Questioning politicians is the American way

Ever since the August council meeting in West Long Branch where Councilman Joseph Woolley quit his post ... or maybe not, I have seen my name and motivations for attending council meetings twisted and debased by our current mayor and council. This is nothing new to me as the same occurred in a more surreptitious manner when I served on Shore Regional's board in the late 1990s. I learned then that asking questions involving taxpayer funds is never appreciated in West Long Branch.

I have been accused by Mr. Woolley of having a selfish motive in questioning the council about dollars spent in West Long Branch. You bet I have! I want to be able to stay in my home. It is a home I love and into which I have put much effort, time and money. I grew up here and came back in 1991 to stay. I thought it would be my last move until I join most of the rest of my family already in the West Long Branch Cemetery. It looks like that will not be the case. I can afford the house but not the taxes. This year they went up another $1,000.

Since I began going to council meetings in March 2005, I have come across some interesting facts of which most taxpayers are probably unaware.

One is we pay our building inspector $49,000 a year to work anywhere from six to 10 hours a week. We also pay his assistant to work with him. Problem is they are both employed full time in Asbury Park for the same jobs. I have been told they work part time for two more Monmouth County towns as well. I know there have been problems getting a hold of him because people come to meetings and complain to the council. Mr. Woolley has now proposed hiring a full-time person. My guess is we taxpayers would end up paying somewhere between $80,000-$100,000 for a part-time building inspector. Sound like a prudent use of tax dollars? It does not to me.

As for the First Aid project, I carefully prefaced my questions at the meeting with the statement that they should have anything they want or need because they do a terrific job. However, permits and inspections are meant to protect people not penalize them, and all in town should comply with state law. Since electrical as well as plumbing work was done why would anyone condone the possible risk of harm to these volunteers?

I have strongly advocated doing something about the deplorable conditions in the police station. Now due to total neglect of 95 Poplar by our councils over the years - and some of the present council have been serving for much of that time - we taxpayers are looking at a $5.5 to $6.5 million dollar project to clean away that mess. Those figures came up at the same meeting in Bettina Munson's latest report.

Another money item that concerns me greatly is the upcoming capital improvement Shore Regional's board and superintendent propose to bring to a vote Sept. 26. According to Mr. Stephen Brennan, Shore's business administrator, they want us to approve $49,797,221. Yes, you read that right - $50 million to improve a school with somewhere around 700 students! It is a ludicrous figure as anyone who knows schools will tell you.

Do the mayor and council of West Long Branch know about this? Is this figure OK with them? Are they going to speak out like the Sea Bright Council has or is it just business as usual in West Long Branch? I am sorry the mayor and council do not like to be questioned. Perhaps the previous administration did not like it either but that is the American way. God bless America.

Mary Lynch

West Long Branch