Sometimes all I can do is shake my head real hard and say "I guess I must live on a different planet." All of us have just lived through another onslaught of exaggerations, distortions, and yes, sometimes, outright lies called politics. My mailbox has been filled with campaign literature that wants to convince me things are desperate and only one candidate can fix them.
In my town — Red Bank — we have had a year where taxes have reached new, unlivable heights. Building projects threaten to further crowd a town that has an unresolved traffic and parking issue.
The Hub has been publishing letters and articles regarding a disputed building project proposed by Building and Land Technology that has parties on both sides of the issue incensed and turning vicious.
The mayor and council will be continuing to struggle with budget issues which have no easy solution. The education experts in Red Bank seem to be moving in a positive direction, but still face significant challenges to get test scores to acceptable levels. And — lest anyone forget — the specter of a parking garage and other quality of life issues still loom somewhere in our immediate future.
Interestingly, there remains one man who seems unaffected by the swirling tensions of the Red Bank political landscape. One man who sees the glass not half-full, not half-empty, but constantly, miraculously full all the time. His name is Thomas Hintelmann. What is frightening is, as councilman, he is one of the seven elected people who govern the town of Red Bank. Yet in the "Word on the Street" section of the Nov. 7 Hub, when questioned about the biggest issue for voters, he replied, "John Bennett. I don’t think there are any real issues in Red Bank."
Am I the only person who saw great humor in this response? I just described five items which are only the tip of the town’s iceberg. I have not even touched on issues less obvious, such as the perceived conflict of interest between some council members and Red Bank construction interests.
Frankly, I like Tom Hintelmann — he is a gentleman and a sincere, caring man. He has spent a number of years serving his community in many ways. To truly be effective however, every Caesar must understand when the time is right to step down.
Certainly, when someone has been in the midst of the debate, the attacks and counterattacks of the conflicted interests in town for all these years, and thinks there are no real issues in Red Bank — with due respect Tom, that time might be now.
Gene Goellner
Red Bank