Letter: Committemen Are Not 'Masters of the Universe'

To the Editor:

It seems that over the past couple of months, I haven’t been able to stop myself from writing letters to the editor. Barnegat’s elected officials just keep on giving – and I just can’t let the arrogance, disrespect and condescension of most of the Barnegat Township Committee go unchallenged. My wrath is now directed to a few issues for which the Barnegat Township Committee and/or individual committee persons are responsible. 

At the May 2, 2011, Barnegat Township Committee meeting, they announced that the budget would finally be introduced at the May 16 meeting.  What happens? The May 16 meeting is cancelled and rescheduled for May 23 to introduce the budget. What happens? They fail to introduce the budget at the May 23 meeting saying they needed more time. What happens?  They reschedule the introduction of the budget for Friday, May 27 at 3 p.m. (the Friday of Memorial Day weekend). 

I truly believe the Barnegat Township Committee believes its residents to be stupid. I’ve already established in previous letters-to-the-editor that they don’t want the public’s input. What better time to schedule a meeting to introduce the 2011 budget then mid-afternoon when people are at work, and on the Friday of Memorial Day, when those not working, are off on their holiday. How impertinent is that?

At Barnegat’s Pet Day on May 14, on public property, I was there getting signatures for the President’s “I’M IN” campaign. I was first approached by our mayor’s wife, Ginny Melchiondo and asked to stop canvassing the crowd saying “this day was for the pets.” I mentioned to Mrs. Melchiondo that I was getting a great response and was very respectful to the few people who didn’t want to talk to me. I even told her how I was approaching people and what I was saying, and that is I asked “Are you a supporter of President Obama?” When people said “no” I simply thanked them and wished them a good day. When they said “yes” I continued to speak with them.  

I reminded Mrs. Melchiondo that I had a right to continue and that her interference could be interpreted as an infringement on my right to freedom of speech. This was a public event, much like Pirates Day and Community Day when all the politicians are there in full force. I continued my canvassing and after a little while, our Mayor, Jeff Melchiondo, came up to me and also asked me to stop my canvassing. I reiterated to the mayor everything I said to his wife. He still asked me to leave and I refused, but I was worried he was going to have me removed from the property. 

At the May 23 Barnegat Township Committee meeting to introduce the budget (which didn’t get introduced), Mayor Melchiondo saw it in his divine wisdom to include me personally in his “Mayor’s Report.”  He chastised me for canvassing during Pet Day, mentioning the fact that both he and his wife asked me to leave. How dare the mayor use his “bully pulpit” to criticize and single out a township resident and taxpayer? This was not the first time a township committee person has used his position on that dais to make a statement against a group or taxpayer.  

Just before the school board election, at a Township Committee Meeting, Committeeman Martin Lisella chastised the Barnegat school board for calling Mirage (his community) residents “outsiders” in that they would have to pay for using the ball fields. This was something taken completely out-of-context by Mirage and an absolute untruth — one for which Lisella should have apologized publicly. 

Who do these committeemen think they are?  They seem to think they are “Masters of the Universe.” Beyond this, being a member of the Township Committee is a time-honored and respected position and it does not give anyone the right to use it to single out any group or person for their own vindictive purposes.  This is a position of trust and must be valued and treated as such.

Stay tuned—I’ll be followings these guys very closely (and I say “guys” correctly since we don’t have any women on the Barnegat Township Committee).

Marianne P. Clemente

Barnegat