Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 12/4/06 [EXCERPTED]
Former Lakewood Public Safety Director Al Peters asked the Lakewood Township Committee Thursday night to explain, publicly, why he was fired. Instead, he got praise for his service. That's not the response Peters and about 100 township residents wanted or deserved.
While personnel decisions are usually private, Peters' request for a public explanation was warranted. The taxpayers need to know what's going on. Speculation that Peters was ousted for refusing to grant special treatment to the area's Orthodox Jewish community was further fueled at the meeting.
Mayor Meir Lichtenstein pounded his fist on the dais, rejecting repeated suggestions that an influential group of Orthodox leaders was pulling the strings behind the scenes. Until he and the committee provide a clear answer as to why they bought out Peters' contract with seven months remaining on it, distrust in the local government will continue to grow.
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