MANVILLE: Democrats wanted to bring off-track betting site to borough

To the editor:
   I am not surprised by the outrage in Hillsborough over the placement of an off-track betting facility and bringing gambling to their township. Nor am I surprised hearing how other towns didn’t want it either. Even our former Congressman Leonard Lance felt it has no place in Somerset County.
   Some of the “core Democrats” in Manville wanted to bring the facility to our town center right near residential homes in our little two-square-mile borough. One can only ask why? In my opinion if there were ever a decent spot for one, it is where they are currently putting it, on a highway in a commercial/industrial area and not next to a residential home development.
   Manville Republicans were against the idea of bringing this to our town center and rightfully so. However, there is always more to the story in Manville. Maybe you will see some familiar Democrat faces from Manville working at the facility?
   Our mayor doesn’t seem happy these days and shows it at recent council meetings, where he now refuses to answer questions from the public during the open public portion of our council meetings. He will only answer questions at the end of the entire public portion and cheats the public out of follow-up questions and suggestions concerning the issues we face. And if he so chooses to ignore answering your question you are out of luck; your five minutes are up! Every Manville taxpayer should be outraged by this.
   Manville is dead last in Somerset County in home re-sale values and now is dead last in effective council meetings with this type of behavior. Come to a council meeting and see for yourself.
Richard M. Onderko
Borough Councilman
Manville