In Middletwn, fresh perspective meets old attitude

New to the township government, Committeeman Sean Byrnes is in favor of more community involvement in the budget process. However, Deputy Mayor Pamela Brightbill disagreed. Read more about what went on at The Courier Web site.

Fireworks held throughout county

The Fourth of July is always a special time in the area. Last night, the Red Bank fireworks display was incredible, as usual. Traffic was what traffic is in Red Bank for the fireworks. But it was a great family event.

Dr. Andrew Walsh and his wife, school board member and Democratic candidate for Township Committee Patricia Walsh, hosted their annual fireworks party at their River Plaza home, which brought out scores of people. Some of those that attended the event included Middletown Committeeman Patrick Short and his family, Holmdel Committeeman Larry Fink and his family, Middletown Committeeman Sean Byrnes and his family, Middletown Democratic Chairman Joseph Caliendo and his family, as well as Bayshore Young Dems Chairman Matthew Morehead and his family, among others.

It was a very big event with great food and a lot of spirit. Click on the headline to go to the APP for a story about area-wide events.

Brightbill challenges need for bipartisan discussion

It has long been a criticism I have had of the Middletown Committee's GOP majority that decisions are made by this majority without any allowance for discussion from Democrats elected to the governing body. It should be the citizenry of Middletown that decides who has input into government. According to Deputy Mayor Pamela Brightbill, at last night's committee meeting, conversation and input with regard to matters of business at Town Hall amounts to a luxury where it involves Democrats offering input -- something that happens 'when there is time.'

The fact that the deputy mayor is so polarized that she does not even entertain the idea of genuine debate, and denotes that basically everything must go along party lines where voting is concerned, is preposterous. No community needs this kind of leadership. Bipartisanship is a requirement of government. If a Democrat cannot communicate to a Republican, or vice cersa, then how can anything get done?

The voters made the choice of putting committeemen Patrick Short and Sean Byrnes on the governing body, and it is disrespectful to them, not to mention governmentally unorthodox, for a deputy mayor to rail against the presence of other party people providing input in the context of what should have been a work session.

Courier Staff Writer Melissa L. Gaffney has done an outstanding job bringing coverage of the Middletown Committee. She has a very complete post on her blog, Sable Minded. Click on the headline to go there for more information.

An interview with Sean Byrnes, Democratic candidate for Township Committee

Recently, at an event held by the Middletown Democrats honoring Assemblyman Upendra Chivukula, I interviewed Sean Byrnes. Mr. Byrnes is running for one of two seats up on the governing body this year locally.