Letters: Princeton Voters Have Chance to Unseat Republicans This November

To the Editor:

As the election season gets under way, I want to remind Princeton voters that this year we have the opportunity to unseat our two Republican state assembly representatives by voting for Democratic candidates Maureen Vella and Andrew Zwicker. Princeton and the rest of the 16th legislative district deserve representation that reflects our values, not those of a right-wing governor.

Jack Ciattarelli and Donna Simon have a 100 percent voting record with Chris Christie. They have supported Christie in cutting women’s health funding, blocking corruption reform at the Port Authority, and preventing property tax relief for struggling homeowners after Hurricane Sandy.

Andrew Zwicker, as a Princeton University scientist, brings his experience of relying on evidence, not political ideology or rhetoric, in making decisions.  Maureen Vella as a former judge looks at all sides of an issue before making a decision.  Princeton deserves representatives who are independent thinkers.

I urge residents to mark their calendars for November 3rd and to vote for Zwicker and Vella for Assembly.

Dan Preston

Avatar of Community Contributor

Submit your photos, news, blog post, news tip, document, request for coverage or letter to the editor to editor @ planetprinceton.com. Please include your contact information. Letters should be between 200 and 750 words. Add events to our community calendar by following the "add event" link on our navigation menu. Thank you for reading and contributing to Planet Princeton.

5 Comments

  1. Thank you for this letter. Now I am even more convinced to vote FOR Jack Ciatarelli and Donna Simon.

    Please show your support for republican candidates Jack Ciatarelli and Donna Simon.

    Jack helped create private sector jobs as a small businessman and led the charge on spending reforms that have reduced the size and cost of government.

    As a township committee woman, Donna cut taxes and reduced debt. In Trenton, she’s spearheaded sick pay reform while advocating for children with autism and their parents

  2. Given the fact that the GOP has embraced the crazy, the regressive, the inner-reptilian, the ultra right wing and confederate ideals, I wouldn’t vote for the GOP ever. Eisenhower is a screaming super liberal by comparison to any of the clowns representing the GOP today. The GOP wants to criminalize abortion, wants to cut, slice, dice and destroy Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and the ACA or any social programs that aid and assist ordinary Americans. The GOP is still pushing trickle down voodoo doo pseudo-economics. The GOP wants to cut taxes (mostly benefiting the rich and the corporations) thus reducing revenue to the point that it will trigger huge deficits and give the GOP the sham excuse to cut and kill off all the social programs. No thanks, the GOP is not worthy to govern this country in any position.

    1. So what is important to you? The economy? MUCH worse under Democrats/Obama. Race relations and racial equality? MUCH worse under Democrats/Obama. Income inequality? MUCH worse under Democrats/Obama. Future for our children/free of debt? MUCH worse under Democrats/Obama. The condition of our cities? MUCH worse under Democrats/Obama (just look at Baltimore, Chicago, etc. …. bastions of years of mismanagement and cronyism under incompetent Democrats.

      Most people are worse off after years of failed unsustainable Liberal policies and Princeton has had the good fortune to have shed Democratic incompetence from misguided folks like Shirley Turner and Reed Gusciora and have experienced the terrific leadership of Donna Simon, Jack Ciattarelli and Kip Bateman. This is even though a dark-money Democratic SuperPac spent millions of dollars opposing Donna Simon, putting false and misleading ‘hang tags’ on every mailbox in Princeton. Then, the Democrats decry “money in politics.” What a sham.

      Jack, Donna and Kip are fine people. I know them all and they do a fine job of moving New Jersey forward to where it needs to go. Yes, we know you unthinking lock-step Liberals are going to vote D anyway, because you don’t care about morality (illegal selling of fetal parts for profit), businesses (heavy taxes, mountains of debt), rights (Dems prefer control and fight against the rights of the people), and prefer ‘European-style Socialism’ (shudder) but people all over New Jersey and in fact the nation as well are waking up after YEARS of moving backward in nearly every metric. Oh, no, it’s not ‘Republican obstructionism’ it’s Democratic INCOMPETENCE.

      Wake up America!!

  3. Here is just one example of how the trio of Bateman/Ciatterelli/Simon are benefiting New Jersey:

    S-1413

    Legislation sponsored by Senator Christopher “Kip” Bateman requiring the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to give preference to Energy Star compliant homes when awarding financial incentives for installing solar panels (S-1413) has cleared the Senate Environment and Energy Committee.

    “By first awarding financial incentives to Energy Star compliant homes, we are encouraging New Jerseyans interested in purchasing solar panels to go above and beyond by investing in energy-efficient technology throughout their entire home,” Senator Bateman said. “These incentives help justify the cost of installing solar panels while advancing our state’s efforts to invest in renewable energy sources, securing a cleaner, greener future for generations of New Jersey residents to come.”

    New Jersey is one of the largest and fastest growing solar energy producers in the country, ranking third in the nation in installed solar capacity, producing enough solar energy to power more than 240,000 homes. New Jersey’s solar energy also enriches the state’s economy, employing 7,200 people at 519 solar companies statewide. More than $591 million was invested on solar installations around the state in 2014 alone.

  4. Although I don’t always vote “R,” I am a big fan of Jack Ciattarelli. With a strong business background, he’s a fiscally responsible legislator with some big ideas about improving the fairness of our State’s property tax mess. He’s also socially moderate in ways that are a lot closer to our community than you might expect (think Hillary Clinton as opposed to Mike Huckabee).

    If one votes for a person, not a Party, then Jack Ciattarelli merits consideration.

Comments are closed.