TUF - Candidate Forum Vassanella

Deputy Mayor James Vassanella's Campaign Statement

Before I cover specific points I'd like to clarify an issue. I began on Council in July of 2005. Unfortunately a repeated theme of the opposition party has been to blame me for a decade of indiscretions. I cannot take credit for, nor should I be blamed for, the actions of Council prior to then. I ask that you judge me for my performance and not that of the prior Council.

Prior to my service on Council I served as a volunteer on Township Committees. An example is the FTTV-25 Management Committee which launched Franklin's Television Channel. What made FTTV-25 a reality was a year's hard work by the residents that made up that committee. I'm proud that I was a leader of that group from the start. No current Council member attended those meetings. While on Council I have fought for broadcasting the Planning and Zoning Board meetings and increasing the use of Volunteers for FTTV-25, both to save money and increase programming.

After joining the Council I encountered the Fair Share Plan. It has been a complex and still incomplete process. Here are a few facts regarding that situation:

I never voted in favor of any development in the Veronica/Bennett Lane area
I consistently questioned the "experts" of the Plan to uncover the real facts for the public
I fought harder than any Council member for the inclusion of other projects to make the ill-conceived Veronica/Bennett Lane project unnecessary
I fought with many members of my own political party at the time to stop the project
I am the only present Council member to help gather signatures to recall Ellen Ritchie

Some of these points are proven by video clips on this very web site at http://www.betuf.org/Ritchie/TheMinutesAreWrong.shtml

Another recent change that has just begun is ethical reform, especially in the area of pay-to-play. Here are a few facts concerning this subject:

I took months off from my work outside of Council in spring of 2006 to lead a movement to monumentally change the leadership and practices of the Democratic Party that were detrimental to Franklin
I proposed, co-wrote and successfully lobbied for the passage of Franklin's toughest pay-to-play law to date
I proposed, co-wrote and successfully lobbied for the passage of Franklin's strictest absentee policy for civilian committees and boards
I fought to get Council to appoint committee & board members based on merit instead of political affiliation
I pushed Council members, especially within my own party, to have a fair and open bidding process for all Township contracts
I have spent over a year reviewing other Township's ethics laws and recently began legislation to dramatically expand Franklin's existing policies
I will continue to fight for the broadcasting on FTTV-25 of other key boards and committees utilizing volunteers to make government more transparent

Taxes and traffic are major concerns for many Franklin residents and two of the primary reasons I joined the Council. The following are some of the initiatives I have been working on and will continue to push for as Mayor, if elected.

Lobby for independent operational reviews of the School District and Municipal Government to save money and increase efficiency
Develop Franklin's first public transportation network to benefit residents, especially seniors
Work with Franklin police to improve traffic flow and safety (i.e. turning lanes, no turning and no parking zones)
Fight for the addition of police patrols to further enforce speeding and other traffic safety laws
Lobby higher levels of government for improvements to County, State and Interstate roadways in Franklin Township
Expand my "Eyes of Franklin" program that helps make government more efficient
Complete and utilize the Volunteer Database I proposed, to save money and galvanize residents
Solicit area businesses to secure free goods and services for Franklin residents saving tax dollars as I have with St. Peter's Hospital.

No single person can implement the changes mentioned above nor by themselves turn vision and ideas into reality. However Franklin needs a person, a Mayor, to help lead the effort. I humbly ask you for the opportunity to lead the Franklin Council so we can improve the quality of life for every Franklin resident in a fiscally responsible manner. With the maze of government bureaucracy, complexity of the issues and the constant lobbing of special interests, Franklin's next Mayor must be able to fight for what he believes in and be capable of putting in endless hours of unceremonious work.

I promise you I will not let you down and serve every resident equally. I will continue to make ethical reform a priority. I will utilize a non-partisan citizen advisory council to help guide the future of Franklin. I ask for the next four years to produce results for you, the residents of a Franklin.

Deputy Mayor
James Vassanella