| Author | Message | ||
     hello Citizen Username: Hello Post Number: 133 Registered: 7-2003 |
ed and joel- i want to pay more taxes so the city will do more of those things which raise my property values far more than the taxes paid. can i assume i should not vote for you? | ||
| Ed May Citizen Username: Edmay Post Number: 1671 Registered: 9-2001  |
Jab's second question was "Please explain why I should vote for one set of candidates over the other set." Answer: First of all you need not vote for a set. You could pick one from one line and one from the other line. Naturally, Joel and I hope that you will vote for both of us. A few reasons come to mind. #1 Joel and I represent real change. #2 We offer a different approach to government. #3 We are the "real Republicans" as opposed to 'Republicans in Democratic clothing'. #4 We are not beholden to anyone currently on the Township Committee. #5 We have some pretty impressive academic credentials and track records in business. #6 We are the best of the surviving candidates to "continue the progress". Ed May | ||
| Ed May Citizen Username: Edmay Post Number: 1672 Registered: 9-2001 |
Jab asked if any debates had yet been scheduled: Answer: Unfortunately, no debates (to the best of my knowledge) have yet been officially scheduled. The Hilton Neighborhood Association gave us a date, but nothing official yet. The League of Woman Voters usually schedules their debate at the last minute. I think there will also be a debate specifically for the High School Cable Channel. I think that the other two debates will also be on the local cable TV. Joel and I are still smarting from being ignored during the one and only primary debate. We would love to debate Kathy and Ken early and often. Surely there are other organizations in Maplewood that could hold a debate. Joel and I would like a real debate also, instead of just answering questions that we are fed ahead of time. How about we ask them a question and then they ask us a question. No holds barred? In am not even sure that Kathy and Ken will engage in the online debate on Maplewood Online. So far their campaign strategy seems to be not to. Ed May | ||
| Ed May Citizen Username: Edmay Post Number: 1673 Registered: 9-2001 |
Jab asked for specific ways that taxes could be lowered. First of all, the Democrats are not talking about lowering taxes, so if you vote for them, the chances of your taxes going down are virtually zero. Second of all, just by running on a "lower taxes" platform we create the possibility that taxes can go down. We do not advocate succeeding from Essex County, but do advocate the elimination of waste in Essex County government and support Candy Straight's program to do so. We have already suggested a hard line appraoch against illegal students in the school system, along the lines of what Union has done, and saving the kind of tax money that they have saved. We have a plan to increase ratables. In general, our total quality management approach is geared towards lower taxes and better services. Ed May | ||
| Ed May Citizen Username: Edmay Post Number: 1674 Registered: 9-2001 |
Joan Sorry for the delay in answering your question. You asked about the key problems facing the Police Department and what we would do about them. Joel and I had a long discussion about that question today. We can probably answer the question better after we meet with the Police Chief and meet separately with representatives of the Police rank and file. The low morale and high turnover in the Police Department are no secret. I was there the night that several officers spoke out at the Township meeting. I have read the articles in the News Record and postings on Maplewood Online. Obviously the Police Department facilities and technologies have been allowed to deteriorate over the last several years. To this civilian it looks like the promotion practices have been unfair. The police do not appear to get much support from above. This seems symptomatic of how many town employees are treated, especially the ones that unionized under a recent Democratic administration. I know that Total Quality Management sounds like a cliche (until I explain it) but it really can apply to both Police and Fire Services also. Ed May | ||
| bottomline Citizen Username: Bottomline Post Number: 10 Registered: 8-2003 |
OK, I give up. If Dave ain’t gonna move this thread I’ll just wade in. Ed, in one of your posts this morning you wrote: #3 We are the "real Republicans" as opposed to 'Republicans in Democratic clothing'. Could you please tell us which of your opponents are Republicans in Democratic clothing? What is your basis for this assertion? | ||
| Ed May Citizen Username: Edmay Post Number: 1675 Registered: 9-2001 |
