O'Brien: 'There Needs To Be Diversity of Opinions'

Mike O'Brien calls himself an idealist.

"I'm a kid from the 60s," said O'Brien. "I was a teacher all my life; you don't get much more idealistic than that."

O'Brien, a retired history teacher who spent 40 years at , has twice before run for public office as a Democrat, but has never won.

This year he will make his third attempt, running as the lone Democrat for one of the two open seats on township committee.

The current committee consists of all Republicans.

"No one for a minute would consider having a congress all of one party or a state legislature all of one party," said O'Brien. "There needs to be a balance and there needs to be diversity of opinions…Sandham [current mayor Jim Sandham] says you can't have too much democracy, well there you go.

"People need choices, and if I am not running, we will end up in November and there will be no choices."

O'Brien says that he wants to strike a balance between making Montville friendly to businesses and to citizens.

"The community must be friendly to all interests; the citizens as well as the businesses," he said.

He says that everybody should pay their fair share of taxes, but that what is a fair share depends on the circumstances of the individual or business. He also says he understands that because of the current economic climate, spending should be limited.

"Austerity has to be, at this point and time, a priority," O'Brien said. "No one disagrees with that."

O'Brien says that the Republican primary is "their business," but he is interested in the campaigns, and specifically with where campaign signs are located.

"Which businesses and/or plots of land that are looking to be developed have allowed certain candidates to put their signs on their property?" said O'Brien.

But he also said he is not into "attack politics."

"I'm not the kind of person that wants to get into personalities or attacks, certainly all the people are good people," said O'Brien.

He also says he does not mind being the only Democrat on the ticket. In fact, he might prefer it.

"I don't have to compromise with that runningmate. Compromise is a necessity of relationships, by being the only [Democratic] candidate, I can run on my own principals…and this is not to cast aspersions on any other candidate," said O'Brien.

"My number one objective is that, when all of this is over, win or lose, I will preserve my immortal soul, and it will still be mine…I want to attack no person, I want to not be indebted to any special interests.

"Average citizens, I don't see as a special interest."

Mike O'Brien is the only Democrat running for Montville Township committee this year. The primary will be held on Tuesday, June 7.