I read with great irony former Mayor Antonia Ricigliano’s recent letter endorsing candidate Keth Hahn [for mayor].
The folly of former Mayor Ricigliano touting her accomplishments and endorsing Hahn seems to bypass the reality of the ineptness Edison endured during her term in office.
Once elected, Ricigliano proceeded to reignite the turmoil of our already politicized police department. Ricigliano with the help of Bill Stephens proceeded to mismanage our town throughout their tenure.
I’m sure Ricigliano is a nice lady, a great mother, was probably a good school teacher, but she was outright incompetent as mayor.
Now she wants us to vote for Keith Hahn, who’s only available to run for mayor on the Republican line because of his offending actions as the towns Democratic chair. Is Ricigliano’s endorsement sour grapes or another example of limited vision?
Between the 8 years of chaos and infighting brought to residents by our last two mayors, Jun Choi and Ricigliano, Mayor Thomas Lankey has been a welcome relief. He’s a gentlemen, he listens and I think he’s made the town better.
Edison is a company town. Unfortunately, lots of strange unexplainable things go on, but they’ve been going on well before the most recent administrations of Choi, Ricigliano and Lankey.
Choi was at least smart and we can thank him for at least attempting to bring new direction and leadership into the police department and maybe change their culture. I feel he was smart, but ineffective because he didn’t know how to work with others.
The Ricigliano administration was in over their heads. Don’t know if it was Ricigliano, Stephens or both, but somehow any police department progress made under Choi ended with Ricigliano and lots of lawsuits.
Prior to Lankey, previous administrations delayed the Hartz redevelopment site for so long that to this day the development is a shadow of what we anticipated. Who knows how much that indecision cost us in lost revenues.
At least now under Lankey our streets are being paved again, our streets are being swept again and commercial ratables are up as a result of major commercial projects that have taken place during the four years Lankey has been mayor.
Let’s reelect Mayor Lankey.
Bruce Diamond
Edison resident
