Politics & Government

Beckerman Wrong on the Issues, Jones Supporter Says

Resident disagrees with Beckerman on library, SID, police merger, campaign tactics.

This letter to the editor was submitted by Thomas Russo.

To the Editor,

I am supporting Llewellyn Jones for Scotch Plains Township council.  I like Lou Beckerman.  He is a terrific guy and his company handles my family’s insurance but I cannot support his election to council.  As a library trustee, I believe that the Scotch Plains Public Library is the heart of the community, a place of learning and a special resource for our students and our seniors. Llewellyn Jones shares my view. Lou Beckerman agrees with Mayor Glover that the cuts to the Library budget are fine, even though they led to cutting hours, closing on Sunday and reducing staff so that two full-time employees with over 20 years of service lost their health benefits. 

Find out what's happening in Scotch Plains-Fanwoodwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

As treasurer of the Scotch Plains Management Corporation, the body of volunteers that manages the downtown special improvement district, I believe that we need the SID to help revitalize and beautify our business district, attract new businesses, and create an atmosphere that is conducive to economic growth for our small businesses.   Lou Beckerman went along with Mayor Glover in demanding that the SID be defunded so that it is likely to be terminated next year.  Llewellyn Jones supports the revitalization of our downtown.

As a former municipal prosecutor, I want our police department and its budget to be controlled by professionals.  If Lou Beckerman and the Democrats succeed in getting the police merger done by way of a “joint meeting” instead of a conventional merger, Scotch Plains will pay seventy-five percent of the cost of a joint police department but have only one-third of a say in how it is funded and run.  A commission of political appointees will control the police department.

Find out what's happening in Scotch Plains-Fanwoodwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Finally, Lou Beckerman and the Democrats through their deceptive campaign literature are trying to tie Llewellyn Jones and Assembly candidate John Campbell to the Tea Party Republicans in Washington, even though they know that neither Jones nor Campbell have any ties to the Tea Party.  It is because I know Lou Beckerman that I am surprised and disappointed that he would condone such a deceptive ad.  He is wrong in doing so and he is wrong on the issues.

 

Tom Russo
Scotch Plains


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here