Bottomline Ken operates a small business. When Ken and I discussed business on one or two occasions, we seemed to think fairly alike. The Republican party is known as the party of business. If I did not know Ken's party affiliation, I would guess (based on his thoughts around business) that he was a Republican. One newcomer to town assumed that Ken was a Republican. Several local Democrats have commented to me that Kathy and Ken's primary campaign seemed "republican" compared to the campaign of Vic and Jerry. There is also the fact that former Republican Fred Profeta is backing Kathy and Ken. Therefore, Joel and I would just like everyone to know that we are the "real republicans". We plan to win or lose as Republicans. We invite Independents, Unaffiliateds, Greens, disenfranchised Democrats, Conservatives, etc., etc. to look at Kathy and Ken and Joel and Ed and pick the best two for Township Committee. Based on the opposing platforms, stands on issues, and the feel that each voter develops about each candidate. Ed May | ||
| bottomline Citizen Username: Bottomline Post Number: 11 Registered: 8-2003 |
Let me get this straight. You and Ken "discussed business on one or two occasions” and from that you decided he wasn’t a real Democrat because the two of you “seemed to think fairly alike.” Are you for real? Can’t Democrats be in business? Do you think we’re all on the dole? Anyway, suppose you and Ken do think alike. Why would a voter choose you over Ken.? He has vastly more experience in community affairs than you. I took a quick look at your bio on your campaign web site. The only thing that seemed related to local community service was that your consulting firm recently joined the Chamber of Commerce. | ||
| Ed May Citizen Username: Edmay Post Number: 1676 Registered: 9-2001 |
Bottomline I never said Ken was not a real Democrat, that Democrats cannot be in business, or that you are all on the dole. Ken has more experience in community affairs. His track record in community affairs is open to public scrutiny and I would like to challenge him on some of the things he has done and has failed to do. Experience, per se, does not make him more qualified than myself for Township Committee. I offer more the approach of an outsider to politics who has lived in Maplewood for 23 years. My track record in business and academic credentials are superior to Ken's, and by the way I am also Chairman of the South Orange Maplewood Business Incubator and teach at the Adult School, which qualifies as community involvement. By the way, are you registered to vote in Maplewood, and would you care to identify yourself? Ed May | ||
| hello Citizen Username: Hello Post Number: 140 Registered: 7-2003 |
ed- in your own words, you are a "real republican" i'd like to get to know you better, in a sense. i'd like to ask you to confirm your agreement with your president, your party's platform and your party's legislative agenda in one area (for now): 1) do you favor the teaching of "intelligent design" alongside the theory of evolution in the SOM school district? | ||
| sbenois Citizen Username: Sbenois Post Number: 10209 Registered: 10-2001  |
Dearest Ed May, Listen Bud, I love ya. I really do. Marilyn too. But if the answer you posted above regarding real Republicans, Frederico, and Ken's business, is representative of the type of rationale you're going to use to win votes, I'm going to insist that Arturo and Mike take your slots on the ballot. Does TQM have a discipline related to reasoned thought? Sheesh. You get one more shot at this political forum thing. If you don't shine I'll have to invent a long parody of how you came to run. ED (2:43am) : Marilyn? Oh Marilyn Marilyn: (2:44am) : Yes Dear? Ed: (2:48am): I am so bored. I need something to do other than run the South Orange Maplewood Bureau of Insomnia. Marilyn (3:41am): Why don't you run for Township Committee? Ed: (5:04am): Excellent idea. I love you. Marilyn: (7:21 am): I love you too! Now good night. Please don't make me do it. I no longer have the time or energy. I'm too busy uncovering the plans in the works to unseat the current majority from the Maplewood Democratic Party. P.S. I fail to see why Fred's political party past is important to anyone at this point. A majority of voters in this town elected the man to office. A majority of Democrats chose him to represent them in the election of '02. He's been accepted by virtually everyone except a few disgruntled Democratic party members and he's doing a good job on the TC. Please don't allow this silliness to become part of your "issues oriented" campaign. Talk about Maplewood. ---> Brought to you by Sbenois Engineering LLC <- Please check out Fringe's Excellent Website: http://hometown.aol.com/njfabian | ||
| sbenois Citizen Username: Sbenois Post Number: 10210 Registered: 10-2001 |
