In Your Opinion: Elect Township Republicans In November

By Skip Schaeffer, Somerset.

For too many years the Franklin Township Council has been overwhelmingly in the hands of the Democratic Party by an 8-1 count. The result has been an overall decreasing level of ethics, integrity, and honesty from the Council. Council Democrats have clearly demonstrated that Party comes first in Franklin – ahead of residents and common decency. (For the record I am a registered Independent.) I offer the following three situations as evidence.

Several years ago current Deputy Mayor Kimberly Francois was returning home from vacation during a snowstorm and found herself at the New Brunswick train station without a pre-arranged ride home. Did she call a family member, a friend, or a taxi for a ride home? No. She called the Franklin Township Police Department and asked for a patrol car to bring her home. The same police department that was under Township Council review for contract raises, future layoffs, and decreased financial health benefit coverage. Not only did Ms. Francois casually abuse the power of her position, the police were put in an awkward and intimidating situation with a town official who was making various decisions on their employment. Plus, police resources were already stretched thin responding to legitimate emergency calls at that time. What was the response afterwards from the other Democrats on Council? See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil. Sweep it under the rug. The public will forget about it.