Joshi’s India Bailout Trip Leaves Edison Businesses and Taxpayers Behind and Public Safety At Risk

Joshi may promise jobs, but the real question is who gets them and whether his plan will help Edison residents or simply bring in more outsiders at the expense of local businesses.

Joshi’s recent bailout trip to India, intended to rescue stalled projects and justify overspending, raised even more concerns about his priorities. The trip came as small businesses closed their doors, traffic worsened on main corridors, and families struggled to keep up with rising costs. For many residents, it felt less like leadership and more like abandonment.

“Edison’s small businesses have endured years of challenges, from pandemic losses to rising rents and shrinking foot traffic,” said Samiksha Sharmas, Candidate for Town Council, who is running with David Tingle and the People’s Choice Team. “Residents are scared to walk the streets, and shop owners have repeatedly called for help revitalizing commercial corridors, improving lighting and security, and fixing parking.” Instead, Town Hall has focused on courting outside developers through PILOT deals that leave local entrepreneurs behind.

These deals are sold as economic development, but residents and local shop owners see the reality. They get robbed in their own neighborhoods. They sit in endless traffic on roads that never seem to improve. They see empty storefronts in once-thriving plazas. And while they wait for solutions, Joshi is halfway around the world seeking his own political lifeline.

Leadership is about priorities. When local businesses are struggling, when families are stretched thin, and when the town’s future is on the line, Edison needs a mayor who stands with the community, not one who flies off to protect his political ambitions.

“Public safety and a strong local economy go hand in hand. We will expand neighborhood watch, improve response times, and help businesses upgrade security so our storefronts stay busy and our streets stay welcoming,” said Samiksha Sharmas.

Edison doesn’t need another bailout trip. It needs a course correction led by people who actually live here and share the community’s priorities. "In light of this urgent issue, David Tingle and I have made it a priority to out reach to local businesses and get a sense of what our community needs from the people who know best."

Learn more about Samiksha Sharmas, Candidate for Town Council in Column B, who is running with David Tingle in Column E and the People’s Choice Team at 👉https://www.tingleformayor.com...