Dear Editor:
As we approach another Election Day, the town of Guttenberg faces the same slew of growing problems. Lack of parking, high MUA rates, over development, a high Municipal tax rate and last but not least a Mayor with five aces up his sleeve. While I am constantly helping on the campaign trail for the candidates that I believe will make a positive impact, I see the same thing over and over. People talking and showing concern for these problems and only between 4 to 8 people at every town hall meeting and the same lopsided election results every year! It seems like people see these problems worsening, yet when we try to address these problems it falls on deaf ears. Nobody Listens! It’s as if every Election Day people sleepwalk to the polls and vote right down party lines as if they’re flipping a light switch.
How much longer are we as a town going to allow this ridiculous cycle to continue year in and year out? How many times are we going to let our public officials have opportunity after opportunity to mismanage our money because so and so was my buddy in high school?
We talk and talk and talk and don’t do a thing to help ourselves! Longtime residents get fed up and totally cynical because they’ve seen it more times than they care to remember. When are we going to stop and think before we cast our vote for the two town council seats up for grabs this election year instead of just voting down the line like programmed machines?
We need to bear in mind that while our public officials make us unhappy when they mismanage the town that we also reap what we sow. When will the nonsense of casting votes in or sleep finally end? Remember you express what you value by what you do, not by what you say. So, the decision is ours.
Justin J. Rivera