they liked and felt comfortable in and so they moved. That is my concern. I saw changes recently with the other party and new people making changes. Now Mrs. Callahan could be the exception and I look forward to her views. This is just my view and feel free to disagree.
newby	Posted: Thu, Jun 9 2011, 11:23 am EDT    Post subject: Re: write-in candidate for Township Committtee What is the recommended minimum number of years you have to live in Cranbury in order to be a qualified candidate? Another mom makes it sound like you have to have generational ties to Cranbury in order to be a TC member.
Guest	Posted: Tue, Jun 7 2011, 9:24 am EDT    Post subject: Re: write-in candidate for Township Committtee Guest wrote: I'm on the Cranbury Republican mailing list as well. The only thing I know about her views is that the Cranbury Republicans agree with her. I'm not sure that this is enough for me to write her in, and I'm a little surprised that we were never provided with a platform, etc. Yes, especially as many who get the emails don't agree with the views experessed in all the emails it has been very hard core. So it is important for me to hear from Mrs. Callahan directly on what she feels is important to Cranbury so I don't make assumptions.
Guest	Posted: Tue, Jun 7 2011, 8:59 am EDT    Post subject: Re: write-in candidate for Township Committtee I'm on the Cranbury Republican mailing list as well. The only thing I know about her views is that the Cranbury Republicans agree with her. I'm not sure that this is enough for me to write her in, and I'm a little surprised that we were never provided with a platform, etc.
Guest	Posted: Tue, Jun 7 2011, 7:28 am EDT    Post subject: Re: write-in candidate for Township Committtee Guest wrote: Guest wrote: Guest wrote: If you have a problem with her politics or the politics of her party, either get off your butt and run or convince someone else too. Otherwise you're just uselessly armchair quarterbacking here. It's easy to complain. But what are you personally doing about it? I am not the one you're responding to, but the above statement gets overplayed. If I don't like the President's politics should I run for President? If I don't have the time due to work I can't say I oppose someone's views? That is why there are hopefully two candidates to chose from. That way I can select the person who best mirrors what I want for myself and the town. Now, I am not saying that people then have carte blanche to bash people running for or holding office. I am saying the right to say I disagree with such and such politics or views is my right. Just as it is the right of those I don't agree with to have them. I also know what the other poster is referring to as I am on a list of emails from the "Cranbury Republican" group and can say I am disappointed in how they act toward two sitting members of their party who are on the TC. Many people in town (most I say) are not on that email list so likely you are not aware of what I am referring to. I remain a part of the list because I find it somewhat amusing to read the emails from the party chair. Comparing it to the Presidential election is overplayed. This is a small town and the reality is the job is so unpopular that it has had 100% turn-over of incumbents over the last three years because none ran again and neither party could get a single person to agree to run in time for the official ballot this time. Both parties have been actively making calls all over town to try and convince people to run with most people saying no thank you. I think we all can agree it will be great if multiple people run in the end. I certainly hope so. But given all of the above, to start questioning the only person who has stepped up so far into the process and volunteered to take on this hard job before she has expressed a single view or position based only on her party affiliation seems unreasonable. Wait for specifics to respond to or if you really are disappointed that no one else is running, convince someone too. This isn’t a national election with millions of people. These are your neighbors. I agree with everything you say. My only point is that people are allowed to hold views. No where did I say that Mrs. Callahan had expressed views or held views. I only said that she is allowed to have views and I am allowed to have opposed views. For all I know my views and hers are one and the same.
Guest	Posted: Tue, Jun 7 2011, 7:25 am EDT    Post subject: Re: write-in candidate for Township Committtee Guest wrote: I would be careful to rush to assertions about tea party affiliation. I remember some people on this forum bashing Dan Mulligan when he was running because he had attended a Cranbury meeting of the Tea Party early on, back before it was obvious it was more a social conservative movement instead of a fiscally conservative one. He had never come out endorsing it or expressing any socially conservative views but as far as some were concerned he must be a local Sarah Palin because he attended a meeting (reminds me of when people were blacklisted as “commies” if they attended a single socialist meeting). Flash forward to now and isn’t it ironic that Dan has voted in concert with the TC Democrats on many issues and he and Jay are now being ostracized by the Cranbury Republican Party for not being conservative enough. It turns out Mr. Tea Party is a centralist. I know nothing about this new candidate’s views or politics. I’m just saying rushing to broad conclusions isn’t very effective. I don't see anyone saying Mrs. Callahan is a tea party member or any of the like. I only see comments saying people hope she is not a tea party member and is independent of the Cranbury Republican group. I don't see that as a criticism of Mrs. Callahan at all. In fact all the posts are open saying they look forward to her ideas. I see that if anything as people letting Mrs. Callahan how to position herself to win an election in the town and if anything helping her to stake out a platform. People don't read comments on this board anymore because there is so much negative.
Guest	Posted: Mon, Jun 6 2011, 9:06 pm EDT    Post subject: Re: write-in candidate for Township Committtee Who else can we write in tomorrow? Any ideas? We need a second candidate.
Guest	Posted: Mon, Jun 6 2011, 8:48 pm EDT    Post subject: Re: write-in candidate for Township Committtee I would be careful to rush to assertions about tea party affiliation. I remember some people on this forum bashing Dan Mulligan when he was running because he had attended a Cranbury meeting of the Tea Party early on, back before it was obvious it was more a social conservative movement instead of a fiscally conservative one. He had never come out endorsing it or expressing any socially conservative views but as far as some were concerned he must be a local Sarah Palin because he attended a meeting (reminds me of when people were blacklisted as “commies” if they attended a single socialist meeting). Flash forward to now and isn’t it ironic that Dan has voted in concert with the TC Democrats on many issues and he and Jay are now being ostracized by the Cranbury Republican Party for not being conservative enough. It turns out Mr. Tea Party is a centralist. I know nothing about this new candidate’s views or politics. I’m just saying rushing to broad conclusions isn’t very effective.
