Schneider & Unger: Learn to Work Together Like Grown Ups or Resign

Whether the citizens of the City of Long Branch know it or not, the darkest days of our municipality are upon us at this very moment.

The Asbury Park Press is reporting, and our Director of Public Safety is apparently confirming, that on Tuesday night, the Mayor of the City of Long Branch and one of our five Members of the City Council had to be physically separated in order to prevent a so-called “heated exchange” from escalating into an assault.

This is unavoidably, unequivocally, undeniably unacceptable behavior.

Rather than discuss the many varied reasons why this unacceptable, we will leave our analysis to three main theses:

1. The Success of our Republic requires the peaceful exchange of ideas between participants in the process of government.

2. It is not just the right of the people to question their leaders—it is also their obligation. Particularly in a town where we have already seen one of our elected officials arrested, indicted, found guilty and sent to jail for official misconduct.

3. Simply put, both Adam Schneider and Brian Unger know better.

If one or both of these men cannot get a hold of their proverbial horses and start acting like grown ups and individuals deserving of holding an office of public trust they owe it to themselves and to the people of the City of Long Branch to resign.

It is that serious, guys.

We cannot and will not tolerate behavior that is this outrageous from our public officials. People you BOTH consider to be your friends and supporters will absolutely abandon that support if you denigrate our municipal government to the point where police officers are needed to keep the peace between you.

We deserve better. And you damn well know it.

So either get it together right now or resign so we can fill your seat with someone who knows how to conduct themselves in a manner reflective of the sacred trust we the people place in those selected to run our government.

NOW.

Politicians behaving like politicians

The Link News has a cover story this week that has had all of us at the Long Branch Advocate concerned. The story addresses a very childish e-mail battle of words between Adam Schneider (the Mayor) and Brian Unger (the man who wants to be the Mayor). It seems relatively clear that the much awaited battle of the candidates for Mayor has begun. Having said that, the Long Branch Advocate will make our first political prediction:

Neither Adam Schneider or Brian Unger will be Mayor of Long Branch four years from now.

You read it here first folks. Write it down. Notify your bookies. That’s right, the LBA predicted on June 1, 2008, that neither Adam or Brian will be Mayor following the next election. A yet-unknown third person will run alone, without a council ticket, and will win simply because they are the simple, non-political, alternative to two years of nasty political fighting.

Our elected officials are good people but they appear to have lost their way. In ancient Greece, residents were expected to take the following oath to help ensure that citizens served the best ends of the community rather than their own selfish interests. We urge Mayor Schneider and Councilman Unger to consider this timeless list of the qualities our city fathers SHOULD be exhibiting in lieu of the stupid antics they are currently displaying.

The Athenian Oath

We will never bring disgrace on this our City by an act of dishonesty or cowardice.

We will fight for the ideals and Sacred Things of the City both alone and with many.

We will revere and obey the City's laws, and will do our best to incite a like reverence and respect in those above us who are prone to annul them or set them at naught.

We will strive increasingly to quicken the public's sense of civic duty.

Thus in all these ways we will transmit this City, not only not less, but greater and more beautiful than it was transmitted to us.