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What The Candidates Should Focus On
I commend the Jackson Times for having a special "Election 2008" focus, but something was missing from this edition. I think the root cause of the problem is the way the candidates have framed the issues. I carefully read each of the articles and Letters to the Editors published and couldn't but help notice that all the candidates were focused on the past rather than the future. We all know the problems about gypsy moths, tax increases, prior administrations, drugs, the DEP and basketball courts. We have heard about it ad nausea.
I have frequently asked each of the candidates to focus on the future so that we know where they will be leading us. You can scream all you want about tax increases but if you don't explain where the fat is, how can you claim you are going to reduce the budget? Rather than defend the current or prior administration, how about telling us where you would like to see Jackson heading? What are your plans for economic development? How do we weather this economic downturn? What will happen when the real estate market returns and all those approved building permits become construction with new residents, children and the problems and opportunities that they bring? What issues have we asked Ocean County for help on? What are your personal top three agenda issues if you are elected?
I don't know about the rest of you but those are the things that I would have preferred this campaign focus on. It is now May 10 and the election is around the proverbial corner. Let's see which candidates respond before then with the real information that we need to make informed and intelligent decisions, otherwise all we have is a beauty contest with a lot of mud being thrown around. If we are content with that, we deserve what we get.
Paul Mayerowitz,
Jackson
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