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| Affiliation | Democratic |
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| Name | Thomas B. Boyle |
| Address | 1 White Birch Drive West
Sussex, New Jersey 07461, United States |
| Email | None |
| Website | [Link] |
| Born |
Unknown
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| Contributor | *crickets chirp* |
| Last Modifed | WSNJ
Oct 20, 2019 10:37am |
| Tags |
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| Info | I was born in Parma, Ohio, just southwest of Cleveland in 1963. My parents, Tom and Irene lived in Cleveland at the time. I was the first of five children. We moved out of Cleveland to the "Burbs" when I was 6. For the next nine years I lived in Brooklyn Hts. We moved to the "country", Medina County, where I lived until moving to New Jersey in 1981.
Most of my impressionable years helped to form my core beliefs in the Democratic Party. This was no easy task coming from a very conservative Republican Family (my grandfather was a Cuyahoga County Republican Boss). Although my parents are strong Republicans till this day, they support and believe in most of my causes, if not all of my beliefs.
While growing up I was witness to two events that forever sealed my fate as a Democrat. While in Junior High School (which was combined with the High School) I watched several of my friends older sisters get pregnant, then have abortions. At that time legal abortions were not available. My friends that had connected parents or had the resources went to out of state doctors for the procedure. Those that did not went to places that were less than legal, and often dangerous. One of my friends sister was seriously hurt, and would never be able to have children.
The second event was a typical Senior High party. Now living in the country, parties out in the middle of a field miles away from our parents eyes were the norm. The parties consisted of a large bon fire and several kegs of beer. This was more a weekly after the Friday nigh football game ritual than anything. The last one I attended was different to say the least. A couple of guys suggested a different party than our usual stop. Why not, it was getting old, and off we went. What I was not prepared for was the party was a KKK rally, burning cross and all.
These two events drove home something that was not only wrong, but flew in the face of what I was being taught at school, home and church. I was learning tolerance and acceptance, giving all people a fair shake, then going to a party with those same individuals to burn a cross and hear people speak about hate, or if you were politically connected to the right party, you didn't have to worry about the legalities of the procedure to prevent family embarrassment. It was that at that time I realize what men like JFK and Dr. King were fighting for. Protection of our rights as individuals. I realized I could not be part of my Grandfather's party.
I moved to New Jersey in 1981. I found a place of diversity and acceptance. A place that accepted you, and all of your beliefs, faults and gifts. In 1983 I meet Liz, and we married in 1986. After a few years of living in apartments and two families in Bergen County, and now having two children, we needed to buy a house, our first house.
Like most people, we looked for the most house, lowest taxes and best schools we could afford. We drove until we found those three elements, and landed in Vernon. At the time, we had two children, and my Mother-in-Law, and we started our life as first time homeowners, and felt part of a community. Something you could not find living in an apartment. settled in. Not long after, my Mother-in-Law passed on from cancer, and our third child was born. Life was settling back down, or so I thought.
Our taxes started to rise, and we learned what county living was like. We live on a private road, have a well and septic, pay for a garbage company to pick up the garbage, and seldom see a police cruiser. As our tax bill continued to climb, I started to get involved. I got very involved, went to meetings, and found my way onto the zoning and planning boards in Vernon. I also learned that unless I wanted to change parties, I would not go far. I made a run in 2001 with Francine Vince on the Democratic ticket for Town Council, and came up short. But like most things, I learned from my loss, and made a vow to stay involved, to keep the pressure on those in positions of authority.
I have continued my community involvement. I was taught to give back, and I did. I coached youth sports in baseball and soccer, helped raise money for church charities, and continued community service with the Vernon Stewardship Alliance.
This past spring I was considering another run for the Vernon Town Council. I felt very strongly the time was right and we could put a team together to win the three seats that were open this year. But the fact that nobody was going to challenge at the State level angered me. Over the last two years my involvement in the community, inside and outside of Vernon made me very aware of the arrogance of the GOP elected officials. The fact that our State representation was selected first by a committee of less that 80 residents (that's .05% of the population of Sussex County!) and then voted on by less than 1/3 of the residents got to me.
We are faced with very tough issues - issues that will not be discussed in public forum if we allow a one party system to prevail. This arrogance is costing Sussex County residents every day. We do not have representation in Trenton that can go to the party in power and work for the betterment of the District. Even when the GOP ran the Statehouse, the district was shorted. As long as the seats are automatic, even the same party owes the representation nothing, as they bring nothing to the table. We need the issues discussed - and I commit to all the residents of the 24th Legislative District, I will make those issues part of the debate.
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