Russo Jr. Uses The Bully Pulpit, Quotes Ronald Reagan In His First Letter To Constituents As A Republican Candidate For Mayor

“I Didn’t Leave The Democratic Party, The Democratic Party Left Me” He Quotes Reagan: “Like Reagan, Who Chose To Become A Republican To Build A Better America, I Chose To Become A Republican To Build A Better Dover Township”, Says Russo Jr.

Primary Opponent Van Speirs Has Issued No Press Releases, mailed No Campaign Communications And Sent No Letters To The Editor

Dover Township: Mayor John Russo Jr. has used the bully pulpit of the mayor's office to focus the local government in this last year of township committee government in Dover Township.

He’s issued a steady stream of policy statements to the media, many of which are designed to illustrate the difference between the old Republican administration and the current government, and between the current GOP majority and the two-member Democrat minority on the lame duck committee.

In a community that has been long victimized by an army of developers and big land owners, resulting in massive overdevelopment, the current crop of lame duck Republican elected officials has aroused a glimmer of hope among township residents by making a modest start on a competent open space acquisition plan, an effort which Russo Jr. promises to expand at the earliest opportunity.

“I Didn’t Leave The Democratic Party, The Democratic Party Left Me”

In a letter to Republican constituents, Russo Jr., who has said he was forced out of the Democratic Party by local Democratic Party boss and publicist “Doctor” Jack Moriarty, quotes former President Ronald Reagan, saying “I didn’t leave the Democratic Party, the Democratic Party left me”.

“Like Reagan, who chose to become a Republican to build a better America, I chose to become a Republican to build a better Dover Township”, Russo Jr. says in the letter.

Russo Jr. cited three issues he said  “matter” to the people of Dover Township, “issues like lower taxes, slowing over development and protecting the quality of our drinking water”.

The letter says “Governor Jim McGreevey and the Trenton Democrats consider this one of the most important races in New Jersey”.

Change Of Government Will Take Place In November 2003 Election

Because the voters elected last November to change the government here, voters will directly elect their own mayor and a seven member township council in 2003, to replace the township committee that has governed Dover Township since its charter as an independent municipality.

Russo Jr. Says Democrats “Will Spend Hundreds Of
Thousands Of Dollars On Negative Attack Ads”

Russo said McGreevey and the Democrats “will spend hundreds of thousands of dollars in negative attack ads in an attempt to buy the election. We can’t let them succeed”, he said.

Russo Jr. is opposed in the June 3rd Republican primary election by traffic engineer Van Speirs.

Speirs Has Issued No Press Releases, No Public
Statements At Township Committee Meetings

Except for his declaration of candidacy, Speirs has issued no press releases, has attended but has made no public statements at township committee meetings and has, apparently, sent no general communications to constituents.

Speirs’ website says he has a four point plan as a candidate for Mayor. The website says he “will answer the call by instituting frequent town meetings so citizens can voice their concerns”

Speirs says: “Since I have years of traffic engineering experience, local and statewide, I will offer new and innovative ways to curb traffic congestion in Dover Township.”

According to the website, Speirs is “committed to across-the-board municipal tax cuts to relieve the taxpayers, and he says he will "conduct a government performance project to ensure that our local government lives within its means and operates efficiently.”

Russo’s letter also included a roster of his GOP council running mates: Michael John Fiure Jr., Carmine C. Inteso, Jr., John C. Sevastakis: Council At Large; and Maria Maruca, Ward I; Brian S. Kubiel, Ward II; Dr. Maurice “Mo” B. Hill Jr., Ward III; Gregory P. McGucken, Ward IV.

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