Nov. 6 Election: Issues Or Personalities?

By

Kathleen Cm Schaffer Personalities rather than issues are likely to be the determining factor in the county and state races Nov. 6. With few dear cut differences on issues expressed by candidates throughout the campaign, voters will be left to their own discernment of character in choosing two assemblyman and one freeholder. Defending the District I (Cape May-Cumberland) Assembly seats are longtime incumbent, James Hurley and Joseph Chinnid. Hurley is making a bid for his sixth term, Chinnici his fourth. Opposing in incumbents are .political newcomers J«fry Livingston and Randy Wilhelm. In the county freeholder race Republican Jack Bittner is facing off against uemocrac i leux Miapfiy-' for a seat being vacated by outgoing Freeholder Thomas Tucker. The assembly candidates on both sides evidence similar postures on several issues, including: establishing a regular, comprehensive dredging program for Cape May County; bringing more and better senior citizens programs and exemptions , and increasing tourism industry in the Cape and giving it more prominence in state legislative drclea. Democrat Jerry Livingston, a Cape May County educator and the only resident of the county up for election in the race, has Joined Randy Wilhelm in a staggeringly energetic campaign that started six months ago.

A HEW TEAM FOB CAPE MAY COUNTY

ASSEMBLY • FREEHOLDER

L*J

randy

WM HP! M

JERRY 0.

N J GOVERNOR BYRNE

N.J. SENATE

N.J. ASSEMBLY

■PRESIDENT CARTER NJ.GOVtKNUK DTum ! US SENATE -N.J. SENATE

[ftW/MZ US-CONGRESS -NJ. ASSEMBLY

E/voUGH /S ENOUGHf H

P/qOoc A'horgVGf /Lii/0

?5WkCLL«t-fU B LIC AW

STATING THEIR CASE. Both the RepuhDcans anA the Democrats get their messages acre

dot the countryside. Campaign activity to gearing up full tfirottle

on political billboards that

Nov. 6 nears

The two, young, "new residents of Cepe May and interest of the Democrats, face", fresh blood, Cumberland Counties. |Inflation and tourism are politicians feel they have They really want the Job, the two major blaiAet distinguished themselves they say. issues, for the pair, as "on the Job” candidates., The two candidates But, of central imThey have attended' promise Ur gamer a bigger portance is the location of a legislative conferences, piece of the legislative pie legislative office in Cape and gained first hand for Cape May County by May County. Livingston knowledge of the county s banding together with and Wilhelm promise problems, they stress. other South Jersey establishment of a county The Livingston-Wilhelm legislators to form a bloc office by January if campaign style has vote. elected. They condemn focussed on getting to know Energy, especially Hir ley and Chinnici for not intimately the people and developing alternative maintaining an office in the thelrconcerm. source of energy and county presently. They eschew the title creating incentives for The democratic can"politician” and speak of a wider use of such energy didates have not been genuine desire to serve the sources, is a particular gentle in their criticism of

across

as

the two incumbents. They accuse Hurley and Chinnici of being "burnt out”, donating legislators with poor legislative attendance records. Livingston labeled the Republicans "ad hoc” legislators and said the legislators claim credit for protects after the fact. The Democrats promise not only a change of faces, but a complete revamp of representation for District I. James Hurley, Assembly

Minority Leader and Di|trict I Assemblyman for 12 years is confident of a victory next Tuesday. Hurley prides himself as being a leader of the citizen initiative and referendum UU. Under this bill dtizem could petition state government to place questions on the ballot for voter action. Passage of the initiative and referendum legislation would increase citizen participation in government, giving voters a real voice, Harley said, -v Hurley, president of a Millville public relations firm, and Chinnici, owner of a clothing manufacturing company in Millville, say they are a united team supporting a regular deedging and beach erosion program, development of tourism and a comprehensive mass transportation system for the entire state. They point to. the FBfrmaceutioal that gives seniors financial ' aid for prescription drugs, and the Lifeline Bill, which Mips seniors with utility bills, as indicative of their concern for the older papulation of the district. They also favor expanded programs for seniors in the future. Chinnici emphasizes the assemblymen’s "one-to-one” reiatiomhip with their constituents. Much of the real work done by the assemblymen is not done during legislative sessions but in the day to day interaction between the representatives and their constituents, Chinnici says. The incumbents dispute (Page 32 Please)

Obsolete Roads Seen No. 2 Cause Of Auto Accidents

A $475 million mass transportation and high way construction projects bond will be put of the electoral test Nov. 6, but whether it passes or not, the problem of unsafe roads in New Jersey is a serious one, according to a recent national report. Obsolete roads and streets in New Jersey are to blame for an average of 174 accidents per day, a study released last week by the Road Information Program (TRIP) said. Obsolete roads are the second leeding cause of all accidents after human error, according to the study. Some 5,504 miles of New Jersey's 29,502 mites of paved roads and streets suffer from such factors as

narrow lanes, sharp turns and inadequate acceleration ramps on expressways. These roads rack up an annual total of 63,683 accidents, the report indicated. Some 9163.8 million in property damage, hospital charges and payments to victims and their survivors are caused by obsolete roads, the TRIP study said. And Cape May County is not stranger to the problem of obsolete roads. Route 444 from Garden State Parkway Exit 8 to 12tb SL is typical of a road that has passed its prime and now poses safety problems, the report said. That particular stretch of road is in need of rehabilitation and widening, it added. TTuit one example is only

typeial of a widespread problem throughout the county and stete, the report said. The study cited the nowhazardous roods as being fine, for the traffic conditions of the 1690's and 1980’s when most were built. Designers and engineers could not have anticipated ensuing traffic volume increases, the report noted. The reason most roach have not bee modernized is because of insufficient revenue, especially for county and municipal systems, the study indicated. Federal Highway Ad minis nation statistics, cited by^RIP, indicate signiflcalt accident reduction it upgraded

section of highway. A 26 percent drop in injuries and fatalities followed such road improvements. Of the 5,504 obsolete mites, TRIP reported that an estimated 3,560 miles have lanes less than 10 feet wide — too narrow to allow drivers a reasonable margin of error, and too inarrow for safe passing at posted speeds by emergency vehicles, buses and trucks that are eight feet wide, the maximum allowable width. « Another 1,944 mites are hazardous because of sharp curves, lack of usable shoulder space, steep rises and dips and restricted sight distances, the study reported. The totals do not include (Page 3 Please)

New Deadlines And Day Of Publication Starting November 14, the Cape May County Herald and the Lower Township Lantern will be published and distributed on Wednesdays instead of Thursday. Readers will thus have an additional day to avail themselves of the many news and advertising items that are geared toward weekends. Deadlines for meet news items - church news, announcements, news of chi be and orflanizations, column contributions, letters to the editor, social news, etc -will be the Hiarsday prior to pnbOcatioa. They may be mailed to the Herald, PO Box 0, Avalon, 08202, or the Lantern PO Box 308, Villas,

08251.

Classified Ad deadlines will be Monday at noon. Classifieds may be placed by telephoning the Herald or the Lantern at 967-3312, or by mailing them to the papers at PO Box 0 in Avalon. (See form on classified page.) Deadline for placing or malting changes in

display advertising will be Friday at 3 p.m. (call

967-3312). 1

Starting November 8, we can be reached by calling 967-3312 between 9 am and l pm Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, and between 9 am and 3 pm on FYiday (doeed Wednesday). The Herald and the Lantern will still be available at all the ustomary drop-off points around the County and around Lower Township.