Resident sees crisis in Edison leadership
With the country facing a financial meltdown in what some are describing as an "economic Pearl Harbor," how do Edison Mayor Jun Choi and Board of Education President David Dickinson react? They become part of this crisis in leadership going around.

Choi, who under the misnomer of reform and three-year budget plans, has raised taxes 25 percent so far in his short tenure, and that's not counting the debt, and Dickinson, who never met a bloated teachers' contract he didn't like, has locked us in for the next three years with his threeyear commitment for salary increases of some $17 million — it's obscenity and absurdity all in one town.

Now, as hard as it may be for our local leaders to responsibly lead, maybe they should invest some of our tax dollars in those excessive budgets of $195 million and $118 million for the school district and municipality, respectively, and take a sensitivity course or two. Perhaps, given the current economic climate facing the township residents, that would be a better use of our money rather than making sure their staves can commute to work for free. Well, at the very least, since gas isn't a concern, they should have their staves stop and pick up a copy of last week's Time magazine. The cover page is "The New Hard Times."

Let's get real here. These are serious times we're all facing, and we need serious leaders who can recognize, understand and react to the difference between inflation and deflation and can put away their sophomoric politicization games. Politics as usual in Edison and the rhetoric that goes along with it, such as in playing hide and seek with budgets and teacher contracts and excluding the residents from the local tax levy process, can't and shouldn't be tolerated any longer. This "just 'cause we can" attitude by these two elected officials needs a major adjustment.

Adding insult to injury, do we really need to hear that School Superintendent John DiMuzio now has a new Durango at his disposal to tool around town, or that Choi picks this time to give himself a $26,000 raise?

As for Dickinson and Choi and our own crisis in leadership here in Edison, we, the residents, need to recognize, understand and react to the fact that one can't remain the poster child for term limits and the other should simply have a term limit of one.

It's still our town, and we need to make sure those people we put in charge can and will look out for the taxpaying residents in these difficult times. In other words, lead and not do damage, and then recede. These two just ain't up to the task.
Ralph Bucci
Edison Township