Jim Phillips, Ed Testino and Dennis Maher ran for Old Bridge local government office in 1999. "Overdevelopment" was the main theme of their platform. They promised a building moratorium. After the election, they acknowledged a moratorium was illegal. At best, they were ignorant; at worst, they were deceitful in attempting to make you believe that any moratorium was possible, then or now.
The 2000 census reported Old Bridge grew 7 percent in total since 1990. Is that overdevelopment? At the same time, Monmouth, Middlesex and Ocean counties, the state of New Jersey and the United States grew at rates of 23-156 percent higher than Old Bridge. The towns south, east and west of Old Bridge in the routes 9, 18, 34, 35 and 516 corridors added 15 times as many people as did Old Bridge during this period. That is the major cause of increased Old Bridge traffic.
In 1994 Old Bridge had the chance to improve our safety and quality of life by approving and funding the widening of Route 516 to a four-lane divided roadway, from Route 18 to Route 9. This was the plan proposed by Middlesex County. Our Township Council approved it. Pat Gillespie, councilman, voted no. When this approved plan went back to the Democratic county Board of Chosen Freeholders, including Jim Phillips, the widening was killed.
Phillips, Testino and Maher have done nothing to slow growth in Old Bridge since 1999. Gillespie and Phillips worked against a four-lane Route 516.
I cannot and will not support Jim Phillips or his team members because of these actions.
Frank R. Weber
Old Bridge