Get To Know Morris Township Committee Candidate Bud Ravitz

Editor's Note: Patch sent out questionnaires to every candidate who filed a petition of candidacy by the deadline. We sent them to the email addresses registered as the official campaign emails at the County Clerk's Office. We will run the responses in the order they were received with no edits. Those candidates who did not receive a questionnaire should double check their spam folders, or contact russ.crespolini@patch.com for a form.

Name:

Bud Ravitz

Age (as of Election Day)

59

Position Sought

Township Committee

Party Affiliation

Democrat

Family

Lee Schwartzberg (wife) Alexander, Rebecca, Jessica (adult children from previous marriage)

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

no

Education

BA - Management Information Systems Cal State Fullerton
BS - Systems Analysis and Design - Kean College
BA - Educational Leadership - TCNJ

Occupation

Vendor Management - 41 years work experience

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

N/A

Campaign website

CathyAndBudForCommittee.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

I built a very strong presence in my run for Morris Township Committee last year, losing by only eight votes. Utilizing that momentum, and being the activist I am, I bring both experience and vision to our community at a time when extraordinary times require extraordinary leadership. It's important to the residents of our Township that we continue to build upon the great work of the democratically controlled committee. I firmly believe in the idea of continuous improvement and planning for our future. When we plan for change, when we envision what growth is important to us as a community, we will build what we'd like to see rather than have developers submit with proposals that don't necessarily benefit us.

The single most pressing issue facing our community is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

When I was canvassing last year, there were a few things that resonated with the voters. Voters were concerned with what they say as unchecked explosive growth and traffic, they were concerned with climate change, and the perennial favorite of keeping taxes low. This year, we've not been able to have the same sort of outreach that one would expect in such an important election year. So, I add COVID-19 and the lasting impacts we will feel until such time as it is under control. Those issues and whatever the new normal becomes will definitely impact all residents and should not be a partisan issue. The Township Committee must take these impacts into consideration as part of the decision-making process.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

See above. There is strength in diversity and the Democratic Party is one where all voices will be recognized and considered.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

N/A

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

See above

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I've held leadership positions throughout my professional and personal career. I have a long history of getting projects done, on time and on budget.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Never stop learning. Progress is all about continuous improvement.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

The two cornerstones of my campaigns both last year and this year are:
1. We have more in common than can ever divide us. - Many of us are hurting. We feel we've been marginalized as others have amassed great wealth. That's not a partisan feeling. What many of us have failed to realize is how this came to be. We've dug in our heels and talked at each other rather than to each other. Let us start with our common ground and move forward from there.
2. If we want better government, we must be better citizens. - Democracy isn't a spectator sport. Democracy requires nurturing and stewardship. This year, more people than ever seem to be engaged in politics. What has lead us to our current state of affairs was disengagement and apathy. I hope that after the 2020 election people remain engaged and informed. We all need to take our right to vote seriously because, without our engagement, we allow the shallow and unprincipled to rule over us rather than govern us.