The Home News Tribune recently applauded the use of public debates to inform voters of candidate positions on critical issues before casting their ballots on Nov. 8. Such knowledge is vital to the election process. In fact, the Home News Tribune sponsored such a debate in Edison.

Contrast this positive approach with the attitude of the incumbent Democratic Township Council candidates in Franklin. When challenged to debate on the township television station by their Republican challengers, they hide behind the so-called "legal" opinion of their township attorney, who, while acknowledging no statute exists one way or the other, opined that "public dollars should not be used for politics."

Since when is broadcasting a public debate to enable voters to make an informed decision in the voting booth politics? While this attorney couldn't seem to find any other municipalities that use their local TV channel in this manner, the fact is several in the area do, and consider it a public service to their residents and voters — not politics.

Unfortunately, this attitude exemplifies what is wrong with the current Democratic council. They just don't get it. They speak condescendingly to the public participants at their meetings and forget who they are there to serve. Or maybe they don't forget. Maybe the problem is who they are there to serve, and it's not the people. What are they afraid of? Maybe they're afraid the voters will find out who they really are.

Lucretia Cortelyou
SOMERSET

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