It is with great honor and humility that I announce my candidacy for Mayor of the Town of Hammonton. I accept the nomination of the Democratic Party to lead our local ticket into this year’s election. I also am honored to be part of a team (Sam Mento for 5th District Freeholder, Jim Scarpato, Mike Ammirato and Carmen Villani for Town Council ) so committed to Hammonton.
For those of you who do not know me, I was born and raised in Hammonton. I attended St. Joseph’s Elementary School and graduated from St. Joseph’s Prep in Philadelphia. I am a 1997 graduate of the United States Military Academy (West Point) where I earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering. I also hold a Master’s Degree in Public Policy from Duke University. I served 5 ˝ .years in the Army, attaining the rank of Captain and have worked for Fortune 500 companies such as Johnson & Johnson and IBM. I currently work as a technology consultant. Many of you know my parents, Anna Marie (Matro) Ingemi and the late Joseph F. Ingemi. I also have a dog, Dutch, and a cat, Rusti.
I feel that my background not only gives me experience to serve as Mayor but also the ability to bring fresh insight to the challenges we face as a community. And a new thinking is exactly what we need at this moment in our history. As Lincoln said, “The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate for this stormy present.”
Four years ago, it would have been tough to predict this current economic down-turn. Locally, we have not been immune from this crisis. The construction boom has ended and thus, eliminating a source of revenue on which the Town depended. Kessler Hospital and Patriot Windows have closed which not only eradicated hundreds of jobs but also further fragmented our healthcare delivery. Ironically, four years ago, the only issue about which we were arguing was where in a half-mile radius would we be placing the new Town Hall. Times have indeed changed!
In the face of these new challenges, my team and I will bring new solutions. Some of proposals will include reforming the tax abatement program for businesses to lure larger companies that can provide high-paying jobs. We will build public-private partnerships to provide training so that our workforce will have the skills necessary to compete in the 21st century. We will work with healthcare providers and the federal and state government to ensure that ultimately every citizen has a digital personal healthcare record. We will participate in innovative energy programs to implement “smart grid” technology to not only save the environment but also save us money. Finally, we will never forget the basic understanding of local government and therefore, we will work to keep taxes low, reduce debt and restore basic services.
During the course of this campaign, we will further discuss these new solutions as well as many others. Our hope is to provide the voters a clear choice of policy options. Voters have a right to see all of their options. Therefore, in this spirit, I challenge my opponent or opponents to three live, televised debates in the fall. One should deal with economic growth and job creation. A topic of another should be public safety and municipal services. And the third should be about quality of life issues. The voters deserve the opportunity to see where our differences lie.
We also believe that new solutions deserve a new politics. So let me say our differences in ideas do not reflect personal hatred or ill-feelings. When I was growing up, I used to look forward every year to my birthday party at DiDonato’s Bowling Alley. And the person with whom my mother scheduled those parties was John DiDonato. So in Hammonton, all of our lives have touched one another and our politics should always reflect these connections.
But ultimately, the success of campaigns and the success of towns depend on the active engagement of the citizenry. Franklin Roosevelt said that our grandparents’ generation had a “Rendezvous with Destiny.” I believe that we also have a special destiny. But we must commit ourselves to it. We must never be complacent. We must be involved and continually strive for a better future not just for ourselves but for the entire community. All of us have God-given talents that can contribute to the public interest and the common good. So on behalf of myself and my running mates, I ask you to joins us on this historic journey and together we will strive for the stars.
Joseph Ingemi
Democratic Nominee for Mayor of Hammonton |
