Guest Column
Manuel Blasco
‘Fix was in from beginning’

New Jersey style politics are alive and well in Middletown. In July of 2001, the Middletown Township Committee (comprised of then Mayor Joan Smith, Deputy Mayor Rick Brodsky and committee members Patrick Parkinson, Rosemarie Peters and Raymond O’Grady) held a vote that seemingly downsized the town center project. The vote was 3-1 with one abstainer (Brodsky).

With elections four months in the future, they were able to establish themselves as open space advocates and avoid alienating a growing contingent of Middletown voters who opposed the proposed town center. It was a vote that was both artful and shameful. The 3-1 vote left the ordinance one vote short of being able to withstand a constitutional challenge.

It’s a widely held belief that the committee members knew the decision would be defeated in court; however, in November, they can say they did their best to preserve open space.

This omen has come to pass, as two courts have already overturned the measure. Only a highly unlikely overturning of these courts, by the New Jersey Supreme Court, can save the ordinance. Seems the fix was in from the beginning.

Fast forward to the present. Former Deputy Mayor Joseph McGrath has a brilliant idea to let the voters decide the town center issue. He is gathering signatures to put a measure on the November ballot in the form of a referendum to raise the open space tax a couple of cents. The aim is to raise enough money to purchase the town center tract through negotiations or, presumably, eminent domain proceedings, if necessary.

Proponents on both sides of this issue have spoken of what’s best for the residents of Middletown. This referendum will let the residents decide. People are generally hostile to property tax increases. If they vote for this referendum, in effect approving a property tax increase, it will show where Middletown residents stand on the issue. Not exactly a fair fight, but one Mr. McGrath has nonetheless undertaken.

Alas, the old aristocracy is back in the form of Mayor Patrick Parkinson, Deputy Mayor Rosemarie Peters and committee members Rick Brodsky, Raymond O’Grady and Joan Smith. To show their hubris knows no bounds, they are now proposing their own open space tax increase referendum. How inclined will the public be to support two separate open space tax referendums on the same November ballot?

This cynical crew apparently is worried that even a fight tilted in their favor is a fight they might lose. Why leave it to chance when they can secure the outcome while again portraying themselves as champions of open space? Their only avenue of redemption is to jump aboard Mr. McGrath’s crusade and publicly state that they, too, want to increase the open space tax to purchase the town center tract.

Manuel Blasco is a resident of Middletown