Short not voting in the best interests of Middletown

I read with interest the letter from Democratic county Committeeman Paul Jansen ("Short listens to Middletown residents' input," Aug. 8), who attempted to spin yet another costly, frivolous lawsuit against Middletown Township into somehow having some validity for political gain. While it is admirable that Mr. Jansen will support his party and its candidates no matter what, he does the township a disservice by supporting a lawsuit that will ultimately waste tens of thousands of dollars of taxpayer money. Here are the facts.

Currently, Middletown Township is being sued over whether Middletown's attorney should be called "township" attorney or "municipal" attorney. The question is every bit as pointless and trivial as it sounds, since both terms are interchangeable and mean exactly the same thing. What is not a laughing matter is the fact that Joe McGrath - who is a close friend and political advisor to Middletown Committeeman Patrick Short - is a signatory on the lawsuit. What is most distressing is that Mr. Short - after being presented with an ordinance that would have saved Middletown substantial legal fees by having at least part of the suit rendered null and void - decided to vote against it. One can only surmise that Mr. Short cast the lone dissenting vote against an ordinance that would save the township money out of allegiance to Mr. McGrath.

Mr. Jansen goes on to say that somehow, this is Mr. Short's way of representing the interests of the people. However, most clear-thinking individuals would have to conclude that this is just another in a long line of puzzling votes that are contrary to reason and run counter to what is best for Middletown. Rather than engage in contrarian partisanship, the interests of Middletown would best be served if Mr. Short worked with the rest of the committee and the fine staff of professionals who advise us on these matters. To do otherwise is simply a selfish act of self-promotion through headline-grabbing antics.

Deputy Mayor Pam Brightbill

Middletown Township