How does one distill a three-hour West Windsor Council business meeting without rivaling “War and Peace” in length? Ebola and countless undocumented illegals entering America; wars throughout the world; and political intransigence and paralysis hiding right here in plain sight at home. Freedom is not free; you, as an American, have a civic responsibility to get informed instead of listening to the media’s interpretation of what it saw or heard. A single council meeting is inadequate.
There are so many issues to be discussed and resolved that directly affect our quality of life and your pocketbook. One of the hot topics concerns the municipal attorney. It is unconscionable that taxpayers subsidize mediocre legal advice. It was I who recommended Michael Herbert, currently the de facto township attorney, be seated off the dais because he is not an elected official. Too often, he has weighed in without being asked for his opinion with information is incomplete or incorrect. And we subsidize this inattention to detail at $300,000 for a part-time job? He encourages litigation instead of mitigating it.
The selection process to replace municipal counsel was flawed from the outset since the “committee” was stacked with administration appointees and department heads, hardly capable of reviewing legal skills.
The dysfunction infecting the township starts with the man with the longest political tenure: Mayor Hsueh. As an elected official for 20 years, he cannot simply recuse himself from either criticism or positive suggestions due to his failure to lead. If residents need a forum to ask questions, they have that opportunity whenever council meets! It is called public comment. What is different with the current council leadership is that efforts are made to answer your questions! This is why the mayor should be present to hear and participate. The mayor’s separate town meeting format is not a dialogue; it is a monologue: you listen until he finishes. “No taxpayer dollar,” he says, along with “free money.” It is not free!
Millions spent on the Transit Village Redevelopment Plan? “Not true,” says the mayor. “Come to my office and I will explain.” No, Mayor, provide the documents. As President Ronald Reagan would say: “Trust but verify.” I have filed countless Open Public Records Act requests because the information is NOT available. Public information should be in the public domain.
Politics is not for the faint of heart. It is not for those who run from issues instead of addressing them. Hsueh blinked by walking out when he didn’t get his way because he is incapable of brokering a win-win. Hsueh needs to formulate concise, quantitative positions on matters affecting the township. His stale policy of “I think, I feel, I believe” is tantamount to management by wandering around reacting instead of leading from behind.
As always, I invite your corrections of any misunderstandings.
Pete Weale
Penns Neck
