May 28, 2014

It Takes Courage for Four of Six Council Members To Endorse a Candidate Other Than the Incumbent

To the Editor:

Sue Nemeth is an excellent choice for Princeton Council; so much so that Council President Bernie Miller chose to run a joint campaign with her, and so much so that our mayor and two other members of Council chose to endorse Sue and Bernie in this election. It takes courage for four out of six of our elected officials to opt to support a candidate other than the incumbent. They must have very good reasons to take the uncomfortable position of passing over a member of their own party. Instead of suspecting our elected leaders of ganging up on the incumbent, we should be noting that our leaders feel compelled to upset Democratic party harmony by underscoring and highlighting to the voters of Princeton the urgency of making a change in Council for the benefit of Princeton.

Bernie and Sue know that the task of governing is the art of guiding disparate views to common ground. Collegiality is something to be valued in our elected leaders. Productive and efficient use of time in Council meetings saves taxpayer money, but more important, it permits us to remain focused on the big issues (in point: If Borough Council had spent less time on legal bills and pointless parliamentary games they would have had the time to read the agreement that permitted AvalonBay to have its way at the old hospital site). There is a difference between holding true to one’s convictions and intransigence, and Sue and Bernie understand the difference and have demonstrated their ability to govern with conviction, collegiality, and focus on the big picture.

Please join me in moving Princeton forward by voting for Sue Nemeth and Bernie Miller for Princeton Council on June 3.

Scott Sillars

Patton Avenue