Bedminster Township Committee Primary Candidate: Zaheer Jan

BEDMINSTER, NJ — Zaheer Jan is one of four candidates running for township committee in the Bedminster primary election being held on Tuesday, June 4.

Jan and Jeffrey Beyer are both vying for the Democratic ticket while Douglas A. Stevinson and Gina Lisa-Fernandez are both vying for the Republican ticket. There are two seats up for grabs on the township committee.

All four candidates are vying for their party's nomination on June 4 and then will move on to the general election on Nov. 5.

Zaheer Jan

Description:

Zaheer Jan is 88 years old and from Bedminster.

What experience do you have that would help you serve?

• Served as Treasurer of Bedminster Democratic Committee
• Past Chairman of Bedminster Democratic Committee. Resigned in 2004 after declaring candidacy for election to Bedminster Township Committee. A sizeable group of influential Republicans declared themselves ‘Republicans for Zaheer Jan’. Lost election by 14 votes in the heavily Republican town due to a smear pamphlet distributed by the Republican opponent, door to door, on the election eve
• Campaign worker for Corzine for governor
• Campaign worker for ‘Carden for Congress’, 7th Congressional District
• Campaign worker for Tom Halgash for Bedminster Township Committee in 2002 and 2003
• President of Timberbrooke at Bedminster Condominium Association from 1999 to 2015
• Served as a Director on the board of Bedminster Hills Housing Corporation, (BHHC), 2002 to 2004
• Served as Board Worker, Somerset County Board of Elections
• Member of the American Foreign Policy Association, 2000 to present
• Teacher of English as a foreign language with Literacy Volunteers of America, 2004
• Founding member of ‘Citizen’s Group Against Ramps’ (CGAR). A committee of concerned citizens formed to oppose the construction of an interchange proposed and aggressively pushed by Bedminster Township Committee to install, in the heart of the historic Pluckemin district, a seven ramps project connecting interstate highways I-78/I-287 with state highways 202/206, at an estimated cost of $50 millions. Coined the acronym CGAR (pronounced Seegar)
• Represented CGAR along with other members of the group at New Jersey Transportation Planning Authority meetings.
• Provided copious comments rebutting the need for the I-78/I-287, state highways 202/206, interchange project presented in 2003 in NJTPA Inc.’s 2025 Regional Transportation Plan for Northern New Jersey.
• Was ‘single point contact’ between CGAR and New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) for review and dissemination of information to all CGAR members regarding alternatives to be developed for the defunct ‘seven ramps’ project. (These are being implemented now).

What issues would you like to address in Bedminster?

Day to day issues facing the majority of Bedminster’s residents. I have lived here since year 1995. Soon after taking residence in town I started attending the town’s hall meetings. During the public question portion of the meeting, most time I would get up and ask a question, the response I would get was, "We know what is good for the town". Things haven’t changed much: "Majority of the population of Bedminster have a minority representation". I thought that Americans’ slogan was: "No Taxation without Representation".

Why should voters vote for you?

I, a registered Democrat, have always fought tyranny and can rightfully name the following success stories:

I rallied with Democrat and Republicans and saved Bedminster Township, from the avaricious scheme of Bedminster Town Committee’s power brokers, who were trying to connect Interstates 78 and 287 with ramps opening into State Highways 202/206, smack dab in the heart of Pluckemin Village. A project, if allowed to be implemented, would have destroyed Bedminster. All work was being carried out to benefit a developer wanting to construct Bedminster II office building.

I rallied with Democrat and Republicans and helped save Bedminster’s Airport when certain Republican Committeemen were wanting to shut the airport down. I, with some friends, went door to door getting signatures for ‘election recall’ of the committeeman leading, the Airport Shut Down campaign. And we succeeded. We managed to throw the committeeman out from office. I and my friends didn’t care whose issue it was. We did it because it was wrong.

I rallied with Democrat and Republicans and helped save River Road Park. Some town’s Republican Committeemen were hell bent on converting the park to a night time ball field complete with flood lights, bleachers and night stands. These committeemen had no regard about killing the ambiance of the residents living in the area around River Road Park.

Republicans overwhelmingly supported me when I ran for election to the township committee in 2004. They took out full page ads in Bernardsville news, styling themselves as, "Republicans for Zaheer Jan". I do not see my fellow citizens as Democrats, Republicans or Independents. I see them as fellow residents of this lovely township. Health, sickness, hunger, richness or hardship none have a party affiliation. Anyone, irrespective of their party affiliation, their sex, their faith, or their skin color can be afflicted.

Dear friends we are all in it together. We need to address issues facing Bedminster Townships residents. and need to do "What will benefit all!"

— (If you are a candidate and would like to participate in the profile, email alexis.tarrazi@patch.com)

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