Resident calls for Sayreville Democratic chairman to step down BARBARA A. KILCOMONS Guest Column It is with a profound interest that I chose to address the ineffective leadership and performance of the Sayreville Democratic chairman, Assemblyman John Wisniewski (D-19). I was prompted to write when I read about the decision of Milltown Democratic Chairman Dave Crabiel, who resigned his position as chairman. It appears he had the foresight and courage to acknowledge that there are problems within the Democratic organization in his and other communities. It is disturbing that Wisniewski did not follow suit and resign also because in Sayreville the local party is deteriorating. I feel the time has come for him to relinquish the chairmanship because his tenure as chairman has been less than mediocre. There are ample reasons for my criticism of his leadership and his record. It has become obvious that his major concern is only his own political image, which supersedes the well-being of the people who elected him. I attribute this to his enormous ego, his thirst for power and his obsession for total control. He definitely is not a team player. He used his position in the Assembly by sponsoring and passing a bill that expanded the membership of the Redevelopment Agency with two Borough Council members. It was a bill that the mayor felt was unconstitutional since it pertained only to Sayreville because of the demographics. The council removed the mayor from the Sayreville Economic Redevelopment Agency, and due to Wisniewski's performance and arrogance, the voters sent him a message. His handpicked candidates lost their seats on the governing body, and the Republican mayor won re-election by a huge majority. Wisniewski's affiliation with the Democratic Committee should be challenged because of how it is laden with his relatives, his staff and his staff's relatives. Even with all his maneuvering, there are many times he cannot attain a quorum to conduct a meeting. The chairman uses the Democratic Committee's bylaws as his own personal tool. He changes them when it becomes necessary to get what he wants. All this just proves how hard he will work to handpick his candidates. Nevertheless, there are still many hardworking and dedicated committee members who are rendered helpless. For 12 years I served as the vice chairperson of the party with former Chairman Luke Lenahan. We both resigned when Wisniewski and his political ally, Alan Haag, were working to take control of the party. We remained as active committee members of our districts and concluded they were on a path of self-destruction. The chairman has since removed many longtime active and local Democrats in spite of objections from Middlesex County Democratic Chairman Joe Spicuzzo. Could it be because they were independent thinkers, and Wisniewski was not assured of how they would vote? In order to gain complete control, Wisniewski had to eliminate me completely from the party. Therefore, he removed my street from the district at the last minute, claiming the district was too large. I challenged this decision. The election board and Attorney General's office agreed with me; nevertheless, the judge ruled in favor of the assemblyman/ chairman. Ironically, Wisniewski moved to Town Lake, which is now part ofmy old DistrictNo. 3, and it has become even larger than before. He later appointed his wife as committeeperson formy seat. She has since resigned and was replaced by his secretary. The chairman made another appearance in court when he tried to prevent an elected council member to screen before the committee for re-election. She won the court decision and won the support of the committee in spite of his tactics for candidate preference. What Sayreville really needs is a new chairman with a committee that is not overrun and handpicked by him. I have and always will support the Democratic principles, but I cannot and will not support a chairman who too often plays the role of a dictator. Yes, the time has come for Assemblyman/Chairman John Wisniewski to step down for the betterment of the Sayreville Democratic Party. Barbara A. Kilcomons is a resident of Sayreville