Vote no to ward off divided New Brunswick

By MEGAN FAUST

Published: Sunday, November 1, 2009

Updated: Sunday, November 1, 2009

I am a full-time student at the University and have been a resident of New Brunswick for about half of my life. I have lived in different areas of the city: Raritan Gardens, Regency Manor, Harvey Street, Louis Street and Dewey Heights. My grandfather and my father’s family were born and raised at 8th Street and Joyce Kilmer Avenue. I have seen and heard stories about the vast improvements in this city over the past few decades. These improvements have succeeded under the current form of the City Council. Wards will divide the city and make it harder for the improvements to continue.
In a previous article in The Daily Targum, the author stated that without a ward system, students “would just continue to pay parking fines and noise violations.” Those that pay parking fines and noise violations will continue to do so if they break the rules with or without a ward system. I lived off campus and received parking tickets; I know how hard it is to park. But I paid my parking tickets and did not blame anyone else but myself.
I am voting NO for wards because I am a resident of New Brunswick and care about this city and the future of it. Of course there are still improvements to be made but implementing wards is not the way to achieve them. The current at-large system is what is best for the city as a whole.
By the way, whoever came onto my lawn and stole my “NO WARDS” sign, as well as many other people’s signs, I would like them back. Do not break the law by trespassing and stealing in order to try and quiet the competition.

Megan Faust is a School of Arts and Sciences junior majoring in marketing.

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Your name

Mon Nov 9 2009 21:34

I started to become interested in this topic after the vote. I have a question. Why did the current city council fight so hard to not have this question voted on? I read somewhere that 100,000 dollars was spent fight EON. Is this true? It seems like they were scared. I would like to hear from both sides.
Another point. Although New Brunswick is "improving". I do think that it is still not considering or catering to the entire population. Many of the businesses that are coming into NB are very upscale and probably out of budget for many residents.

Megan Faust

Thu Nov 5 2009 00:07

Dear Reality,
Where is the bubble that I live in? Please tell me more about myself since you apparently know me so well. Have everything provided for me and not have to work for a living? Well now it's obvious that we are close somehow. That's the complete opposite of me so I'd like to know where you got your information from. Where I have never set foot before? Please tell me more about the sections that are not represented, or did you just come on here to try to pick on me, someone you’ve never met, to make yourself feel better?

Your Name,
Yes I do live in Ward 1 now, what's so funny about that? Am I not entitled to an opinion, or do you assume like Reality that I have things handed to me because I live in a nice house now?

For those of you that didn't understand my first paragraph, I've lived in several different areas of the city. This means I have not always lived in Ward 1 or in a nice house.

Another thing I'd like to mention to those of you that assume that just because some of the people who voice their opinions about voting No live in 'nicer' areas of New Brunswick now, doesn't mean they always have. Many people have grown up in New Brunswick, seen it develop, and truly care about the city as a whole, not just certain neighborhoods or groups of residents. They have lived here 30, 40+ years and will be here that much longer. Where will most of you be in 2-4 years?

Incredulous

Mon Nov 2 2009 19:45

Wow, the EON supporters have a lot of opinions about Megan when the don't even know her. She's certainly not living in a bubble. She's putting herself through Rutgers after having held down full-time jobs and going to school at the same time. She's lived in a lot of places that are anything but palatial. She's also lived in New Brunswick for all her life and she knows a lot about the town. She also takes responsibility for her actions and doesn't put down other people without knowing anything about them. The EON ranters should be ashamed of themselves, but I doubt they are and I'm sure they will flame me for this post.

Bob

Mon Nov 2 2009 19:37

Piscataway has lots of Rutgers students living there on two campuses
Piscataway has ward council people
Piscatawa has NO councilperson who represent students
Piscataway has done next to nothing to make life easier for students who live in Piscataway.

New Brunswick's City Council has:
- supported new student housing
- provided a free shuttle bus around the campus area
- supported $1,000,000 in grants for the College Ave. Greening
- has appointed a student to the Rent Control Board
- have supported building new affordable housing in ALL New Brunswick neighborhoods
- have created new jobs for New Brunswick residents, leading to an unemployment rate lower than Piscataway's
That's because all 5 council people have to be responsive to all their constituents, including students

Vote NO because it's the right thing to do
NOvember 3 Vote NO

Keith

Mon Nov 2 2009 17:16

Chipsin, I'm pretty sure we are, for the most part, transient. We (tend to) leave soon after we graduate.

It's not about warming up to the government, it's about respecting the city for what it is and what it has become. I'm not saying I don't understand why people are in love with wards, but people are expecting way too much from them.

I think we should leave this system how it is, until it shows that it is no longer improving the city. New Brunswick has seen some ridiculously rapid improvement under this system, and despite what the EON people tell us, it's been all over the city. Of course it's not perfect, but it's working well and government is efficient. Please, let's not take that for granted.

Representation is achieved through people that are active in their city and government. If you want representation, create it for yourself. Don't rely on a government system to provide it for you.

