By Charles Layton
What if the Ocean Grove Home Owners Association held a candidates forum and the only candidate who showed up was Mary Beth Jahn?
That possibility arose on Thursday after the Neptune Democratic chairman, James Mowczan, tried to avoid having his two endorsed candidates appear on the same Ocean Grove stage with Jahn.
In the June 5 Democratic primary, the three candidates — Jahn, Michael Brantley and Nicholas Williams — will compete for two seats on the Township Committee. In a bitter intraparty squabble, the county party has endorsed Jahn while Mowczan and his Neptune organization back Williams. (Both the county and Neptune branches of the party have endorsed Brantley.)
James Mowczan. Photo by Mary Walton
So now the president of the Home Owners Association is inviting those three candidates to speak at the HOA’s May 26 meeting. Jahn is eager to appear, but Mowczan said on Thursday that he was advising all three candidates not to appear.
The HOA’s president, Denis McCarthy, says the forum will happen in spite of Mowczan’s opposition. “The forum is scheduled, the forum will take place,” McCarthy said. “If one, two or all three of the candidates show up, the forum will take place.”
Jahn told me: “I will be there on the 26th, whether they [Williams and Brantley] show up or not. If I have no one to debate, I can do a Q&A session with residents.” While Jahn has already accepted the HOA’s invitation, Williams and Brantley had not replied as of the end of the day Thursday.
This debate about a debate kicked off on Wednesday afternoon, when McCarthy sent the following email to Mowczan:
Mr. Mowczan,
The HOA will conduct a candidates forum on Saturday, May 26th at 10am in the Community Room in Ocean Grove. We will send out invitations as soon as we obtain contact info, but for now would you please notify the three candidates.
Thanks, Denis
On Thursday, Mowczan sent McCarthy this reply:
On behalf of the Neptune Township Democratic Organization, I would like to thank the Ocean Grove Home Owners Association for offering to host a debate for the three candidates running in the June 5th Democratic Primary Election. However, it is my understanding that the OGHOA is a politically non-partisan organization. Furthermore it is probably a safe assumption that the majority of your membership is either undeclared voters or registered Republicans, both of whom are ineligible to vote for any of the three candidates in the June Primary. For these two reasons, I am advising all three candidates to honor your non-partisan tradition and not to participate in the planned May 26th debate.
-0-
Editor’s note: For background on the primary race, go here and here and here.
Route 66 widening is already in the funding stages. Is West Neptuner planning for the Mayan Apocalypse or something?
Apparently West Neptuner also wasn’t at the Dem Club meeting when Mayor Bishop notified us of the deal struck to water the spoils in Wall Township so dredging can begin.
Also, Freeholder Arnone announced the 66 widening over a year ago.
I spoke to a friend and she told me that there are at least 5 to 6 new district leaders that were at that vote. West Neptuner is right. Route 66 is a State Highway and that will never be Neptune’s call even though they have tried. Don’t know if you have been listening to the media on the dredging and it took more than Mary Beth to get the bond rating that it got. Although it was a decent one there are still higher ratings that could have been attained but we did do better. I thought there were 5 people on the Committee who vote and make decisions and not just one. Let’s give all the elected officials some credit for things being done.
66 widened???? not in my lifetime?? better check your facts on that one. There is a lot of talk of widening it, just like dredging the Shark River not happening anytime soon for either of those projects
@watchdog – I find it shocking that a District Leader didn’t know who Mary Beth Jahn was. That must mean they know nothing about Neptune Township, as she has been on the Township Committee for 6 years. My question is, why would you have them as a District Leader if they didn’t know that?
What newer district leaders? The turn-over in district leaders has been relatively non-existent in the last five years with the exception of one guy who got himself voted in as a DL independent of the Dem Club.
And I can’t blame anyone for not going to a Dem Club meeting.
And as for missing township meetings, I know she’s called in to quite a few due to work constraints, but to say Dr. Brantley didn’t miss any township meetings is BS. He had a five-month stretch where he was MIA!
Seriously, this is the best the Dem Club can come up with? She missed meetings? Like there is some sort of prize for perfect attendance? How about the fact that she’s getting Route 66 widened? How about the fact that she sued to get the Shark River dredged? How about she’s trying to chase the terrible property owners out of Ocean Grove? How about she helped get our bond rating raised?
Clearly someone or someones at the Dem Club can’t see the forest for the trees here, or worse, doesn’t care to!
