EAST WINDSOR: GOP again targets one-party rule

Incumbents once more cite their experience

By Sean Ruppert, Staff Writer
   EAST WINDSOR — The two Republicans running unopposed in the June 2 Township Council primary say they want to cut spending and break the one-party rule that has existed in the township for years.
   Meanwhile, the three Democratic incumbents — also running unopposed in the primary — cite their experience and record as reasons they should be re-elected.
   Councilmen Hector Duke, Al Rosenberg and Perry Shapiro are seeking their party’s nominations for four-year terms on the governing body. Michael Stewart and Aaron Sears are the GOP candidates.
   Mr. Stewart, 64, is a software developer who has lived in the township for 37 years. He is seeking office for the first time.
   ”I have lived here for a long time, and I thought it was time that I tried to give something back,” he said Tuesday.
   Mr. Stewart said the council needs members of the opposite party to act as watchdogs for the public.
   ”We have had one-party rule for a long time, and in my mind it is really one-person rule,” he said, referring to Mayor Janice Mironov. “I think we need someone to look over their shoulder from time to time. I am not saying they are doing a bad job, but maybe it could be better.”
   Mr. Stewart said he also is concerned about talk of consolidation with Hightstown. He said he could support it if he sees evidence that it would be beneficial to the township.
   ”I could be convinced, but right now I am not,” he said.
   Mr. Sears, 44, is a certified public accountant and former treasurer of the Twin Rivers Board of Trustees. He ran unsuccessfully for the council in 2007.
   He said his main focus will be cost control and taxes.
   ”I believe that having taxpayer advocates on the council would be a very positive change,” he said Wednesday.
   He said he would focus on bringing more business and age-restricted housing to the township but would be open to additional ideas for keeping the tax rate down.
   On the Democratic side, Mr. Shapiro, 70, is retired from the New York City Department of Homeless Services. He has been on the council since 1989, and is seeking his sixth term.
   Mr. Shapiro said the current council’s experience is what is needed to guide East Windsor through the current economic climate.
   ”This is a really hard time for all governing bodies,” he said Tuesday. “We have falling revenues but we still have to pay for vital services. We have a pretty experienced group together and I think we are the people to help get us through these really tough times.”
   He said seeking federal stimulus money and other grants would be a high priority for him.
   ”We have to watch every penny, which I think we did in the latest budget,” he said. “At the same time we have to be proactive in seeking grants. With the experience we have, I think that gives (the township) a better shot at getting some of them.”
   Mr. Duke, 75, has been on the council since 1998. He is running for his fourth term.
   A retired engineer, Mr. Duke has lived in the township for close to 30 years. He described himself as “not much of a talker” but said he will make the continued acquisition of open space property a top priority.
   ”Well, the bottom line is that I am running again because I enjoy doing what I do, and I think we have accomplished a great deal,” he said Monday. “We have acquired several hundred acres of open space, created new parks and done road improvements. That’s what’s important to me; things that mean something.”
   Mr. Rosenberg, 64, is a radio personality and writer. He appears on a weekly show on Sirius Satellite Radio, and has previously worked on the Howard Stern and Don Imus radio shows. He has been on the council since 2002 and is seeking a third term.
   Mr. Rosenberg said the current members of the council have worked well together and maintained East Windsor’s suburban feel.
   ”We have a group together that really cares about the town and has had a lot of success,” he said Wednesday. “We live in a state with two giant cities on either end. It is important to us in the middle to make sure we keep it so that our children have parks to go to and a place to walk around.”