PLUMSTED – Did a campaign advertisement mailed to residents of the township go too far when it comes to good taste? Some residents feel it did and Mayor Dominick Cuozzo was confronted about it during a recent Township Committee meeting.
The June Township Committee meeting took place two days after the June 4 GOP Primary election that featured four Republicans who ran for two-three-year committee seats. Republicans for Plumsted organization candidates Thomas Potter and James Hagelstein won with 948 and 943 votes respectively. They beat Plumsted Township Republican Club endorsed candidates Committeeman Michael Hammerstone, 497 votes, and Mayor Cuozzo, who came in last with 488 votes.
John Neyenhouse, the chairman of the township’s environmental committee and a former member of the township planning board, asked Cuozzo about the ethics of a mailer paid for by the Plumsted Republican Club that included a photo of a fetus extending a middle finger in the womb.
It also featured a photo of a frightened woman on the top of the page and a horror film font text was used stating Potter and Hagelstein would be scary for the town if elected.
Neyenhouse said during the public comment period that he had, “received a disgusting flier in the mail and it says it was paid for by the Plumsted Township Republican Club. They are a community endorsed organization that is using this building for meetings. I want to propose that they can’t use this building until they make a public apology for sending fliers out with this disgusting stuff.”
“I’d like to understand why the Republican Club would endorse sending this so that children who open the mailboxes and having people with the middle finger on both sides of the flier. This is not appropriate. This is ridiculous. All the elementary school kids that come home each day and open the mailbox and look at this,” he said.
“Why did that person do that? That is a very good question?” Cuozzo said regarding the campaign flier that denounced the candidates that ran against him and Committeeman Hammerstone.
Township Attorney Jean Cipriani responded that the content put out by any group using the building was not subject to review. “The Township does not inquire the content.”
“This is like a terrorist attack on every family in town in mailing it out and I don’t see why we should allow them to use this building as a meeting place,” Neyenhouse said adding that the club should make an apology.
“I understand your point but asking the Committee to take any action against any group that uses the municipal building is not possible. The town cannot do that without violating first amendment rights – be it this group or any other group. I understand your passion on this issue but that request cannot be granted legally,” the attorney added.
Prior to the public comment period, Committeeman Hammerstone congratulated Potter and Hagelstein on their victory in the primary race.
Cuozzo also read a statement that he and Hammerstone wrote that “Deputy Mayor (Herb) Marinari asked me to read tonight. I want to thank all Plumsted residents who voted and we want to thank all the Plumsted residents who voted for us.”
“We commend Mr. Hagelstein and Mr. Potter on their election and we encourage everyone to move forward together as Republicans to do what is best for our town,” Cuozzo stated.
The two winning candidates will go on to run in the general election on November 5. There are no Democratic candidates filed to run against them.
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