I didn’t read this until today but lets get a fact straight. Marybeth has attended the last 2 democratic club meetings but did not make one meeting in 2 years in a row. Some of the newer District leaders never knew who she was only by name. This is a pure fact and she has missed numerous township meetings too. Dr Brantley is in the same boat and also missed most democratic club meetings but did not miss many township meetings. She now shows up with reports that should have been given all along. If she and Williams won the nomination, would this all be going on. Remember the order of finish Williams, Brantley, Jones and Jahn. This speaks in volumes and it was only because of people who are active in town and in the democratic club
Sal – While I can honestly say I’m familiar with the white van, I’ve never seen cookies for the poll workers (except for the one year, when it was donuts and a Republican and he nearly got arrested) and cigs for the ridership (which considering how few people smoke anymore and how expensive cigarettes are, unless someone was funding them out of their own pocket, again I find highly specious). In the parliance of the internet, “pics or it didn’t happen”.
So Cat and Marybeth….where is your fundraiser and how many votes do we need to control the Democratic Club of Neptune.
This particular election is crucial to Neptune and especially Ocean Grove. I agree with Joan C. that we need to go to the Democratic Committee Meeting this Tuesday and voice our opinions, we need to fundraise, we need to get the voters to the polls and we need to organize. This is an important election and we do not want to be bullied by the Neptune Democratic Committee to vote for whom they want in (Williams, not Jahn). This is to benefit a few democrats not the majority of democrats (good old boy Neptune democrats). Remember, the County Democratic Party is backing Mary Beth Jahn. Please vote for Mary Beth on election day. She has been a very successful committee person and mayor and a good representative for the people.
It’s simply a trial run for the fall. That little van gets a lot of voters to the polls. Cookies for the poll workers, cigs for the ridership. It’s no surprise that they are breaking it out for the primary. Cat, you know it happens, don’t deny it. I witnessed it make repeated loops to the Liberty Firehouse two voting seasons ago. I find it ironic that MBJ will now feel the sting of “the white van.”
@ Sal –
“Seriously… with all due respect JoanC… those buses being positioned all around “highly Democratic” neighborhoods have NOTHING to do with electing Williams and Brantley and EVERYTHING to do with re-electing Mr. Obama.”
He’s running unopposed in the primary, why waste the money? Your comment on this point makes no sense.
Sal, if Mr. Obama is running unopposed, why do Williams and Mowczan need to deploy Mr. William’s white vans for the primary? That makes no sense whatsoever. Why bother wasting money that’s needed for the big fight?
jOAN C: You may have the right idea about joining the Neptune Dem Club. That old saying: “If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em” could be the answer.
1st. How many dues paying Club members are there?
2nd. How many Ocean Grovers would have to join to exercise control?
BTW: Not only registered Democrats may vote in the primary but any UNAFFILIATED voter may also. Just show up and declare right then and there.
Bullets, I read Michael Grover’s response as hyperbole, to make a point; I could be wrong.
Seriously… with all due respect JoanC… those buses being positioned all around “highly Democratic” neighborhoods have NOTHING to do with electing Williams and Brantley and EVERYTHING to do with re-electing Mr. Obama. In fact, Ms. Jahn and the rest of the local Democrats steadfastly deny that such pockets of Democrats even exist in Neptune. Yet it’s 100% because of these highly Democratic neighborhoods, otherwise known as “mid-town,” that the local D’s can fight like this now with no concerns for a fall victory by a Republican. In fact, Mr. Williams and Mr. Mowzcan have been the primary drivers of the bus; actually it’s a white van, over the past 10 years.
And Chuckie B, the last Republican majority was a whopping two years long (and it was a slim 3-2 majority at that.) Prior to that it was mostly Democratic for the prior 10 years. To represent that it matched the current 7 year stretch (mostly at 5 – 0) is way wrong. Facts don’t lie.
I thought the Democrat Party was in favor of inclusion and everybody having a chance to speak at the table. What is Mr. Mowzcan afraid of?
Disney by the sea: Thank you for your comment and I completely agree with you.
I was the one who took back my $10.00 membership dues at the end of that last meeting because of my complete outrage.
In order to vote and have a say I need to be a dues paying member. I will go to the next Neptune Township meeting on Tuesday, May 8th, as well as future monthly meetings, and I encourage everyone else who was there at the last meeting to come on May 8th and become a dues paying member. If our presence at the last meeting stopped it from becoming a “bloodbath”, as Mary Beth Jahn commented, then we need to continue to show up in droves and make sure our voices are heard.
Mr. Mowzcan’s response to OGHOA’s request for a candidates’ forum is ridiculous and shows the lack of leadership within the Neptune Democratic Club. Ocean Grove is a very important voting block in this township. We do have a large democratic presence.
