Woodrow Announces Candidacy for Freeholder

Charles Woodrow of Mantua Township, from the Gloucester County Green Party, has announced his candidacy for Gloucester County Freeholder.

Woodrow criticizes a clear “pro-developer” inclination within the all-Democratic Board of Freeholders. Such a partiality promotes the rapid creation of sprawl, harms the environment, adds to the property tax burden, and benefits wealthy special interests over the citizens of Gloucester County.

The Director of the Board of Freeholders is the same man who, in his role as a state senator, was the author of the “Fast Track” law, which has been blasted by the Sierra Club and scores of other environmental groups. They consider the law a giveaway to large developers which “dismantles 30 years of environmental progress”. This law was quickly pushed through the state legislature, without public scrutiny, with the help of a political super-boss from South Jersey and lots of campaign money from large developers. Now nearly half of the state legislators support a bill to repeal the law, but Senator Sweeney continues to lead the pro-Fast Track forces. It is no stretch to assume that Freeholder-Director Sweeney’s day to day decision-making, in the administration of such things as economic development projects and land-preservation grants, would likewise tend to favor the developers, according to Woodrow.

Charles Woodrow wants to “slow-track” sprawl. Director Sweeney is one of three incumbent Freeholders running this year. You can temper the Board’s pro-development juggernaut by electing Green Party Candidate Woodrow to one of those seats. Charles will raise the environmental issues, the pay-to-play issues, and the quality of life issues on a case-by-case basis. No longer will the typical Freeholder meeting consist of an unbroken chorus of “Yes” votes.

Charles will be guided by the key values of the Green Party in fulfilling his duties as County Freeholder. Greens seek to increase public participation in government and to make our public representatives fully accountable to their constituents. Greens will accept no contribution from any business or special interest group. Charles deplores the influence of corporate dollars on government, and rejects pay-to-play in any form and at any level of government.

Greens believe that the fairest form of taxation is a progressive income tax. Those who have profited the most from our free society should give the most back. The failure of the legislature to lift the property tax burden of ordinary homeowners is the result of its catering to large campaign contributors. The developers as a group, by the way, are the largest political contributors in New Jersey.

Meanwhile property taxes are going up as the rampant spread of new housing spawns the need for more local services, infrastructure, and schools. Open land, on the other hand, produces far more in tax revenues than it costs in services. ( see http://www.sierraclub.org/sprawl/articles ).

Charles Woodrow advocates banning the use of eminent domain for private development projects. He advocates the use of clean and sustainable energy sources and reducing our dependence on fossil fuels through mass transit projects. Charles holds dear the Green Party values of social and economic justice, equal opportunity, gender equity, respect for diversity, and personal and global responsibility.

Charles believes that the government is the trustee for the air, the water, and the whole environment, not the owner. As the trustee, government must do all it can to preserve these things, in as pure a state as is possible, for future generations.

Charles Woodrow is 56 years old and a graduate of Clearview High School and Rutgers Camden. He has been married to Ann for 34 years. He holds a Masters Degree in Social Work and has 9 years of experience in the social services. For the past 25 years Charles has been employed as a computer programmer and systems analyst. He works for a prominent manufacturing and sales firm headquartered in Mantua Township.

Contributions to Charles’ campaign may be made to:

“Charles Woodrow for Freeholder”
P.O. Box 566
Sewell, NJ 08080