Virginia Diaconu, Princeton
I am writing to endorse the candidacies of Lynn Liu Irving and Kelly DiTosto for Princeton Council. Lynn and Kelly have been actively involved in many aspects of community life for many years and have developed an excellent understanding of Princeton during that time.
For too many years, Princeton government has been controlled by one, single party. When I moved here 25 years ago, the government consisted of two political parties that each checked and balanced the other. The views of all citizens were respected and not immediately stifled and dismissed as they are today under the current, entrenched one-party system. Having grown up under the tyranny of a one-party national government that prohibited all expressions of dissent and all challenges to the status quo, I know all too well from personal experience how dangerous the prolonged domination of one political party can be.
Under the status quo, Princeton’s middle class continues to struggle. What steps has the current council taken to reduce a bloated $61 million annual operating budget that is nearly double that of other New Jersey towns with the same population and demographics? Where are the tax savings that were promised to us as a result of consolidation? When Mercer County slaps Princeton taxpayers with an annual $43 million tax bill, which is three times the amount that other counties assess towns of similar size and property values, who on the current council is fighting back on our behalf?
The current Princeton Council has failed to act on behalf of Princeton’s beleaguered taxpayers, and that is one of the reasons why I am voting for Lynn Liu Irving and Kelly DiTosto for Princeton Council. It’s time for a change!
Virginia Diaconu
Princeton
