MIddlesex County Freeholders 2000

2000 VOTERS GUIDE

NON-PARTISAN ELECTION INFORMATION

Vote Tuesday, November 7, 2000

CANDIDATES FOR MIDDLESEX COUNTY

BOARD OF CHOSEN FREEHOLDERS

AND MIDDLESEX COUNTY CLERK

The League of Women Voters of the Princeton Area is a nonpartisan, non-profit volunteer organization which works to promote active, informed participation of all citizens in their government. The League provide nonpartisan information on public issues, and takes action on issues after member study and consensus. In publishing this material, the League neither endorses nor rejects the views of any candidate quoted.

All candidate information in this guide was compiled from candidates' responses to questionnaires. Replies are printed in the candidates' own words, without editing or verification. Due to space limitation, the candidates were given a word limit for replies. Incumbents are indicated by an asterisk (*).

Reprinting of this guide in part or in whole is not permissible without written permission of the League of Women Voters of the Princeton Area.

Copyright 2000 by the League of Women Voters of the Princeton Area

CANDIDATES FOR MIDDLESEX COUNTY

BOARD OF CHOSEN FREEHOLDERS

The League of Women Voters of the Princeton Area submitted the following three questions to all candidates for Freeholder:

1. The privatization of Roosevelt Hospital has been riddled with problems and now the debt has ballooned, with the Middlesex County Improvement Authority approving another $2.1 million to cover the operating deficit, bringing the debt total to $13.8 million after privatization. Are stricter rules needed for the private sector to take over public institutions? If so, what would you recommend?

2. What would you do to give more protection to environmentally sensitive lands in Middlesex County?

3. Governor Whitman's new watershed management rules will shift the burden of planning and wastewater management from the state to the county. What are your recommendations for the budget of this planning?

HENRY "HANK" GRABARZ

Republican Party

Address:156 Nassau Ave. West, South Plainfield, NJ 07080-4921

Education:Union County Vocational Tech.

Occupation:Designer/Engineer

Significant Community Activities:S. Plainfield Planning Board, 5 years, Vice Chair; So. Plainfield Environmental Commission, 6 years; So. Plainfield Public Celebrations Committee, 6 years; So. Plainfield Elks Lodge, 2298, 22 years; So. Plainfield Lions, y year

Responses:

1. I am not an advocate for the privatization of Roosevelt Hospital (Care Center). The recent foolishly entered into contracts, justify their existence by stating "To assure high quality care and services will be provided to the residents of Roosevelt Care Center". This statement is an insult to that institution's past directors and their staff of public employees.

If the quality of services is now in question it is due to the quality of the privatizating organization's management staff and its practices. Re.:Soloman, Broadway & Royal.

The negative impact of the private sector taking over this public institution in terms of lost money (to date $14 million) and low worker morale is a sad editorial on the present Chosen Board of Freeholder's legacy. What are they thinking?

2. Determine if the legislation presently in place fully addresses the protection of environmentally sensitive areas. 

If the answer is yes, than is it being enforced and if not, why?

If the answer is no, then, what is lacking, needs to be addressed, post haste, by authorities in the field of environmental science as well as the affected community's input.

3. If this is state mandated, how much state aid will be available to affected areas?

Are the present funds earmarked for the watershed management available and if 

not, why not?

If a watershed area covers more than one county, an intercounty, non-profit, watershed partnership should be incorporated, complete with a mission statement, an organizational structure and by-laws. The same should be established within a county if the need is present.

CARL PERLIN

Republican

Address:87 Harding Ave, Edison, NJ 08820

Education:Incompleted, College Night School, Liberal Arts

Occupation:ConEdison, 34 years

Significant Community Activities:Ran for Town Council; Ran for the School Board; Township Transportation Advisory Committee; Transportation County Committee; Parks Committee; Advocate Air Traffic Noise Over Middlesex; CPR/FA Instructor Red Cross N.Y.; U.S. Navy Seabees Honorable Discharge, Viet Nam Vet., Cuba; St. Helena Church Lector; Edison Township Little League Coach/Soccer Coach; Past PTA Parent; Volunteer BSA with my children; Have four children, two boys, two girls; A lovely wife of my life

Responses:

1. When the County operated Roosevelt for all the many years past, there were only the basic problems. The County operated for many years just fine, the real problems surfaced when the County tried to privatize, these outside companies only have concerns for their bottom line. Roosevelt is much more than just a bottom line, I say we should keep Roosevelt and the County should resume responsibility.