As well, I encourage all Ocean Grove Republicans who support Mary Beth Jahn to change their registration to Democrat in order to vote for her on June 5th.
It has come to my attention that the Mowzcan, Williams, Brantley group is very well organized and is having a $125.00 per person fundraiser at the end of this month. In addition, they will have buses in highly Democratic parts of the township to transport voters on June 5th. I also understand there will be some activity in support of Mary Beth’s candidacy soon, and I will note that information on this blog.
For those of you on Facebook, there is a group that has formed: Mary Beth Jahn for Neptune. I encourage you to join this group.
Mary Beth and Randy Bishop have been and continue to be very strong advocates for Ocean Grove as well as for the whole township. As clearly noted at that last local Democratic meeting and now with Mowzcan’s response to an OGHOA forum, this is evidence enough that there is absolutely no interest/concern about what goes on in/happens to Ocean Grove. It will be to this town’s great detriment if Mary Beth does not continue in her position in Neptune.
Please come to the May 8th meeting and become a dues paying member of the Neptune Democratic Club and have a voice!!!
Bullets: Six years isn’t a long time. The Republicans had the majority before that for just as long. But you are right, there is no Republican or Democrat way to pick up garbage.
I’m also disapponted in Dr. Brantley. I recall his trite statement at one or possibly two of the OGHOA summer breakfast meetings at Days, It went something like, “Ocean Grove is the jewel of the Jersey shore, and I have fond memories,blah blah.” Yeah, right.
Maybe Grovers will have an opportunity to address/question all the candidates at other forums like in midtown, That might be an even better venue for showing the Democratic Party leaders (and I hate to use the term leaders, because they’re anything but!) that Ocean Grovers pay attention and we vote.
Michaelgrover: That’s a narrow minded mentality…just because a candidate has a (R) at the end of their name doesn’t make voting for them a fate worse then death.
Especially at the local level, party affiliation is less important then the individual candidates positions. As we see in Neptune, Democrats have been in power for a long time, and things aren’t all sunshine and roses.
Its a big tent and there is always room
I would rather drown than vote for a Republican. But in this local election, I am seriously considering a protest vote for two Republicans if they are able to walk and talk. Other than Mary Beth Jahn, I am very unimpressed with the Democratic candidates. And very disappointed in the local party.
I think it’s time for Mr. Mowczan to step down as Democratic Party Chair. It’s quite obvious that cronyism and retribution style politics have become his political mantra. I do believe that as a registered democratic Grover, I will be joining the Neptune Democratic Club, which I had previously avoided, just to vote him out, in December. Anyone want to go with me? Maybe it’s time to shake up the roots of the organization…what a shame.
The solution is simple. Change the primary process. Allow every candidate, regardless of political party affliation, to enter the primary. The top two vote getters (or top four when there are two seats open) are put on the ballot for the general election. Other towns and cities do this. It helps limit political party heads influence, especially from political leaders who do not live in Neptune. Make it about who the people want, not who the parties want.
I am a registered Democrat and I do not understand why the Party is going to war against Ocean Grove. There are many Democrats here, and for them to actively discourage a meeting with the candidates is beyond the pale. What are they thinking? Does the county Democratic organization support this kind of open display of hostility? Hey guys — this is America, not Russia.
If they keep this up, I am going to have to turn Republican!
“…a safe assumption…” ? Looks like the Neptune Democratic Organization has caught the same “Primary Election wackiness virus” as the National Republican Party.
I am a member of the OGHOA, and a registered Democrat. Interesting how one can make an assumption just because there is a lot of gray hair involved at the meetings!
I would love to hear and meet the candidates, especially within a non-partisan organization. And if there are Republicans and independents present, they will become better informed for when they vote in the general election.
Ok, I guess this independent will be voting for Jahn and Republicans in the fall! Parties don’t really matter much at this level! And the Local Dems have decided they don’t need OG.
Nonsense. Won’t VOTERS be attending, providing an opportunity to sway OG Republicans to view the candidates favorably? I guess some of the candidates would not want to face some uncomfortable questions.
What a shabby excuse. Surely a Democratic Party big guy like
Mr. Mowczan knew that the majority of Grovers who showed up at the unwelcoming Democratic Club Meeting last month were registered Democrats in favor of Mary Beth Jahn!
I just read in The Coaster that Mr. Mowczan’s “guy,” former Mayor Jim Manning Jr., will head up the fundraising and be the strategic message advisor to the Brantley/Williams ticket.
Mowczan and Manning–like Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum in my opinion.