Letter to the Editor: Jen Dawson

Press release from Jen Dawson:

Oct. 9, 2021

To the Editor: My daughter received a seriously misguided mailing from the Republican candidates for Green Brook Township Committee. My running mate Art Goodman and I are the Democratic challengers. The mailing advises residents should not “let national issues be brought to Green Brook where they have no relevance.”

If the Republican candidates think Green Brook is an island apart from the rest of the nation, then they must have the good fortune to live on high ground where they can avoid the massive flooding brought on Green Brook by climate change. The fact is that the most pressing issues facing Green Brook are closely tied to national and even global problems and require local action. That’s why we need more energetic and forward-looking leadership in Green Brook. With respect to climate change, we need to update our Master Plan, our zoning, and our construction codes to increase climate resiliency.

In 2015, the Rutgers Water Resources Program produced a report for Green Brook to improve storm water management, but that plan was never fully implemented. If elected, we will make climate resiliency a priority. If our opponents think the national debate over COVID-19 vaccination and masking policies are irrelevant here, they are sadly mistaken. Green Brook suffered more COVID deaths per 1,000 residents than any other municipality in Somerset County. And yet Green Brook had a weak response to the pandemic, consistently trailing the county average in vaccination rates.

This year, Green Brook has a chance to choose a new direction. By electing Art Goodman and me, we can put a Democratic majority in place on January 1 and get to work on the biggest challenges facing Green Brook.

Sincerely, Jen Dawson

This press release was produced by Jen Dawson. The views expressed here are the author's own.