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Ballot Question Deadline For Government Change
Petitions Has Come And Gone
Lakewood Ward System Proposal, Suggested By Seniors
Hobday and Mason After Impressive VAAD Write-In Victory In Republican
Primary, Never Got Off The Ground
GOP Township Committee Campaign Is In Virtual Limbo
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William Hobday |
Lakewood Township:
A local government change proposal suggested by two
Senior Citizens has not translated into a petition signature drive,
and anybody who thinks the local Democratic administration is going to
initiate the change from town hall needs to have his oil changed.
The ward proposal surfaced following the defeat of Fairways Adult
Community resident William Hobday by Menashe Miller, after Orthodox
Jewish supporters of Miller launched a write-in campaign which
produced nearly 3800 votes in the June 4th Republican Primary election
for Township Committee. Hobday placed a distant third with about 1450
votes.
One long time Lakewood observer, a former official, described the
Miller write-in campaign as “the most incredible display of political
discipline I have ever seen”.
An Extraordinary Accomplishment For A “Throw-Away” Candidate
“It is nearly impossible to get 50 write-in votes for a candidate”,
the resident said, adding that “3792 write-in votes in a primary
election is an extraordinary accomplishment”.
Moreover, there is some indication that Miller is a “throw-away
candidate” who may not campaign and whose sole purpose for
participating in the GOP primary was to get rid of Hobday as a
potential threat to two incumbent Democrats supported by the VAAD.
Committee members Charles Coles and Charles Cunliffe, both Democrat
incumbents, think they will receive decisive Orthodox Jewish support
in November. With rare exceptions, the candidates who are supported by
the Orthodox community are winners in Lakewood.
All of this leaves Hannah Havens, the second GOP candidate nominated
in the primary election with 3792 votes, in a difficult position. Does
she have a running mate who will be of any help to the Republican
campaign? Who knows?
Miller’s candidacy surfaced a week before the primary election in an
advertisement in an Orthodox Jewish publication urging readers to
“knock out Bill Hobday”.
Ad Charged Hobday Ran To “Attack the Orthodox”.
The ad charged Hobday’s sole reason for running in the first place “is
to attack the Orthodox”.
Hobday announced after the primary that he believes the town would
benefit from a ward system; he was joined in the idea by Original
Leisure Village leader Alfred E. Mason, who said the ward proposal
“would be in the best interests of all residents” and “a much more
democratic way” to run the local government.
No Citizens Petition Drive Surfaced; Time Has Now Run Out
But no citizens petition drive surfaced, and time has now run out for
a government change referendum to be scheduled unless a ballot
question resolution is adopted by the Democratic controlled township
committee.
The likelihood of that is the same as the sun coming up in the West
tomorrow morning.
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