Why is a Grandfather Running for Township Council?

I read the following on FaceBook as posted by a new found friend some time ago:

UNTIL YOU’VE…

Counted little fingers, counted little toes,

Held a little hand, kissed a little nose,

Soothed a little tummy, read to little ears,

Powdered a little booty, wiped away little tears,

YOU HAVEN’T KNOWN LOVE.

That elicited the following comment from me:

And God was good enough to let us experience it twice; once in the whirlwind of raising our own children and the second time in the still small voices of our grandchildren. "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!" (Romans 11:33 – Holy Bible).

I have led a full life; I have raised six children now ranging in age from 19 to 36. I have a granddaughter, a grandson, and another grandchild expected. I am extremely thankful for what I have and what I have been given.

Now that my children are grown I have time to do some things that I think need doing. I have followed politics for a long time but felt unable to do little else than vote and write occasionally because of the obligation I had taken on by bringing six children into the world.

There is something extremely disturbing to me today about those who call themselves “public servants”…

Integrity, or should I say, the lack of it? Whatever happened to integrity? Am I naïve or didn't most people used to have at least a modicum of integrity? Am I expecting too much to think that the people that have promised me to do certain things on my behalf and are paid by me to do those things would actually act with integrity and do that which they have promised?

How is it that our federally elected officials enter office moderately successful with usually under one million dollars in assets and exit Congress as millionaires many times over? Whatever happened to integrity?

As a grandparent who has spent his life trying to provide for his family, I am very concerned about what we are handing to our children and their children. When I was born in 1952, the national debt stood at about $257 billion dollars. Today that number is nearly $17 trillion and its growth shows no signs of slowing down. In my lifetime the national debt has increased 6300-percent, i.e., it is 63 times greater now than when I was born.

Do you understand what we are doing? We, you and I, will never repay this. This will be passed on to our children, grandchildren, and their children for who knows how long. Do you think it’s proper to demand services for which you will never pay for but the cost of which you will pass on to your children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren? If that does not bother you than I am not the man you want representing you.

For those who are not yet aware, I am running for a seat on Gloucester Township Council under the banner of Gloucester Township FIRST. There is one thing I can promise you I will do as a public official, I will act with integrity. I am what you can call a WYSIWYG candidate. What You See Is What You Get. I don’t rub elbows with the current elected officials and exchange fake smiles as if nothing were wrong. There is a lot wrong, in my opinion, and I refuse to act like it’s just a small difference of opinion. There is entirely too much money changing hands in this township for me to act like everything is okay.

Do you know what people have told me as I’ve walked door to door? They agree with me but think there’s nothing that can be done and that nothing will change. The ongoing corruption in government has caused them to lose hope in the political process. They believe the corruption will just continue and they will have to pay for it. I, therefore, will not give warm fuzzies to the individuals who have caused this widespread despondency in Gloucester Township.

Did you see the parcel of land recently dedicated as a Citizen’s Appreciation Park on the Black Horse Pike in Glendora, next to the Veteran’s Memorial? If you had walked old Glendora with me on a recent Saturday and counted how many houses were vacant you would agree that the last thing they need in Glendora is a feel-good park. You know what else they frown upon in Glendora? Golf Carts, Segways and an Armored Personnel Carrier. They see no need for such extravagances.

It has come to my attention that Gloucester Township, with all its wonderful projects the mayor brags about has accumulated debt in the order of between $60 to $100 million dollars. That does not include the millions and millions of dollars in unfunded pension liabilities. As it stands now, the annual cost to service our township’s debt, including interest and payback, is $7 million dollars annually. The interest alone is just under $1.4 million dollars.  That is unacceptable. I work too hard, and I assume you would say the same, to have Gloucester Township take $1.4 million dollars in taxes and use it to pay interest on debt.

I have previously published a blog, seen here, delineating the thousands of dollars that Team-Mayer has collected to run its campaign. Team-Mayer is all incumbents but they are spending over $100,000 with the total pointing towards $200,000 to get re-elected. Apparently some township contractors that have been awarded township work agree with Team-Mayer that they need to get reelected to the tune of $10,000 and $20,000 worth of donations each. What kind of deal needs to be worked out when awarding township contracts that causes the recipient of those contracts to turn back $20,000 to the campaign coffers of their benefactors, the mayor and council?

As a grandfather, I am concerned about the debt we are piling on our children and grandchildren, both mine and yours. I am tired of all the funny money changing hands in this township at cost to the taxpayer. If you are tired of “business as usual” and want to begin to return sanity to local government, I am asking for your vote on November 5th to help me and the entire Gloucester Township FIRST team get elected and make that happen.

Vote Tanya L. Brown – mayor; Paul DiBartolo, Patricia Kline and Joseph Pauli – council.

Visit us at http://www.gloucestertownshipfirst.com