State of Brigantine Politics

Is BrigantineNOW politically one sided? That’s a question we get asked often. This is how we answer: BOTH sides are capable of good & not-so-good…at any one time. That’s why we’re proud to be independent. We get to speak our mind regardless of party affiliation.

The recent end of a 110 year Brigantine Republican run was another indication that more Brigantiners are thinking independently as well. It’s healthy to change things up when we get too fat n happy. Today, Brigantine elected officials are well aware… they are no longer guaranteed of an easy win each election cycle. While Brigantine Democrats deserve credit for disrupting a century of GOP domination, they’d be smart not to rest on their laurels. Petitions and another pesky November are just around the corner.

Political battles in Brigantine have become even more of a circus recently. Just watch a few minutes of our City Council meetings. Discussion of dog parks & ice cream vendors can grind on for weeks…..if not years. Ever wonder why Brigantine council dragged their feet for years…..and wouldn’t allow ice cream to be sold on the beach? Just follow the money for that answer.

Ever wonder why City council meetings are NOT available online…..for easy access & viewing by those who live elsewhere in the winter? Can you imagine the firestorm from non-voting taxpayers after they witness council members……bicker, pontificate, finger point, bullshit, filibuster and interrogate…..while whacking up and doling out everybody’s tax dollars?

I’ve seen 6th grade debate teams do a better job at moving towards agreement. Will things get better? Not sure about that one. That’s partially due to the decline of Brigantine’s voter base and the growing burden of union contracts, pensions, and benefits for a city workforce that needs to be right sized….and fast.

Each year, Brigantine full time residents become a smaller lot while 2nd home owners that can’t vote…grow in number. Ignoring 3/4 of homeowners can never be a good thing.

From the moment we launched BrigantineNOW, we were immediately asked if we were a political tool for one side or the other. Back then, a local ding-a-ling thought I was a Democrat. Nope. Today, a totally different ding-a-ling accused me of being a Republican operative. Nope.

BrigantineNOW is an equal opportunity watch dog & voice for ALL of Brigantine.

What’s our mission? That’s easy: BOOST the overall economy of Brigantine & call out bad behavior by our elected officials & city employees. This helps everyone. Not just one side. Oh, by the way….we have a real problem with those who scam, threaten, mis-represent, intimidate, waste taxpayer funds, make Brigantine look bad, etc. Matter of fact, so does 99% of Brigantine taxpayers.

Some say Brigantine will never change. We disagree. It already is changing. Right before your very eyes.

Why is Brigantine finally changing after 110 years? We think the Internet is a big part of that answer. It brings much needed transparency to our once hidden island.

No one controls all the local information anymore. The web, including BrigantineNOW, helped destroy that monopoly.

Those that controlled Brigantine for a very long time….really hate that inconvenient truth.

Subscribe BrigantineNOW

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *