Listen to Partisan Politics At It's Best In Middletown

During the township work shop meeting held on April 6th, a resolution was presented for adoption that would condemn Governor Corzine's budget proposals. The proposed resolution was written by and passed down to local municipalities by the State Republican Party in an effort to garner Republican support against Governor Corzine and his budget.

Democrats on the committee,Patrick Short and Sean Byrnes, took exception to some of the language in the resolution and wanted to rewrite in a way that would be more Middletown specific and not so broad and sweeping. Republicans on the committee, lead by Mayor Pam Brightbill and Deputy Mayor Gerry Scharfenberger thought that the resolution was not sweeping enough,wanted stronger language and refused to make any changes to it. At one point during the discussion, you will hear Mayor Brightbill telling Committeeman Short that he could just vote against the resolution he so chooses, basically tell him and Byrnes that their opinions did not matter, that the resolution would pass as is along partisan party lines.

Typically,this is how the Republicans in Middletown try to reach out to the other side of the aisle. To compromise when trying to issue legislation is unheard when it comes to matters of Trenton or other petty issues. The my way or the highway is the usual response, as pointed out by Brightbill and Fiore, two Republican members of the Middletown Township Committee. Many people have expressed this observation, even before there were members of the Democratic Party on the Committee.

Middletown committee discuss resolution against State budget