Guest	Posted: Mon, Jun 6 2011, 8:38 pm EDT    Post subject: Re: write-in candidate for Township Committtee Guest wrote: Guest wrote: If you have a problem with her politics or the politics of her party, either get off your butt and run or convince someone else too. Otherwise you're just uselessly armchair quarterbacking here. It's easy to complain. But what are you personally doing about it? I am not the one you're responding to, but the above statement gets overplayed. If I don't like the President's politics should I run for President? If I don't have the time due to work I can't say I oppose someone's views? That is why there are hopefully two candidates to chose from. That way I can select the person who best mirrors what I want for myself and the town. Now, I am not saying that people then have carte blanche to bash people running for or holding office. I am saying the right to say I disagree with such and such politics or views is my right. Just as it is the right of those I don't agree with to have them. I also know what the other poster is referring to as I am on a list of emails from the "Cranbury Republican" group and can say I am disappointed in how they act toward two sitting members of their party who are on the TC. Many people in town (most I say) are not on that email list so likely you are not aware of what I am referring to. I remain a part of the list because I find it somewhat amusing to read the emails from the party chair. Comparing it to the Presidential election is overplayed. This is a small town and the reality is the job is so unpopular that it has had 100% turn-over of incumbents over the last three years because none ran again and neither party could get a single person to agree to run in time for the official ballot this time. Both parties have been actively making calls all over town to try and convince people to run with most people saying no thank you. I think we all can agree it will be great if multiple people run in the end. I certainly hope so. But given all of the above, to start questioning the only person who has stepped up so far into the process and volunteered to take on this hard job before she has expressed a single view or position based only on her party affiliation seems unreasonable. Wait for specifics to respond to or if you really are disappointed that no one else is running, convince someone too. This isn’t a national election with millions of people. These are your neighbors.
Guest	Posted: Mon, Jun 6 2011, 5:13 pm EDT    Post subject: Re: write-in candidate for Township Committtee Guest wrote: If you have a problem with her politics or the politics of her party, either get off your butt and run or convince someone else too. Otherwise you're just uselessly armchair quarterbacking here. It's easy to complain. But what are you personally doing about it? I am not the one you're responding to, but the above statement gets overplayed. If I don't like the President's politics should I run for President? If I don't have the time due to work I can't say I oppose someone's views? That is why there are hopefully two candidates to chose from. That way I can select the person who best mirrors what I want for myself and the town. Now, I am not saying that people then have carte blanche to bash people running for or holding office. I am saying the right to say I disagree with such and such politics or views is my right. Just as it is the right of those I don't agree with to have them. I also know what the other poster is referring to as I am on a list of emails from the "Cranbury Republican" group and can say I am disappointed in how they act toward two sitting members of their party who are on the TC. Many people in town (most I say) are not on that email list so likely you are not aware of what I am referring to. I remain a part of the list because I find it somewhat amusing to read the emails from the party chair.
Guest	Posted: Mon, Jun 6 2011, 4:47 pm EDT    Post subject: Re: write-in candidate for Township Committtee If you have a problem with her politics or the politics of her party, either get off your butt and run or convince someone else too. Otherwise you're just uselessly armchair quarterbacking here. It's easy to complain. But what are you personally doing about it?
Guest	Posted: Mon, Jun 6 2011, 4:45 pm EDT    Post subject: Re: write-in candidate for Township Committtee "I do hope she's not a tea party member. " I also hope that she doesn't feel beholden to the Cranbury "Republicans" who are behind her run for office. We need people who managed Cranbury via reality, not fantasy.
another mom	Posted: Mon, Jun 6 2011, 4:16 pm EDT    Post subject: Re: write-in candidate for Township Committtee yes, I agree. I don't want to come off as demeaning her as she should be thanked for running. It's just that so far she is the only one so I hope she is as good as I hope she will be as I don't know her. I don't blame anyone for not wanting to run as you're critiqued by people no matter what you do.
Guest	Posted: Mon, Jun 6 2011, 1:23 pm EDT    Post subject: Re: write-in candidate for Township Committtee I don't know her one way or the other. But at least she has stepped up. So far that's more than can be said for anyone else. And I don't blame them.
another mom	Posted: Mon, Jun 6 2011, 1:04 pm EDT    Post subject: Re: write-in candidate for Township Committtee Does someone with 3 years really understand the town and the issues? She is a stay at home mom so I think that adds a lot of value. I don't know her at all, so hopefully she has been active in the town meetings with COAH, the budget, the county mandates, etc... If she has not been then I don't know how she'll be able to step right in which is what the town needs as we'll have new non-experienced members at each election the last 3 years. We have long term residents on the committee now who are getting their seasoning of experience in government yet know the town culture for over 100 years combined and have resources to draw on who are experienced- Jay and Dave growing up here, Dan married to a local native and Glenn living here for many years. Electing a new resident as a TC member could mean asking a lot of the town and the individual. However, I look forward to hearing how she can address these issues, her experience in our local government and if she can address these issues I think she'll do well as a TC member. What I hope she is not: I hope she's not new and wanting to change the town to be like other bigger towns. Coming from Plainsboro I hope I am right that she values the small town feel and culture. I do hope she's not a tea party member. What upsets me is not her fault, but one of the letters of endorsement which again is not her fault. I am upset about the idea of voting for someone because of gender as the Republican chair indicates should be done in her letter to the paper. As a female I think we do need women on the TC and mothers would be great, but experienced and knowledgeable women. Not vote for them because they are simply not a man. I wish her and anyone else the best of luck and look forward to hearing their ideas.