Truth and Honesty

I was at the Wayne Mayoralty and Town Council debates last Wednesday, Oct 23rd.  A major focus of many of the questions posed to the candidate’s concerned Mayor Vergano’s proposed changes to the Master Plan.

The Mayor’s position now is that the planned changes are being reconsidered. As yet, no revised alternate has been offered. Does anyone really believe that this plan, in one form or another, isn’t going to reappear sometime after the election?

During the council debate the republican candidates who are all current council members, professed they did not support the Mayor’s plan and were against rezoning Wayne. Yet two of those three candidates have already voted for the first phase of the plan, which was the rezoning of sections of the first ward for high density apartments; and the other two have never once indicated that they would roll back this phase one of rezoning.

Over two years ago the town council voted to rezone parts of ward one to allow for the construction of a high-rise building among other things.  This is where truth and honesty seem to get lost.

Is it the truth that the council, including the two republicans running for reelection, voted to rezone ward one? Yes, that’s a fact. Councilwomen Miller-Ryan protests that “I do not support adding new high-density, multi-family housing to Wayne” in the debate. Yet, she has already voted for the rezoning of Wayne; and has supported the implementation of development of apartment buildings on those flood plain wetlands.

Since they’ve already voted for the first phase of the master plan changes, rezoning the first ward, how can they now be against rezoning? Is the first ward not part of Wayne? Aren’t the people in the first ward entitled to the same consideration and protection as the rest of our residents?  Or is it the fact that they’ve just seen the political handwriting on the wall and realize that it isn’t politically correct to support rezoning right now? What happens after the election? Take a guess!

How about some truth and honesty for a change. If the current council members up for reelection really didn’t support rezoning Wayne why hasn’t the rezoning of the first ward been repealed? It’s been more then two years and the rezoning still stands.

There are those who will say that I’m a partisan and this post reflects that. It’s true I am a partisan. I’m the President of the Wayne Democratic Club. But the question isn’t whether or not I’m a partisan. The question is whether or not what I’ve stated in this post is true? And if it’s true what does it matter what my political views are; truth is truth and honesty is honesty.

President, Wayne Democratic Club