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| | Posted on Tuesday, May 21, 2002 - 9:06 am: |     |
Answers from Khadijah Sharif-Drinkard
1a. Mr. Profeta is taking heat for changing his stripes and becoming a New Democrat. Does this fact wipe away all the many, many years of service he has given to Maplewood's civic life?
I know that Mr. Profeta has lost the trust of many people based on the fact that he switched his political party after saying that he would not do so. However, the decision to put your trust in a candidate is a very personal matter, and people must decide for themselves if he is still worthy of their vote.
1b. Ms. Sharif-Drinkard is taking heat for being new to town. Is tenure more important than intelligence and dedication?
Tenure is not the true test of whether one is qualified to seek office. I believe that one should look at the candidate's skill set and the commitment to service that I bring to Maplewood. Many people have asked for a fresh perspective and new ideas on the Township Committee. It is this, and my unique experience in public service and government that qualifies me for the job.
2. Do you support building anything into the open vistas of our current parks? i.e. dog runs, soccer fields, more courts. If so, why and what?
While I do acknowledge that land in Maplewood is a premium commodity I would consider using small parcels of land to address a need of specific segments of the population if there are no viable alternatives. One of the things that makes Maplewood so great is that it is an inclusive community where we do our best to cater to all segments of the population.
3. Do any of the candidates support letting certain items go to referendum for the township to vote on? For example, the budget.
The Township Committee is the voice of the people and I believe that if a majority of our citizens ask that certain items to go to referendum then their wish should be respected. One caveat is that we must survey a very broad group of constituents to ensure that we carrying out the will of the people.
4. What do you think of the job the Township Committee has done over the past five years? Do you take issue with any major actions during that time, and if so, which action and why?
I appreciate the hard work that the Township Committee has done over the past five years. While there are instances in which the TC has not communicated as effectively as it could have, I do believe that we have an open government where each of our ideas can be heard and considered. To improve communication I would suggest that the town develop a website and change the hours of operation for Town Hall so that residents have better access to information.
5. Assume that you have been elected, and Governor McGreevey calls you on your inauguration day to ask you, as a newly-elected Maplewood official, what initiatives should be pursued to deal with the over-reliance on property taxes to fund education. What do you tell him? "
I would explain to Governor McGreevey that we need to look to other revenue streams to support our educational system. I am in favor of looking at the use of sales tax, income tax and possibly lottery proceeds to fund education. In addition, I believe that we need to partner with business and industry to help us support our schools. We have NJ Transit and Verizon right here in Maplewood who can serve as potential corporate sponsors for an adopt-a-school program. We really have to begin to think outside of the box about creative ways to fund our educational system.
6. How high is Springfield Ave. on your priority list? What do you like about what's being done and what would you like to see done differently? Does the recent defeat of KFC bode well for the Avenue's business development or are you just as happy to see it go away?
Considering the size and the potential of Springfield Avenue it would be ludicrous to not have it as our highest priority. It is a two-mile stretch of highway just waiting to be revitalized. I like the attention and the focus that the town is providing to the avenue, but we need to re-think our business recruitment process. We might consider Springfield Avenue as a resource for home-based business owners in our community, either for support services or as a place to relocate. It may also be useful to conduct a study to determine which types of businesses should be recruited for the Avenue, and which types of businesses reflect what our residents want and need. The most important priority should be to attract family oriented businesses to our community.
Regarding the KFC, I believe that we can have a vital business district and an attractive pedestrian node at the Springfield/Prospect intersection. I feel confident that the improvements that are planned for this area will attract many bidders to the proposed KFC site.
7. Assume that you have been elected, and re-elected for a second term. At the end of your sixth year in office, you're walking down Springfield Avenue, which has developed along the lines you envisioned back in your 2002 campaign. What do you see? (Be as specific as possible.)
When I walk down Springfield Avenue in 2008 I will see stores such as Barnes & Noble, Gymboree, The GAP, Old Navy, a sporting goods store, an ice cream parlor inhabiting the avenue. In addition, our streetscape will be beautiful with luscious foliage and beautiful park benches in the various pedestrian nodes.
8. What statement do think one makes when they say that they are a Democrat, and what does it mean when a candidate says that they are a Republican?
When one says that they are a Democrat I believe that it means that people will see power and decision making flowing from the bottom up. Conversely, when one says that they are a Republican I believe that people will see power and decision making flowing from the top down. In addition, Democrats are people who usually reach out to include all members of their constituency.
9. Do you see parking to be an issue on S/A or in the Village, and if so, what needs to be done that that the current TC has not done to solve the problem?
I do believe that parking is an issue on Springfield Avenue and in the Village; however, there have been suggestions on how to address the situation. First, merchants should park in areas that have been designated for merchants and not in front of their stores because it prevents customers from convenient parking and keeps customers from patronizing their businesses. Second, we should consider utilizing the jitney service on weekends as a means to transport residents to and from shopping areas in town, perhaps for a nominal fee of $1.00. This would alleviate traffic congestion and decrease pollution. Third, any effort to expand parking by somehow "taking" existing private lots must be approached very cautiously if at all.
10. Now that KFC has pulled out of the S/A and Yale property, and now we know that any business that may consider using the lot would dump traffic into the neighborhood, and be short on parking, what do you propose the town do with the property?
We need an overall plan to look at the type of businesses that we want to bring to Springfield Avenue. Our development plan cannot be a "single parcel" package but an overall comprehensive plan that addresses the needs of each business on the avenue. Perhaps the Yale property can be used to expand the existing municipal parking lot. A better use would be a store that depends heavily on pedestrian traffic, such as an ice cream parlor. However, we need to realistically understand that if we seek to develop Springfield Avenue the way we say we do, then we are going to have more traffic on the avenue. Therefore, we need have an overall plan for the Avenue to address this concern. |
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