Amid calls to step down, Bedminster mayor defends 'terrorist' remark

1/8/2005

BEDMINSTER -- The man who Mayor Bob Holtaway said met the definition of a "terrorist" and should be disbarred is now calling for the town leader to step down.

Holtaway labeled the Bedminster Branchburg Bridgewater Concerned Citizens Coalition, a group opposing the permanent relocation of the New Jersey State Police's medevac helicopter to Somerset Airport, a "terrorist" organization in his speech during the township's reorganization celebration Tuesday at Willie's Taverne. His remarks included a call for the Township Committee to adopt an ordinance, asking the New Jersey Supreme Court to disbar the medevac opposition group's president, attorney Alan Harwick.

The Bedminster Branchburg Bridgewater Concerned Citizens Coalition mailed a flier to residents urging them to protest Township Committee member Holtaway's selection as mayor. The flier contended that Holtaway, who owns a commercial glider company at Somerset Airport, cannot impartially appoint people to township boards, who will make decisions about plans at the airport.

Harwick, who also serves as president of the Bridgewater-Raritan Regional Board of Education, said his opposition group was "the furthest thing from being a threatening organization."

Harwick called Holtaway's terrorism comments inflammatory and said Holtaway should not hold the position of mayor.

Holtaway said Wednesday that he will not step down and does not regret saying the Bedminster Branchburg Bridgewater Concerned Citizens Coalition, based on its actions,"met the definition of terrorists."

"Somebody who raises threats to the point where the police have concerns over officials' public safety and the ability for the government to do its business, meets the definition," Holtaway said.

Last week, news of the flier triggered township officials to shift the official portion of the reorganization meeting to be held an hour earlier at the Municipal Building "due to threats of disruption," instead of having the entire event at 7 p.m at Willie's Taverne. The Somerset County Sheriff's Department bomb team searched both buildings Tuesday with a bomb-sniffing dog.

Harwick said he was "astonished and aghast" that the bomb squad was called to sweep the buildings.

"I think this is an absolute smoke screen and distraction that Mr. Holtaway is creating to direct the public away from the issues of this airport," Harwick said.

There was no discussion of the medevac issue at either the reorganization meeting, attended by about 100 residents, or at Willie's afterward.

Harwick attended the 6 p.m. reorganization meeting Tuesday when the Township Committee voted for Holtaway, who was then sworn in as mayor. The Township Committee supported Holtaway as mayor during a straw vote in November.

Harwick said he would have spoken up if there was an opportunity for public comment. Instead, he said he wanted to be respectful of the moment. Harwick did not attend the post-reorganization celebration at Willie's Taverne, where Holtaway listed his political appointments and made the "terrorism" remarks.

"I certainly have not done anything that reaches the level of terrorism," Harwick said. "The thought behind the mailing was to raise the level of consciousness and awareness -- to prompt people to ask questions about the fitness of Bob Holtaway to assume this position given what we know of what is long standing relationship with Somerset Airport."

Liz Pollard, a mother of four in Bridgewater, resented that a group that she said allows her to voice concern about the Somerset Airport expansion was labeled a terrorist group.

"It's all just gotten out of hand. It's crazy," Pollard said.

Township Committeeman Kurt Joerger, who did not attend the Willie's Taverne celebration, called Holtaway's "terrorism" comments "egregious." He is not a member of the Bedminster Branchburg Bridgewater Concerned Citizens Coalition but has been at odds with Holtaway for about a year. There is petition campaign on to recall Joerger; meanwhile Joerger said Holtaway is a better candidate to leave elected office.

"The worst thing you can do today is call someone a 'terrorist', it's like calling someone a 'Communist' in the McCarthy era," Joerger said. "An apology is appropriate but it's not sufficient. He is unfit to serve."

William Lutz, an English professor at Rutgers-Camden and author of "The New Double Speak" said words such as terrorist and terrorism -- which are legal definitions -- are often misused by politicians and advertisers to cause people react emotionally, without thinking.

"It's like little kids in a play yard, they'll think of the worst word they can think of," Lutz said. "They chose a word in order to inflict to harm -- usually emotional harm. We're using words not for meaning, but as a club -- as weapon."

· Kara L. Richardson can be reached at (908) 707-3186 or krichard@c-n.com.

Clarification:
Bedminster Township Committeeman Kurt Joerger said a remark of his was misunderstood in a Dec. 31 story about the change in venue of Tuesday's Bedminster Township organization meeting because of a perceived threat of disruption.

Joerger said his remark about a "riot" by residents of Bedminster and Bridgewater was meant as a sarcastic comment on the decision to move the meeting, which he thought unnecessary. The story implied that he was describing the angry reaction of some to changing the time and place of the meeting without providing what they perceived as adequate notice. The Courier News regrets the misunderstanding.

By: Kara L. Richardson
Staff Writer