Dear Editor,
I’d like to set the record straight on some of Mayor Cantu’s remarks in the West Windsor-Plainsboro News article that ran on October 21.
1) In response to my statement that I better represent the composition of the Township population (“Another element of Jagannathan’s campaign is his belief that he better reflects current residents of Plainsboro”, WWP News, 10/21/2011), Cantu responded, “I find that approach to be very #b#divisive#/b# and #b#disturbing#/b#.” (WWP News, 10/21/2011)
#b#Divisive#/b#, Mayor Cantu, is when you choose a side to support based on the best interests of your re-election campaign and state-wide support rather than the preferences and wishes of Plainsboro residents. Divisive is trying to run a major highway, Route 92, through the Princeton Collection, destroying pristine open space in the Plainsboro Preserve, and giving the land away to the Turnpike Authority (1990-1991 NJ Assembly, #A5248, sponsored by Peter A. Cantu). (This is also in contrast to your claim to support preservation of open space.)
#b#Disturbing#/b#, Mayor Cantu, is when you solicit campaign money from township businesses and organizations that do business with Plainsboro (see ELEC filings submitted by the Plainsboro Democratic Organization, who is the sole contributor to Cantu’s election fund; ELEC filings are available online at https://www.elec.state.nj.us/) – you accepted money from the former Township Attorney’s office, from Sharbell Development Corporation, and from the Merwick Care & Rehab Center. Everywhere else this “pay to play” falls within ethically questionable behavior; it seems for you, though, this is business as usual.
2) “Cantu cited Novo Nordisk’s $210 million renovation at the former Merrill Lynch facility at 800 Scudders Mill Road, which will create 500 new jobs.” (WWP News, 10/21/2011)
Mayor Cantu, the only reason the facility was available for Novo Nordisk is through your resistance and refusal to compromise when discussing tax rates for Merrill Lynch’s training center (now part of the Wyndham hotel). Merrill Lynch’s departure and relocation to Hopewell/Pennington is a direct consequence of your failure to negotiate a fair and equitable solution. It is a true blessing that Novo Nordisk was interested in occupying the space that Merrill Lynch left vacant. To claim credit for fixing your initial mistake is disingenuous.
3) “The mayor said the Plainsboro Public Library brings in 1,000 visitors a day into the town center, calling it ‘critically important to bring in life to help the retail community.’” (WWP News, 10/21/2011)
It is true that the #b#library#/b# brings over 1,000 visitors a day into the library but it is misleading and untruthful to state that the visitors patronize the businesses in the town center (the Plainsboro Plaza and Plainsboro Village shopping centers). A simple stroll through the area on a Saturday or Sunday morning will show you that many visitors drive to and from the library and do not visit any of the area businesses.
4) “This past year we maintained an increase of less than a penny in our municipal purpose tax rate. To claim that we haven’t done our best to moderate that and control it is really just not correct. It just reflects a lack of understanding of the financial situation of Plainsboro Township,” said Cantu. (WWP News, 10/21/2011)
Mayor, sometimes your best just isn’t good enough. You’ve consistently increased our taxes and approved expenditures without hesitation. You continue to spend our money in new and imaginative ways (like building a proposed $4 million community center in the middle of an economic recession), sometimes even after saying that the funding source would be private donations (as with the public library). Saying you’ve “done [your] best to moderate” taxes actually reflects a lack of your understanding of the current state of the economy and demonstrates how out-of-touch you remain with your township residents.
5) “We got out to each one of the four shopping facilities in Plainsboro to focus attention on businesses within those complexes. I visited three and interviewed a few of the retailers and business owners in each and we will be scheduling visits to the fourth,” Cantu said. (WWP News, 10/21/2011)
Mayor – with all due respect – I’m not being paid for the job, but I managed to speak with every business owner or one of their representatives from each of the businesses (the ones that are still here, anyway) in each of the four shopping centers in town, all in one Saturday morning, and still had time to attend the Arts Festival in the afternoon! What exactly do you do with the time you spend in town? To act as though you only had time to visit “a few of the retailers” is pathetic and shows how little you are interested in investing in the betterment of our community.
I look forward to the opportunity to honestly and truthfully serve the residents of Plainsboro. I promise to continue to seek input from taxpayers and other community members when elected to Township Committee. Finally, I pledge to never take this opportunity for granted and to continue to earn the trust and support of Plainsboro residents long after the election.
Residents with questions can reach me at info@KrishnaForPlainsboro.com.
Please remember to vote on November 8. Thank you for your support.
Krishna Jagannathan
Plainsboro Township Committee Candidate
