Steve Massell Plans to Put Taxpayers First in Run for Middletown

By Chris Fotache

As a father of four born and raised in Middletown, Steve Massell was
compelled to run for Township Committee this year out of a growing
concern over the disastrous impact that policies dictated by Jon Corzine
are having on Middletown. Rather than complaining while watching tax
bills increase, Massell decided to get involved.

“Trenton takes millions more from Middletown taxpayers each year while
sending less money back and requiring Middletown, by decree, to provide
low income housing and other unfunded mandates,” said Massell. “This is
simply unacceptable — Middletown cannot maintain the quality of life we
all enjoy while certain local elected officials embrace these policies.”

When pressed for details, Massell explained that his opponent, Democrat
Pat Short has regularly voted in line with Jon Corzine. Earlier this
year, Short did vote against Resolutions condemning Corzine’s State
budget and the expansion of COAH — the Council On Affordable Housing —
which, Massell added: “requires Middletown to provide obscene amounts of
low income housing at immense taxpayer expense.”

“I am not suggesting that Pat Short is a bad person, in fact, while I
didn’t vote for him, I had high hopes that he would do what he promised
three years ago and help us lower property taxes,” explained Massell.
“Instead, Pat Short has towed the Democrat party line with Jon Corzine
and Middletown taxpayers simply cannot afford another term for either
one of them.”

In addition to his fight for lower taxes and against State-mandated low
incoming housing, Massell suggested that there are many other local
issues that are of significant concern that need to be addressed.

“Middletown is one of the largest and most diverse communities in the
State and each section of town faces different challenges that need to
be addressed by the Township Committee,” Massell says. “For years,
Lincroft residents have had to contend with unsafe and overcrowded
roadways in a predominately residential area of town, and residents in
the Bayshore have endured years of flooding that was supposed to be
addressed by the federal government, but has not been despite decades of
false assurances from Congressman Pallone.”

In both of these instances, Massell believes that local governments in
suburban communities like Middletown are being forced to take a more
active approach while politicians in Washington and Trenton redistribute
billions to inner cities that have been devastated by decades of high
taxes and corruption that drove out the businesses and residents that
once contributed to their tax base.

Having worked in the private sector his entire life, Steve Massell
believes that it is time for him to give something back to the community
he grew up in. Steve already serves on the Middletown Planning Board and
wishes to expand this public service to promote smart growth policies,
such as preserving Middletown’s remaining open spaces and continuing
implementation of the Green Initiative to help reduce taxes and traffic
when on the Township Committee.

You can find out more about Steve Massell’s campaign for Middletown
Township Committee at www.middletown2009.com