I have lived in Wantage Township for 38 years. At least 25 of those years have been spent regularly attending all types of Wantage Township Committee meetings.
I must say, never have I ever seen anything like politics at its worst as is currently taking place in Wantage.
I’m speaking of the candidacy of Marcus Luce feverishly working to become Wantage Township’s next committeeman.
Marcus, like some former Sussex County politicians, only recently declared himself a Republican. He fails to mention that in his May 2 Advertiser-News ad.
Marcus also fails to mention his occupation. Marcus is a hemp farmer who relocated here from the West Coast.
What should be questioned is why does Marcus fail to disclose his sole desire to upgrade and bring marijuana to Wantage?
Marcus has come before the committee for the past several years and has consistently preached to the Wantage Township Committee that they need to allow marijuana in Wantage, specifically, at the hemp farm he manages for a Bergen County couple.
He has brought in lawyers, held informal meetings and sent emails to the township with this sole purpose in mind.
Consistent with his candidacy, at the Wantage Township Committee meeting of March 28, Marcus made a statement alluding that all of our township problems would magically “go away” if Wantage allows marijuana. It sounded more like a get-rich-quick scheme.
Bottom line, marijuana is the only topic discussed by Marcus at township meetings.
Not only does Marcus fail to state his primary goal, he fails to mention the negative impact for our farmers who might think to engage in growing marijuana, including the loss of their Farm Land Assessment, licensing, costs, laws, state requirements and procedures along with the possibility of additional scrutiny to those farms should they also decide to grow marijuana.
Also surprising is the apparent backing Marcus has from the “First Family of Sussex County,” the Space family. Most surprising is that of our former Assemblyman, now Sen. Parker Space and Commissioner Jill Space.
Parker is on the record stating he is against recreational marijuana, further stating:
“A constituent of mine told me the story of his visit to Boulder, Colo., and how disgusting he found it - people lying in the walkable town center stoned, dirty and like zombies that you practically had to walk over. What’s worse is that some actually had their children with them. He told me not to let this happen to Sussex County.”
We should ask the Spaces when their opinion changed.
Marcus states he is running for office for the same tired reasons every candidate gives to run for office: Keep taxes low, keep us rural, offering a new voice and give Wantage a future.
So, after the handshaking, Facebook posts and Advertiser-News ad, the fact is Marcus offers nothing new, nothing exciting and, more importantly, nothing special qualifying Marcus to become our next committeeman.
In fact, his failure to disclose his true mission shows the opposite. There is more to good government than “handshakes.” The only answer Marcus offers is marijuana.
Kathleen Gorman
Wantage