2. I would like to see a moratorium on building for five years, give towns a chance to step back and look at what we really need versus what we don't need. I also would like to see impact fees on developers, this would help maintain control on development.

3. A. Comprehensive resource-based planning, broad-based stakeholder partnerships.

B. An action-oriented approach to address non-point sources of pollution.

C. Integration of related strategies, such as open space preservation and management of forest, wetlands, fisheries, and wildlife.

D. Use of indicators to evaluate performance over time and to foster continuous improvement.

H. JAMES POLOS*

Democratic Party

No response received.

JOHN PULOMENA*

Democratic Party

No response received.

CANDIDATES FOR MIDDLESEX COUNTY

CLERK

The League of Women Voters of the Princeton Area submitted the following two questions to all candidates for Ounty Clerk:

1. What would you propose to educate the public about the Clerk's office and how citizens can best utilize this important office?

2. What are your top three priorities, if elected?

ELAINE M. FLYNN*

Democratic Party

Address:235 Ticetown Rd., Old Bridge, NJ 08857

Education:BA Trenton State; MA Kean College

Occupation:County Clerk

Significant Community Activities:Member of the Middlesex County Children's Health Insurance Commission and Board Member of Infoline of Middlesex County, an informational and retrieval service; Participating Captain for the American Heart Walk; Former Zoning Board Chairman in Old Bridge and a member of the Recreation Committee; Union Representative of the Teacher's Union; held many political seats including the Chairman of Old Bridge County Committee for four years

Responses:

1. The office of County Clerk is based on the Constitution and Statutes passed by the Legislature. The law determines the scope of my office. But I have developed a web site to explain our office to the public and we list the services we provide. They include the filing and guardianship of all land transactions in the county. We provide federal passport services throughout the county by visiting the municipalities desiring such service. They advertize our availability. We prepare the election ballots for all elections and send sample ballots to educate and inform the public of upcoming elections. I also perform civil wedding services for the public (1400 to date). I have and will continue to speak at organizations to inform them of our services. I teach at local schools to inform both the children and their parents of the scope of services offered by the County Clerk.

2. I plan to continue the huge technological advances we have made during the last three years. We have put 8-9 million documents into our computer system and plan to go online shortly.

I have worked with the other county clerks to develop common recording instruments. To this end we have worked with both the title companies and the NJ Bar Association.

I will work for complete accessibility of handicapped and all voters to the ballot. I provided an audion system sample ballot for the seeing impaired in the primary and will continue this feature.

ROBERT "BOB" BROWN

Republican Party

Address:P.O. Box 1387, Edison, NJ 08818

Education:1966 - American College of Life University, Chartered Life Underwriter Designation; 1985 - University of Delaware Extension Service Security Surveys and Planning;1949 - US Navy Disbursing;

Occupation:Retired, since Feb. 2000, Board of Elections

Significant Community Activities:Charter member & President - Metuchen Kiwanis Club; Edison Jets Pop Warner Football - Treasurer; Commissioner and President Middlesex County Board of Elections; International Assoc. of Clerks, Recorders, Election Officials and Treasurers - Member; N.J. State Assoc. of Election Officials - Vice President 1999; 35 years participation in political campaigns

Responses:

1. Print a leaflet describing the services the Clerk's Office offers. Invite people to come in or call for help or explanation of services. Supplies of leaflets would be available at all municipal clerk's offices.

2. A. I will have an independent study to determine whether the multi-million dollar computer & software real estate recording system can be properly corrected and then take appropriate and cost efficient action. Wasteful spending can not be tolerated.

B. Recording of deeds & mortgages are behind. As County Clerk I will determine what action must be taken to assure prompt efficient service to the public and will require all deeds, liens and changes to be done within five work days. I will also establish work rules which will eliminate delays in service.

C. As County Clerk I will oversee all operations. I will appoint a qualified Deputy Clerk who will supervise employee activities to prevent poor performance. We must be certain that all employees are properly trained and have up-to-date job descriptions.