July 13th, 2009, Subject: COAH Resolution Meaningless

I have been following the coordinated letters from Republicans attempting to cast Sean Byrnes and Patrick Short as somehow advocating affordable housing efforts in Middletown.  They refer to a single resolution introduced by the Republicans on the Middletown Township Committee that sought to abolish the Council on Affordable Housing (COAH).  The Resolution, filled with inaccuracies and falsehoods, called for the abolishment of COAH, but never mentioned how Middletown would meet the Supreme Court’s requirement that each municipality bear its fair share of affordable housing.  It was a meaningless resolution, introduced for political purposes, with no chance of changing existing legislation.
            In a Township that has over 66,000 residents, where your child cannot play lacrosse because there are no fields, where our swimmers go to Asbury Park to swim, where you cannot play ice hockey and your Pop Warner players and cheer leaders play on fields waiting for improvements that were funded years ago, these Republicans should work on real plans for improving the Township and stop passing meaningless resolutions.

Paul J Jansen
Middletown, NJ