Kate Warren, Preserve Our Historic Borough spokesperson
To the editor:
It is clear that Mr. Wolanin of the group supporting the 2011 proposed merger of the Princetons is misinformed regarding the 1996 merger defeat.
In the Aug. 9 article “Princeton consolidation gets both sides active” written by Times reporter Krystal Knapp, Mr. Wolanin is quoted as stating: “A lesson from what happened in 1996 is that while the consolidation commission did a really good job on the report, they didn’t have the resources or mandate to run a campaign in favor of the question. But there was a group actively running a campaign against it, and we lost.”
During the 1996 debate the grassroots organization Preserve Our Historic Borough (POHB) “the group actively running a campaign against it” squared off with a well-organized group of residents led by Corrine Kyle who vehemently campaigned for and on behalf of the 1996 commission and despite spending nearly $17,000 in its attempt to thwart the efforts of POHB failed in the polls.
I disagree with Mr. Wolanin’s implication that the 1996 consolidation study commission should have had a “mandate to [run] a campaign in favor of the question.”
The mandate of any consolidation study commission is fact-finding. The merits of the findings must stand the test of public scrutiny and debate. In my opinion, campaigns directed by affected residents are the best outlet for such a civic debate.
Kate Warren
Preserve Our Historic Borough spokesperson
