There’s room to grow on both sides in town

Over the past two weeks, we have listened as some representatives of Free-hold Borough’s black and Latino communities have leveled criticism at Mayor Michael Wilson and the Borough Council.

Their criticism deserves comment as the borough seeks to move forward on many issues of importance to residents.

The criticisms leveled by minority representatives center on the ethnic makeup of the council and the borough’s work force.

The council is made up of five white men and one white woman. Mayor Michael Wilson is also white. No black or Latino man or woman has ever served on the council or held the office of mayor.

On the topic of the work force, it was stated that while the borough has many black and Latino residents, only 15 percent of the town’s work force reflects those ethnic groups.

Those who criticized the ethnic makeup of the municipal work force have not indicated whether they believe that people who make hiring decisions are purposely choosing not to hire black and Latino applicants, purposely choosing not to make blacks and Latinos aware of job openings, or whether blacks and Latinos are applying for municipal jobs.

In a community that has seen its Latino population increase dramatically over the past decade, police officials have taken notice of the changing face of the borough and have made an effort to recruit male and female officers of Latino background.

We agree with those who say efforts should be made to recruit and to hire qualified people of all ethnic backgrounds, races and religions, but these employees must be legally eligible to work in the United States and able to communicate in English with people with whom they will come in contact while on the job.

Those who have questioned the borough’s hiring practices should make those points — legal residency and proficiency in English — a cornerstone of their effort to see different faces on Freehold’s work force.

The second issue concerns the racial and ethnic makeup of the Borough Council. In a town that has had a significant black population for many years, it is somewhat disconcerting that no black resident has ever been able to win election to the governing body.

However, those who want change seem intent on calling for current officials to hand it to them, rather than taking the initiative to make it happen themselves. Calling on the mayor and council to appoint a black or Latino member is only one way to make change occur.

The other way to get a black or Latino resident on the council would be to go out among residents and make the case that a qualified individual should be elected. In recent years the Republican Party has suffered from a lack of candidates. It would not take much of an effort for a black or Latino candidate to get on the Republican ballot.

The critics will now tell us Freehold Borough is a Demo-cratic community and that a Republican cannot get elected here. That answer contradicts the assertion that 50 percent of the town’s population is black and Latino. If that is truly the case, then there should be an equal chance for a black or Latino to be elected as a white resident if those groups vote together.

Of course, everyone knows that many Latino residents who live in Freehold Borough are in the United States illegally and cannot vote. That means some critics are advocating for representation on a governing body for people who should not be here at all. That is a ridiculous position for any American citizen to take. Illegal residents and those who speak for them do not have the standing to demand representation on an American political body.

The News Transcript supports the right of any American to run for political office. We acknowledge that it is not easy for “outsiders” to break into an “old boys club,” but attempting to create racial and ethnic division has not worked yet in Freehold, and there is no reason to believe it is the appropriate way to advance the laudable goal of seeing a black or Latino on the council.