The Hammonton Democratic Club had a very successful "Meet the Candidate" night. Plagido's Winery was filled with people who wanted to know what the candidates stood for and what they will bring to Hammonton Town Council once they are elected in November. Below is the text of Mayoral candidate Joe Ingemi's speech. As time permits, pictures and video's from the evening will be posted.
A Force for Change
Thank you.Thanks to Hammonton Democratic Club members especially Maria Falcone who organized the eventThank you to Chairman DArcy for all of the support from the County Democrats. And special thanks to Jim Schroeder for those wonderful words.Jim has been a #1 fan of the Hammonton Democrats and I look forward to his insight and wisdom when I am elected. A candidacy is journey.And when I begin this journey, I contemplated the people who have touched my life.I realize that this journey is as much theirs as it is mine.I think of my mother whose love and support has been constant for 34 years.I think of my teachers and friends from grade school and high school, some of whom are here tonight.I think of my classmates at West Point and the people with whom I served in the Army.Some of whom gave the last full measure of devotion to this country.Words cannot express my gratitude and if my contribution to public life is even a fraction of theirs, I have accomplished much. As for my running mates, Rob (Rue), Rich (Visotcky), Angelo (DeMaio), Sam (Mento), Mike (Ammirato), Jim (Scarpato) and Carmen (Villani), I cannot ask for a better team.I find comfort in knowing that when I am elected, I will have such a fine individuals around me. And as I look around the room, I cannot help but think what is really happening here.We have assembled here to discuss our political issues and decide our future.Iranian citizens bleed in the streets so that they can someday do the same.America truly is the greatest country on earth, a city upon a hill. I am honored to be the local standard bearer of a party that has contributed so much to that greatness, the party of Jefferson, who said that we are endowed by the Creator with unalienable rights, the party of Franklin Roosevelt, who rose from his wheelchair to lift the country of its knees and led the greatest generation to save civilization, the Party of Kennedy, who challenged us to bear any burden to ensure the survival of liberty.What a proud heritage we have inherited! But my running mates and I are not here to pit the Hammonton Democrats against the Hammonton Republicans against the Hammonton First.We are running to serve all of Hammonton. To the Republicans and Hammonton First in the audience, I say welcome. To the Republicans in the audience, I say that you are part of a noble and proud tradition.It was Abraham Lincoln who called on us to look to the better angels of our spirit and it was Ronald Reagan who made us realize that Americas best days are ahead of us.So I say join with us this day and let us put those ideas into practice.This is not disloyalty to your party but loyalty to your values. For Hammonton First, you showed us the importance of change before it was fashionable.You showed us that there should be no division between old and new Hammonton.Now, I call on you to join us and let us use that unity to improve the Town. Improve the town we shall.If we are to stabilize taxes and create jobs, we cannot look to the industries of the last 5 years.We need to look to the growth industries of the future.So we will work to make Hammonton a hub of healthcare delivery with VA services, electronic medical records and more providers.We will invest in new energy sources and technology that will restore our economy and protect our environment.(By the way, protecting the environment means planting more trees not cutting them down.) We will work with our agribusiness community to develop markets and to export not just produce but also best practices. And we will work to ensure that our work-force has the skills that the 21st Century demands.That is why I am so happy that we have union representatives here today.You will be our partners in this endeavor.We will work together to ensure that innovation, quality and precision are the hallmark of the next generation of workers. And let us not forget municipal services.Quality begins when micro-management ends.Therefore, we will set our workers up for success and ensure that they have the tools necessary to serve the citizenry. Finally, every politician talks about quality of life but they never define it.Let me be clear how we define quality of life.Quality of life is ensuring that the greatness of this Town extends to everyone.We will reach out to individuals with special needs and their families, the elderly and Veterans and military.I know that we have some individuals who served here in the audience and let me say thank you for your service.You represent what is best in all of us. But these ideas will remain just words without your commitment.For ultimately, only We the People can be a force for change.For the blessings of liberty to flow to us, they must flow through us. Join us in this noble cause. I can assure that this path to a better Hammonton will not be an easy one.It will require sacrifice and hard-work.But do not say it cannot be done!It can be done!It must be done!This is our moment to seize.This is our destiny to reach.Be not afraid.And when they write our history, let future generations say of us we strove, we sought, we found and we did not yield! Thank you and God bless you and may He continue to Bless America.