Ed and Joel: 1) Please identify five items from the Maplewood Municipal budget that you would eliminate and how much of a tax savings they would represent to a homeowner with an assessed value of $250,000. 2) What specific actions would you take to influence a reduction in the Essex County portion of the Maplewood taxpayers bill? How would you expect to influence a Democratically controlled county organization? 3) What specific legal actions would you take to identify and remove from our schools any student that is illegally receiving an education in our schools? How would you implement your actions under the authority of the Township Committee? 4) What is your position on the Verizon Property in terms of using it as a new police headquarters? 5) What specific actions would you take to alleviate the parking problem in town? 6) How will you ensure that the Hilton section of town is fairly represented in Town Hall? 7) What would your plan be regarding Springfield Avenue? In terms of a full time planner, are you for it or against it? If you're for it, where will you get the funds to cover the hiring? 8) What is your position on Maplewood's current reserve? Is it sufficient or do you believe it is too low? If it's too low, how do you plan on increasing it while you cut taxes? 9) Are you satisfied with Maplewood's current bond rating? As a matter of policy, would you consider issuing new bonds in the near future for various improvements? 10) What is your position on balancing the rights of individual homeowners vs. the desire to make Maplewood business friendly? In the past two years, Art's B&B and the KFC were both shot down due to the concerns of neighbors. What methodology would you put in place to ensure a fair balance that allows the town to continue to move forward? ---> Brought to you by Sbenois Engineering LLC <- Please check out Fringe's Excellent Website: http://hometown.aol.com/njfabian | ||
| sbenois Citizen Username: Sbenois Post Number: 10211 Registered: 10-2001 |
11) Have you quantified the cost of implementing a TQM based government? What metircs will you put in place to determine the ROI? 12) How will you successfully implement the principles of TQM among a workforce that contains unions? Are there special considerations that must be applied? Will you use contractual incentives? Can you guarantee that vital services will not be sacrificed as excess is squeezed from the system? ---> Brought to you by Sbenois Engineering LLC <- Please check out Fringe's Excellent Website: http://hometown.aol.com/njfabian | ||
| Nohero Citizen Username: Nohero Post Number: 2069 Registered: 5-2001  |
Good questions for all the candidates, actually. Dave, is it time for the candidates' section yet? | ||
| Ed May Citizen Username: Edmay Post Number: 1677 Registered: 9-2001 |
Tom It is incumbent upon me to explain Total Quality Management to the voters as well as to the Township Committee and Township employees. By explaining the premises one by one, and providing examples of TQM's success in other towns, I should be able to get TQM a fair hearing. Typically TQM starts with a success here and a success there, before it is generally accepted throughout a community. I am hoping that those voters, township employees, and TC members who have experienced TQM with throw their positive comments into the fray. Ed May | ||
| Ed May Citizen Username: Edmay Post Number: 1678 Registered: 9-2001 |
hello good-bye your questions are not serious and not worthy of a response (trap door opens and hello falls into bottomless pit) Ed May | ||
| Marilyn May Citizen Username: Marilynmay Post Number: 158 Registered: 7-2002 |
NoHero I would love for the Candidates section to begin! Marilyn | ||
| Ed May Citizen Username: Edmay Post Number: 1679 Registered: 9-2001 |
Sbenois Excellent questions ...... for all 4 candidates to answer! Ed May | ||
| Ed May Citizen Username: Edmay Post Number: 1680 Registered: 9-2001 |
What is TQM? TQM is successful! One of the earliest examples of a succcessful public-sector quality initiative involved the city of Madison, Wisconsin. Joseph Sensenbrenner, mayor of Madison was a leader in bringing quality principles to city government. Rebecca Jackson, county clerk, Jefferson County, Kentucky introduced total quality and continuous improvement concepts to her office soon after she was elected. Rebecca was so successful in turning around the operations of the county clerk's office that she was named Public Official of the Year. Pinellas Florida County Schools adopted a quality management approach and went on to receive the Governor's Award for highest student achievement, safe learning environment, and effective and efficient operation. The City of Fort Wayne, Indiana earned an entire profile in the book "Lean Six Sigma For Services". TQM is not just for manufacturing anymore. Ed May | ||
| hello Citizen Username: Hello Post Number: 141 Registered: 7-2003 |
ed- the questions are serious. the TC can become players in the school system. i guess you are also a disciple of tom de lay, since you are a "real republican" i just want people to know who you really are, inside. |
