To the Editor:
This time last year, I had the opportunity to interview Mayor Hsueh for my senior thesis. I had never met him before, but I had followed his work closely in the local news and on television. For someone who has served in government for years, Mayor Hsueh is no career politician; he is a man who is genuinely passionate about his work with knowledge and vision to match. I guess this should come as no surprise from someone who routinely works full-time hours for a supposedly “part-time” job and a paltry salary.##M:[more]##
What I found most compelling about Mayor Hsueh during the interview was his recognition that West Windsor doesn’t exist in its own bubble. Too often in the past, leaders of West Windsor have acted as if our town was an exception to outside forces; it’s this kind of defensive leadership that brought us such problems as Toll Brothers. Mayor Hsueh, however, understands that unless we are proactive in addressing current problems and planning for our town’s future, it’s likely that others will dictate our future for us. His engagement of county, state, and federal resources is just one example of his proactive leadership.
A few weeks ago, I was worried about the outcome of this election not because I was scared of Mr. Morgan’s potential election. No. I was scared of our town losing Mayor Hsueh, a man who has served us honestly for so many years. Now, unfortunately, I am scared of both.
I have been truly appalled by Mr. Morgan’s campaign strategy. I think his kind of single-issue, “No to 1000 Homes,” scare tactics is the kind of narrow-minded, misleading politics that unfortunately, can get one elected. This time around, Mr. Morgan’s issue seems to be taxes. I agree that an honest discussion on taxes is worthwhile to have. However, I find it interesting that Mr. Morgan has made such a big deal about using the township surplus to lower the municipal tax rate (and jeopardize our AAA bond rating), yet he recently voted for a 50% pay increase for the Council and Mayor (which Mayor Hsueh vetoed). Mr. Morgan has also sat on Council for many years. Why did this just suddenly become an issue?
On the other hand, Mayor Hsueh has run a positive and honest campaign completely focused on his record of accomplishments and rightfully so. He should be proud of the things he has accomplished for West Windsor. I know I am.
If you ever have the opportunity to sit down and talk to Mayor Hsueh, I encourage you to do so. I think you’ll agree that West Windsor is lucky to have such a talented and honest man running our town.
Jeffrey Sun
WWP-North ‘04
