Eleanore Whitaker

Guest Column

Residents owed explanation

Looks like the Old Bridge Township Council just doesn’t get it.

If the Suburban news article regarding the sale of “unwanted” Old Bridge land (“Proposed Land Sales Have Some Concerned,” May 4) is read more carefully, Old Bridge’s explanations for this sudden need to sell are filled with more holes than Swiss cheese. Obviously, Patrick Gillespie, council president, has the idea that “township” means only “council” and thus feels it unnecessary to give any information to the public regarding land that is ultimately tendered by tax revenues (read “we, the taxpayers”).

This is no different than the township’s relentless attitude of “Go ahead, do it. Once it’s done, it can’t be changed.” This is the longstanding mentality of this government, borne of control in too firmly entrenched hands for too long.

Several immediate questions come to mind with regard to the sale of this land to be done virtually in secret, without public knowledge, oversight or compliance with state laws and the Open Public Records Act (OPRA). Since taxpayers are not allowed to know who the properties will be sold to as additions to existing properties, perhaps the reason for hiding the information lies in how “connected” the bidders are to these properties.

Then there is the matter of location of these properties. Again, we are not allowed to know if it is to enlarge the properties of Gillespie’s aunt, uncle or cousin or any other member of the council for that matter, or if these properties would enlarge a local business and create a nuisance to residences. And just why now are these properties so useless? Are they contaminated? Are they rodent-infested? Which? All of the above? Or, is this a trial run for some bizarre eminent-domain experiment, Old Bridge-style? This is the operative upon which Old Bridge government relies: “Keep them stupid, and they are harmless.”

Such is their “closed-door” attitude that can’t exactly be called a democratic process so much as a dictatorship. Long, long ago, Old Bridge government forgot that it answers to the people, not the other way around. The grandstanding, self-important egos are the reasons this town ends up with so many government scandals under their watch. Council meetings are nothing more than an opportunity for inter-council competition for power without accountability to the public who elected the members. Remember this when you vote.

We have the right to answers to our questions. They are elected to give the answers.

Ask anyone why this is such a secret bid, and you get, “We can’t jeopardize” (you fill in the blanks), “We don’t have all the information” (you fill in the reason why they don’t), or they can always ensure secrecy with, “National security reasons.” Pure autocracy in this town.

Wouldn’t you think that a township that has only recently seen two of its engineers under investigation along with one who has been fined and indicted, would learn that those hush-hush deals are illegal? And, count on it – once the “bidders” (read “council connections”) get their syrupy mitts on Old Bridge land, what’s to stop them from reselling to a developer? This council can’t be that daft as not to know state’s property rights of individual owners.

Is there a novena to the patron saint of hideously, clueless government officials?

Eleanore Whitaker is a resident of Old Bridge