Republican candidates offer no plan for Manalapan

In the latest sign of a campaign marked by turmoil and dissension, the Manalapan Republican Party has announced that Shane Freedman has abandoned Joe Locricchio in his attempt to join the Township Committee. Perhaps Mr. Freedman had the good sense to flee a campaign long on mud-slinging but short on new ideas.

The Republicans have replaced Freed-man with an unknown — Andrew Lucas. However, Mr. Lucas’s lack of qualifications for elected office is astounding. Mr. Lucas isn’t even a homeowner — he is a 20-something man living at home with his parents.

Worse, Mr. Lucas has no relevant professional or governmental experience at all, which is evident by the limited information about him released by the Repub-licans to the press.

Sounding familiar, baseless criticisms of Manalapan’s alleged impending fiscal doom and failure to preserve open space, and making no proposals of his own to remedy these supposed problems, Mr. Lucas has begun his first foray into politics with untruths.

An independent audit of the township just completed by the state of New Jersey resulted in a clean bill of health for Manalapan’s finances. So much for insolvency.

Further, under Democratic leadership the township has acquired 913 acres of open space since November 2001.

The Township Committee has also demonstrated its commitment to expanding recreation opportunities as shown by the recent report of the township engineer for possible uses of the recently acquired Dreyer tract.

Contrast the record, qualifications and future plans of Democratic candidates Beth Ward and Michelle Roth with those of the Republicans.

Mr. Lucas, as we have repeatedly asked your running mate Joe Locricchio without success, what is your plan for additional open space purchases? Raise taxes? Cut services? Or did you forget that the Republicans opposed the successful down-zoning that has dramatically slowed new developments in our town? How do you propose to address crowded roads? Will you be as successful as we have been in obtaining county funding for improvements at our critical intersections?

Mr. Lucas, we know that you can sit on the sidelines and cast stones at those who are currently serving on the Town-ship Committee. But with no government experience, no business experience, no track record of accomplishments and no stake in the town because you don’t own a home here, why should the people of Manalapan trust their own property value to you? What do you actually propose to do if elected?

Gerard Ward

Democratic municipal leader

Manalapan