I'm voting no.

Amy

Mon Nov 2 2009 16:56

The Ward Question is about all the communities in New Brunswick having a voice on City Council, and ward-based elections are the best way to accomplish that.. And the Supreme Court has held since the 1970;s that At Large systems are unconstitutional is they operate to minimize or dilute minority votes.

Harvey Milk, became the first openly gay man elected to public office, only after San Francisco held a referendum and VOTED YES FOR WARDS. In the same election the the first African American woman and the first Asian American were elected to public office.

That's just how awesome Wards are. And that's why I am voting YES FOR WARDS tomorrow.

Because EVERYONE DESERVES A VOICE

Chipsin

Mon Nov 2 2009 16:54

Ok, so eveyone here who want to make a difference. Go try and run for office in the next city council election.

Then maybe you will realize what "Realtiy" was saying below. That since the council members have no real tie to the section of the city that they represent. There is no reason for them to care if 3 people were shot outside of downtown.

Because their families and interests are in a separate section of the city.

and New Brunswick Citizen

Having a chance to vote does not equal representation. If you think that if you wanted to make a change in this town that all is required is a "vote" you are sorely mistaken.

You students really seem to be warming up to a entrenched city government that has called you "transient" and does not think that your opinion counts.

Jon Boy

Mon Nov 2 2009 16:33

Ward warfare, that is what EON is about just read these posts. One person's viewpoint doesn't matter because of where they live. Isn't that what they say their all about stopping with this dumb ward issue. It is truely remarkable that EON has shown itself to be hypocritical even before its gets any power or responsibility. Most politicians wait until they are elected before proving themselves to be a bunch of rectums interupses.

Gotta love the EON comments on this, as usual.

"The entire city is behind wards," according to JoelRU. Funny, cause I've been knocking on doors in every neighborhood in the city, and it seems that the majority of people don't want wards. Not coincidentally, it seems that the student population has the most concentrated support, and even that is increasingly split.

People who know this city have a unique perspective on it--one that EON cannot objectively understand, nor do they choose to acknowledge it. Sure, there are a few malcontents out there that think things need to change, and they are supporting wards as a result. But the reality is, people who know this city know that it's still improving, and it's still moving in the right direction. Splitting up government and creating a bigger bureaucracy IS NOT GOING TO HELP.

Let's be realistic. If you're a student (and I am one, by the way), come to terms that wards aren't going to help you--they'll just pigeonhole you into a smaller voting minority. And for the rest of the city that's actually planning to live here long term, wards really do tend to create a slower and more political government. Don't leave this city worse than it was when you came.

Vote NO!

New Brunswick Citizen

Mon Nov 2 2009 14:50

Hey Reality sections of the city that have no representation? all of the city has the same representation when people vote if people in your section of the city don't vote who's fault is that? If your section became active and actually tried to change things I'm sure they could without throwing out the entire government's system. It's people like you who just bitch and don't do anything about the way government works that ruin the country, if you're not satisfied with something work through the system don't throw it out but you actually have to do something...

Wards=Retarded

Mon Nov 2 2009 14:45

really i agree if you think breaking down local government even farther is going to accomplish anything your heart may be in the right place but all your causing is more paperwork and making it harder for anything to be accomplished. New Brunswick has been flourishing lately and I agree that parking tickets and noise violations are a nuisance is it really worth throwing the entire system of government out for? and John P calling people a tool on a political issue i bet you're a mature intelligent person *scoff*

Reality

Mon Nov 2 2009 14:06

Megan,

Have you ever stepped out of the bubble you live in? Must be nice to have everything provided for you and not have to work for a living. If you know what it was like in the sections of the city with no representation, you would change your tune.

But, you have never set foot there...so how would you know?

Get a clue

John P

Mon Nov 2 2009 14:00

You're just a tool, I hope you know.

JoelRU

Mon Nov 2 2009 13:45

EON was also cleaning the streets, this is not a small movement, the entire city is behind wards. Every disenfranchised voter wants their voice heard. We are going to empower our city come Tuesday.

Your name

Mon Nov 2 2009 10:56

I love how you are from ward 1.....lmfao!

Stewart

Mon Nov 2 2009 07:22

If students want to be involved then get involved. EON's only involvement has been to demand a change in government based on no personal experience in that local government. I joined over a hundred fraternity and sorority members yesturdy to clean the streets of litter. Mayor Cahill announced Stop, Think, Go Green, Keep New Brunswick Green, and asked all of us to do our part to stop litter from occurring all together. That would be change. That's something we all can do, that is something we're being asked to do. If you don't like someone on Council don't vote for them, run against them, you don't have to throw the baby out with the bath water. That's why I'm Voteing NO, because New Brunswick id doing better than any other City and that says a lot about the system and people in place which this town.

Anthony, RU

Mon Nov 2 2009 00:00

I agree. It sounds like just a fight of good will, but if the city of new brunswick is doing comparatively well to other NJ cities its best not to change the system.

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