Yina Moore, Princeton
To the editor:
When deciding to vote for a candidate for any office, I make an assessment of their demonstrated values and the positions that they have actively taken over time on issues that concern me, my neighborhood, my town, my country. I am not impressed by the freshness of faces that ascend to simply present change or a symbolic gesture. I tend to go on what is a known quantity based on a candidate’s engagement, knowledge, substance, and consistency. I support Anne Neumann. She is that candidate.
Anne Neumann’s candidacy is borne out of her extensive understanding of and longtime contributions to a wide range of community and neighborhood-specific issues. I admire her dogged persistence, as in her observations and recommendations during the budgeting process. She was the only candidate to come forth with a clear understanding of the budget and that it should be guided by more than just escalation goals. In our interest as taxpayers, she challenged the current council to probe and aggressively consider reductions — and they did. I want a council person who delves deeply and takes a stand that we can do better on many levels.
Anne exhibits a real intelligence and vigor, does her homework, and can convey her thoughts with clarity and wit, just as we would expect her to as a former professor! She researches issues beyond the limits of local experiences and looks “outside the box” to identify solutions to issues. For example, on the matter of property abandonment, she identified the practice of Washington, D.C., to assess fees for extended vacancies in order to address quality-of-life issues in some of our neighborhoods. She always consults stakeholders and professionals, but to fully understand community and neighborhood perspectives, she brings her years of active involvement in numerous organizations, committees, neighborhood associations, and efforts for the greater good of our environment, economy, and humanity.
Anne has been effective in engaging many citizens in understanding the details of our taxation policies during the revaluation process. She knows that it is naive to think that land use, zoning, and taxation policies are non-litigious in nature. She knows that these policies are a municipality’s major tools and sources of revenue for the operations of services to all.
As such, Anne is not intimidated and holds no conflicts with Princeton University as an employer or as a beneficiary of its discretionary contributions. The relationship between a town and gown has to be based on trust. Anne would not place false limitations on serving us as taxpayers, and indeed, by any means necessary to ensure that we are not subsidizing the municipal services of the largest landowner, resident population, and employer.
I will be going to the polls on June 7 to vote for Anne Neumann as the best Princeton Council candidate in the best interest of our community. I ask that you do the same.
Yina Moore
Princeton.
Ms. Moore is a former mayor Princeton Borough.
