Letters misrepresent candidate's record, view on taxes

I am writing in response to the Oct. 12 Suburban Your Turn guest column ("Council Must Return to Its Bipartisan Roots") and the Oct. 26 letter to the editor ("Change in Council Will Mean More Effective Government"), both written by Irving Tischler, Sayreville Republican Party treasurer, regarding the Sayreville Borough Council election.

Both letters misrepresent my record on taxes and also misrepresent my view and my running mate Kathy Makowski's view on taxes.

We believe that the borough's taxes must be stabilized with the average inflation rate as a cap, and of course we would like to see increases held to zero and preferably a tax cut, if possible. However, gutting the budget in a given year for political gain followed by inevitable increases in the following years is the road to ruin. We believe that a sound and long-term fiscal plan that is separated from the election cycle would be the best thing that ever happened to the borough. Irv Tischler's letters both avoided telling the whole story, and I just wanted to clear it up.

I do agree with Irv Tischler on two points he made. The silent majority of Sayreville should take heed and vote the issues and the candidates rather than just a party. Leading a borough with 40,000 residents and managing a large municipal organization and budget requires education, experience and leadership skills combined with a commitment to community. Review the credentials of the candidates before casting your vote. Good ideas are plentiful; implementation of the ideas requires much more than simply talking. Experience, training and commitment, along with a proven track record, lead to success. Kathy Makowski and I both have such a record and have presented it fairly to the voters.

The second point Mr. Tischler makes is also important. Your vote can make a difference in returning honesty, civility and democracy to Sayreville. Again, study the candidates and their life record in this regard. And regarding civility, simply look at the two campaigns and you will note one glaring difference. Irv Tischler and his party have told you why you should not vote for their opponents by using cheap negative tactics that distort the truth. Kathy Makowski and I have simply presented our life's résumé to the voters and explained why you should vote for us. We are both not professional politicians but rather citizens who want to live in a good town.

Stanley Drwal

Sayreville