Letters to the Editor: Councilman Backs Sinclair, Roth, DiGiulio

The following three letters were submitted to the Mahwah Patch by Councilman Harry Williams:

Mayor - Sinclair

I address this letter to everyone like me who know and like both candidates for Mayor of Mahwah. Difficult as it may be, we must choose only 1 and perhaps my analysis will help you decide to vote for Ed Sinclair.

This is not a choice of good or bad, experienced or not. Both are good men and both are newcomers to politics. Mistakes will be made regardless of the experience level. But this is precisely why we must consider the management style of Ed Sinclair and why it is the critical difference in the decision.

Ed Sinclair’s style is reminiscent of our late Mayor Martel; inclusive, not dictatorial or manipulative. As did Dick Martel, Ed will present ideas and issues and allow the council to examine the facts, conduct public debate and seek an intelligent decision. Ed will seek progress through cooperation, not accusation.

Since the death of Mayor Martel, we have had too many headlines of discord in Mahwah. These headlines, if continued, can only damage the reputation of Mahwah which will keep our office space empty and our home values down.

Differences of opinion will always exist but we must work together for the common good and debate the issues civilly and thoroughly. When made properly, decisions can be respected, not ridiculed. This democratic process was the gift of Mayor Martel and I believe Ed Sinclair has the management style that will lead us back to a community of calm, not controversy.

Council - Roth

For three years I have observed many reasons why John Roth should be re-elected to Mahwah’s Council.

As a retired business executive John is devoting every day to Mahwah.  The Council is a full time responsibility for John, making him the best employee bargain in town. He represents the council at every civic and recreational function. He rarely misses an event.

This every day commitment has made John the most thoroughly prepared of any council person and his analyses of the issues are frequently the most insightful. A recent example was his examination of a contract to install cables. He pointed out flaws in the contract that even our attorney did not spot. John was equally probing as he challenged our township water engineers to meet the budget on the $4 Million Ford Well project. During budget reviews, we can count on John to challenge any expenditure that does not meet the standard of good sense.

John is person of strong convictions. In 12 years of elected office John surely has expressed opinions and cast votes that were disagreeable to some. To those citizens I urge you to look beyond single issues and consider the entire body of work. To everyone in Mahwah, remember history. Abraham Lincoln filled his cabinet with political opponents – because they were smart. JFK surrounded himself with smart advisors and Lyndon Johnson’s first act as President was to convince those advisors to stay, even though he knew they disliked him – because they were smart.

John Roth is probably the smartest person on the council. Follow the wisdom of our greatest Presidents and choose good people who will serve intelligently. I urge everyone to vote for John Roth on November 6th because Mahwah needs John’s devotion, integrity, wisdom and experience. 

Council - DiGiulio

Six times the citizens of Mahwah have had the good sense to elect Lisa DiGiulio to the Council and I’ve had the privilege to observe first hand why the people have chosen wisely.

Our government is a system of the “majority rules” but for Lisa it is a responsibility of the “minority counts”. More than anyone on the council, Lisa considers every minority interest in the debate of issues. She has defended the rights of boy scouts to post event signs and championed neighborhoods affected by development. At a controversial meeting, she was a pillar of strength when she scolded an attorney for demeaning our citizens. Although I held an opposing view of the issue being debated, I admired her defense of the people and my respect for her grew immeasurably.

Lisa has strong feelings about every civic group. She attends every public event, every parade, every Eagle Scout ceremony, and every dedication.  No civic event is too small for Lisa to attend. Every citizen counts to Lisa.

Lisa provides a balance to the council because she considers every opinion equally. She provides balance because she is the only woman on the council and the council needs the prospective and sensitivity of this caring woman. Opposing viewpoints are necessary to the public debate of critical issues. Our country is great because of our vigorous public debate and Lisa can always be counted on to represent every voice in Mahwah.

Lisa and I have held opposing views on several issues since I first met her, some contentiously. Yet, she doesn’t let any battle become a personal war. Mahwah needs representatives who will defend its people but never let our town become a civil war battleground. Lisa DiGiulio is needed now more than ever.

Harry Williams

Councilman

Mahwah, NJ

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Have a letter to submit to the editor? Email it to jessica.mazzola@patch.com. Or, upload it to Patch as a Local Voices blog post.