Scharfenberger, Brightbill seek to destroy Human Rights Commission

To The Editor:

Carolyn Schwebel has been a dear friend of mine for many years. Carolyn serves on the Monmouth County Human Rights Commission and she is a former Chairperson of the Middletown Human Rights Commission.

Carolyn is no longer a member of the commission in Middletown anymore, and that is a shame. In fact, the commission is about ready to be shutdown by Mayor Gerard Scharfenberger and Deputy Mayor Pamela Brightbill. I don't know why, but it feels like retribution for doing the job she was appointed to do.

The Middletown Human Rights Commission had previously been working on issues relative to township housing and handicapped access issues. These issues, while challenging, should not be silenced with the wave of a bureaucratic wand, which I think Mayor Scharfenberger and Deputy Mayor Brightbill are doing.

The mayor recently tried to use the commission to accomplish his political retribution, but they stood above the fray and stayed true to their original mission. For this, commission members should be complimented.

The commission should never be forced to become political. But, some people want to use them as a political force even though they truly are trying to maintain their status as protecting human rights in Middletown. Just because Mr. Scharfenberger and Mrs. Brightbill can not control the commission, they have now decided to completely destroy it.

All I have to say is that, after I am elected as a Middletown committeewoman in November, regardless of what Mr. Scharfenberger or Mrs. Brightbill have done, I will not stop lobbying until this commission is back and bigger than ever.

I will also seek to fill all of the seats that have been left empty on the commission, which the mayor and deputy mayor have left vacant because they cannot find people that will tow their line. I do not need people to tow my line. I welcome diversity and input and neither myself or my running mate, Jim Grenafege, need to dictate what other people think in trying to help our community.

Patricia A. Walsh
Democrat for Twsp. Committee