I have established this blog to facilitate constructive comments, questions, and other responsible feedback from West Windsor Residents in a public forum.
Comments. Post a comment or a question here if there is something that you would like me to address. Constructive comments and significant questions will also be reflected in updates to my website at http://www.charlescmorgan.com so be sure to check there from time to time regarding my positions on the issues.
Edits and deletions. Your comments will not be edited and I will respond publicly right here. I reserve the right to delete comments where the person is not clearly identified by name or where the comments are indecent or otherwise cross the line of propriety.
Polls. I intend to post polls here on important issues. Your responses to the polls will help me serve you better. The first of my polls is on redevelopment and can be found at the lower right hand side of this blog (scroll down if you can't see it). Take the poll and check back periodically for the evolving poll results.
July 8, 11:45 p.m. In response to Gary Fox's comment, I have this to say:
Thanks for the compliments and thanks especially for the communication on my blog. I don't think being Council President is like "herding timid rabbits or ferocious ferrets" (Mr.Fox's words), it's more like riding a bucking bronco -- I don't have a lot of control over where we're going.
Steve Goldin and Intercap Holdings certainly have contributed significantly to the redevelopment discussion but the Township must maintain control over what we do or do not do in the redevelopment zone. I have always supported redevelopment but on a scale commensurate with the values of our community. You can read more about my views on my website at the following link:
http://www.charlescmorgan.com/Train_Station_Revitalization.html
Regarding a referendum, I voted against the idea the last time it was raised and I remain opposed to the idea. It is impossible to pose the question in a way that will generate an answer on which I can take effective action. I discuss the problems with surveys (a referendum is a formal kind of survey) on my website at the following link:
http://www.charlescmorgan.com/Petitions_and_Surveys.htm
My current intent is to move toward closure on a redevelopment plan that can be embraced by the community without the necessity of a referendum. I will listen to the arguments favoring a referendum and keep an open mind, but I doubt that a referendum question can be drafted in such a way that I would be comfortable supporting it.
About Me
- Charlie
- Member of West Windsor Township Council since July 1, 1999; Principal, HessMorganHouse, LLC; BA, English, Wesleyan University; JD, Vanderbilt University School of Law; MBA, Pepperdine University; CLU, The American College; Advanced Pension Certificate, The American College; Former coach, W.W. recreational sports; Former Scoutmaster, Pack 66; Father of three and Grandfather of seven.
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3 comments:
First of all ... I want to compliment you on your leadership of the council last night. Orderly & very fair.
I'm also very impressed with your credentials from your website ... education & experience … and I value your commitment to West Windsor.
Is being Council President like herding timid rabbits or ferocious ferrets?
My wife, Leslie & I spoke last night at the public comments on our support for the Train Station renovation.
The benefits are very large and the risks are small.
The only risk I can think of is the failure and abandonment of the project by Intercap if funding fails for some reason.
However, I know that the Princeton area is a very valuable development area and any shortfall of Intercap Holdings would be picked up by another developer.
As a congregant and board member, I have worked with Steve Goldin when he was in charge of the Beth Chaim Temple expansion about 5 years ago.
I know him to be a very talented, realistic, and ethical person. No Bullshit … straight and sometimes painful candor ... and a very hard driver to get what he has committed to completed.
I have confident in his leadership and the development plans Intercap have laid out.
Last point ... as a resident of 26 years; I have never had any developer contact me concerning a pending development.
Never!
The bull dozers just showed up one morning ... and a few years later the development was complete.
I understand that this "redevelopment project” involves community involvement. But Intercap has certainly gone beyond any minimum required to allow us to participate and understand the project.
They have provided a very open and complete review which gives me faith in their integrity and expertise.
I hope you will support this important development.
Regards Gary Fox
PS If it is not legally required, I don’t want a referendum. Whether I agree or not with their decisions, that’s what we elected the council for … to make decisions.
2 Baylor Place
609-799-6595
Email
jgfox39@aol.com
I have a question regarding/concern the integrity of the poll.
Web based polls such as this are notoriously simple to "fool" and because of that, are questionable as to their accuracy and reliability.
Example: I can vote, clear the cache and cookies from my browser, close the browser, reopen and vote again. If I chose to do that 100 times, I could cast 100 distinct votes. This is what worries me regarding assuming these "votes' reflect a true feeling amongst the residents.
Also, these polls are not limited to a distinct geographic location. Someone in Texas could find the poll and vote.
There are other, more robust and secure options available if an accurate portrait of sentiment is needed.
Mike, you are correct. I am tracking the IP addresses of everyone who visits the site; what you describe has already happened. This is my first crack at trying to set this up and I don't expect the results to be very scientific, but I can approximate the number of double votes by tracking the number of times the same IP address arrives on the blog. But that can be thwarted by a determined person who knows how to arrive on the blog from a different IP address. My tracking capability includes the geographic location of each person who visits the blog. I've had people visiting already from more than one state. I don't expect to have a good enough sample to treat these results as being highly representative of what people in W.W. think for all sorts of reasons, even if this were a highly secure method of getting the results. But it is good enough to give me some level of comfort (or not) with respect to what I already believe to be the views of the majority.
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