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I wanted to pull this onto the front page, because its author, candidate Stephen Yellin, is a blogger of longstanding. In fact he was one of the original Blue Jerseyans when he was still a teenager. Wishing him luck on his race. - Rosi
[crossposted from DailyKos]
Hello all,
Four months ago, I set out on an unusual political journey.
It was unusual because, unlike all the campaigns I had worked on before, the campaign I was working on was my own. In April, I filed to run for Township Council in my hometown of Berkeley Heights, New Jersey. I decided to run because now was the right time in my life to try and give back to my community in the way I knew best - through public service. With three months to go until Election Day, I wanted to give you an update on how my campaign is going.
My campaign website
NJ Courier-News candidate statement
More bloggers throwing hats in ring (see page 2) |
| When I began my campaign in April, I had 1 running mate; now I have 2, both of whom are wonderful to work with and dedicated to making Berkeley Heights a better community.
Linda Weber and I agreed to run for Council together back in March, and we filed our petitions shortly thereafter. Linda is a businesswoman and entrepreneur, with a sharp eye for fiscal issues and a determination to make a positive difference in whatever she does. She's a proud Democrat, having held a fundraiser for Assemblywoman Linda Stender during her first run for Congress (2006). With two kids in our public school system, as well as being a former PTO President, Linda is the kind of Democrat that all voters in my town can support. I've been proud to be running with her, and look forward to working with her on the Township Council.
Linda's campaign statement in the Courier-News
In June, Linda and I were joined on the campaign trail by our nominee for Mayor of Berkeley Heights, Ray Sullivan. We had been unable to find a candidate to run for Mayor back in April, but Ray stepped up to the plate as a write-in candidate. We were successful in getting him on the ballot, and I'm happy to say that Ray, Linda and I are all on the same page. Ray is Berkeley Heights' former Zoning Officer, as well as its Director of Community Development. He has an incredible knowledge of my town's infrastructure, which will be critical for helping our downtown district become economically viable again. I'm glad to have Ray Sullivan on the Democratic ticket, and I can't wait to work with him as Mayor of Berkeley Heights.
While our ticket is united, you can't say the same for our opponents. In the June 8th primary, the Republican Party saw one of its chosen candidates for Council defeated. Kevin Hayes was supposed to run on a ticket with Councilman Joe Bruno (running for Mayor) and ex-Councilman Thomas Pirone; instead, Republican Ed Delia finished ahead of Hayes for the 2nd spot on the GOP ticket. The local Republican Party has refused to endorse Delia, and it appears that he will be running on his own. Article on GOP infighting in Berkeley Heights
In addition, there is a 3rd party ticket in Berkeley Heights this election. Councilman John Bonacci, an Independent is running for Mayor, together with Republicans John McDermid and James Riley. Since Bonacci has traditionally drawn support from conservative voters in my town (think of them as the "Tea Party" folks in Berkeley Heights), his ticket's existence boosts our team's chances of victory. Since Berkeley Heights is a rather Republican town (it voted for John McCain in 2008), having a split Republican vote is definitely a good thing.
There are other reasons for optimism. The Township Council ratified its budget on August 10th, which will raise municipal property taxes by 9%. While part of that is due to Governor Christie's decision to yank over $500,000 in state aid for Berkeley Heights , it is nonetheless a significant hit for residents of my town to take. In these difficult economic times, asking taxpayers to pay an additional $152 (on average, based on their assessed property value) in property taxes is a tough bill to swallow. With many of our downtown buildings vacant, our municipal infrastructure in disrepair and our Township Council frequently at odds with each other, the opportunity is there for Ray, Linda and I to make a case for new leadership in Berkeley Heights.
To help make that case, however, I need your help. Our website is up and running, as is our Facebook page.
If you want to help elect a bona-fide Democrat, as well as a veteran member of the blogosphere to public office, I would truly appreciate your support. I'm not afraid to defend what, or where, I've blogged, nor the nom de plume that I've used since 2001.
Please note that my local Democratic Committee is coordinating the campaign's finances. This unfortunately means (for legal reasons) that I am unable to take online contributions. All offline donations, however, will go straight towards electing me and my running mates. If you want to contribute the old-fashioned way, you can send a check to the following:
Berkeley Heights Democratic Committee
168 Briarwood Drive East
Berkeley Heights NJ 07922
Expect more updates from me as we get closer to November 2nd. Thanks for reading, and keep up the great work that all of you do!
- Stephen Yellin ("Mr. Liberal") |
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