Monday, December 28, 2009

Letter: Why Are Turf Fields Top Priority During Worst Economic Times Since The Great Depression?

Politics has overcome any sense of good government in Middletown Township.This is an egregious miscarriage of politics masquerading as government in this community.

When economic conditions are ignored and artificial turf fields are the major priority of the township committee members, there is something radically wrong with those elected and hired to administrate in this township. Most families are endeavoring to keep jobs,keep their homes, and trying to keep food on their tables and pay their bills. Their prime concern is not whether their kids have artificial turf fields to run on for sports activities.

There are many residents and citizens in this community that can connect the dots in this scenario. Remember the vicious political rhetoric of the 2008,2009 campaigns for township committee and the 2009 freeholder race and the individuals responsible for those vicious accusations against the democratic candidates in those races...( the alleged petitions for recall of the board of education member were never circulated or filed). These names connected to all that vicious rhetoric are the same names that trace connection to the turf field company favored for the current endeavor to construct two turf fields in Middletown during the worst economic circumstances since the Great Depression.

These questions demands answers......Is this proposal for turf fields somehow payment of a political debt for that vicious ranting that commanded so much attention in the fall of 2008 and again in 2009? Is common sense or reason absent when this township cannot pay it's financial obligations without emergency resolutions,refuses to consider a finance committee and choses turf fields over jobs.

This all reeks of political motivation and ineptitude.Smell the coffee residents of Middletown....it's your tax dollar at work. You pay these bills!

These are not the times for this kind of ignorance from those who claim to govern.This suggests incompetence when one examines the priorities of those chosen to serve in this community!!


Barbara R.Thorpe

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Didn't this project receive unanimous support from the Township Committee and wasn't Mr. Byrnes the one as quoted as saying that these fields are justified and necessary?

MiddletownMike said...

After much debate the project did receive unanimous support and yes, Mr. Byrnes has been a supporter of these fields.

That doesn't mean others think these fields are a good idea at this time.

Mr. Short at first did not approve of these fields, not because they weren't needed but because of the cost during hard economic times. He felt that if there was money for a field project laying around it should have been used to off set property taxes.

Unfortunately that could not be done because left over/found bond money cannot be used for operating expenses.

People that oppose these fields feel that the fields benefit a small number of citizens and the cost does not justify the expense. They felt that the bond money should have been returned to help pay down the bonding debt that the township has.

Just because Mr. Byrnes is a Democrat and I and others support him doesn't mean that we agree with him all the time.