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Mr. Novak's Insensitive Comments Do Not Reflect The People Of Barnegat

October 28, 2006

Candidate for Barnegat Twp. Committee -- John J. Novak -- stated in an Atlantic City Press Oct. 28th article "If you cured cancer in Barnegat some people would complain that there would be more traffic." This may be just a bad attempt at a joke. But we are not laughing.

Cancer is not a joke. Anyone who has suffered from it...or has lost a loved one to it...takes it very seriously. Mr. Novak's statement is wrong on so many levels, that we don't need to discuss it any further. This is in bad taste, and Mr. Novak should apologize to the people of Barnegat.

To be fair to Mr. Novak...traffic is a real concern to many of our residents, and we're glad he brought it up. There are several future factors that will add to the growing traffic problems in Barnegat;
  • An increase in housing

  • Moving the post office to the Genuardi's area (which is a very bad idea)

  • The addition of another elementary school -- not located in Ocean Acres where it's needed, but on Barnegat Blvd. (also a bad idea)

  • A High school that will be fully opened to 12th graders to drive

  • Adding the South-bound entrance to the G.S. Parkway (this is actually a GOOD idea), and

  • The shutting down of our downtown Youth Center thereby forcing people to drive to Bayside Chapel (which is a horrible idea, but something Mr. Novak is proud of)
Traffic that is a nightmare now will get much worse if we don't have leaders who take our problems seriously.

We gave Mr. Novak an opportunity to discuss this and other real issues that concern us in Barnegat. He was invited to participate in our town's first ever online candidates' forum...but Mr. Novak chose not to answer any of our questions. His opponent for Twp. Committee -- Dorothy Ryan -- did take the time to tell us how she stands on the issues. Dorothy Ryan wasn't very funny. But we did like her answers better than Mr. Novak's.

Barnegat needs leaders who will work with us and have creative, progressive ideas to make our town better. And in the end...isn't that what we all want?