Ocean County Scanner News sent the identical set of interview questions to Councilman Kanitra and current Mayor Reid. Kanitra enthusiastically replied to our questions, and will take questions from the voters in town. Mayor Reid did NOT respond to multiple attempts from OCSN to get his answers to the identical questions. Anyway, here are our questions and Kanitra’s replies verbatim.

Dear Councilman Kanitra,

  1. What message do you have for the residents of Point Pleasant Beach? 
    I hope my campaign serves as an example to everyone that fear and intimidation have no place in politics. We’re all so over the same tired politicians using threats to get their way and putting their own ambitions first before their constituents. When I’m sworn in on January 1st, I’m going to heal the divides and am taking this town back for all of the residents
  2. What will the theme/sentiment of your campaign for Mayor of Point Pleasant Beach be ?
    Simply put, details matter. I’ve proven in both my time on Council and in my career in government that paying attention to the details is what makes something truly unique. Point Pleasant Beach is a wonderful place. It’s always been a wonderful place, despite who’s run it. But some former Mayors like Dan Hennessy, Jack Pasola and Dennis Swanson made it truly special by going the extra mile and I’ve been humbled to earn their endorsements. Steve Reid loves being Mayor. He loves going to ribbon cuttings, hosting boat races and being in the paper. And those are all nice things. But they’re not the things that get our potholes filled, our weeds taken care of and our street and sidewalk issues addressed. Anyone that’s been downtown or driven down Ocean Avenue can see the lack of attention to detail. This shortcoming has been pervasive through all aspects of our current Mayor’s work. Every major project in town either runs into cost overruns, is finished drastically late or has quality control issues. We don’t sue anyone for negligent work and we don’t lean on our state and federal elected officials to get help as much as we should. This is what you get when your Mayor has been running for the State Assembly for a year and is not looking to upset anyone in the process
  3. Do you believe your involvement in the Lobbying Industry effects your ability to be Mayor of Point Pleasant Beach? In a very positive way, yes! If you Google my firm’s name, “Lobbyit”, you’ll see multiple articles, awards and news stories about how successful we’ve been on a national level in giving government back to the people. We focus on high levels of transparency and making Congress more accessible for those groups who previously couldn’t afford a voice. The majority of our clients are non-profits and associations seeking everything from more arts education funding for children to combating tax fraud. We’ve been on the front page of The Washington Post, on FoxNews, SiriusXM and other news sources across the country for being a truly good actor in the space. This is exactly what I plan on doing when I’m elected Mayor in Point Pleasant Beach. Making things more accessible and transparent.
  4. In your opinion what do you feel has been your greatest accomplishment for Point Pleasant Beach and its residents? In my previous campaign, I promised to address quality of life issues and to make the residents feel like they benefit from living here. I think I’ve kept my promise in some very significant ways. I conceptualized and started a brand new Arts Committee to provide activities for residents outside of summer months. We’ve hosted dozens of events in less than a year and have a huge Arts Gala coming up. I’ve brought in grants that have purchased tens of thousands of dollars in new speed radar trailers and equipment. I’ve helped our Environmental Commission bring new sustainable initiatives and certifications to town that have saved a tremendous amount of money and cleaned things up. I hope anyone who has been reading the paper has seen the countless hours I’ve put into the job and the real, tangible results that have come from it.
  5. What is one thing you will be working towards improving in 2019 for Point Pleasant Beach and its residents? I want to continue to look at innovative solutions to flooding issues in town and grant dollars to keep the burden off of the tax payers. In fact, I’m going to an education session on Post Sandy flooding prevalence on March 27th and already have a $400,000 grant application submitted dealing with Lake of the Lillies. Leaders that don’t innovate and find solutions to difficult problems are doing their towns a major disservice.
  6. What is one strength you observe in your opponent? My opponent is a prolific fundraiser. There’s no way around it. He knows how to leverage his position to bring in big corporate campaign donations. Unfortunately, it’s also made him beholden to a lot of people at the expense of our residents.
  7. What is one weakness you observe in your opponent? Unfortunately, his inability to control his temper and to handle opposing viewpoints has become a black eye for this town. Not only did some of his abusive and threatening texts finally come to light, but he is also facing a lawsuit involving campaign ethics violations that are severe to say the least. And these are sadly just a few examples. He’s been combative with everyone from local priests to other towns’ elected officials as well as a lot of our own residents right here in Point Pleasant Beach. It’s made for an environment that has been very difficult to operate in.
  8.  How Do you plan to involve residents in the decision making progress in Point Pleasant Beach? Last year I asked the Mayor and Council for a town newsletter to keep our residents better informed of everything that’s going on. Unfortunately, that was shot down as was the idea of a cheap and effective online town survey. Both of those initiatives will be implemented when I take office so we can find out what residents care about most and focus our resources accordingly. Right now, we’re just taking guesses in the dark. I also plan on holding regular listening sessions and forming a few working groups so that we’re always sure we’re acting in the best interests of the community at large and taking into account all their viewpoints. My campaign slogan is “A Leader Who Listens” and I fully intend to be true to that in every aspect.
  9. What is your opinion on allowing a Medical Marijuana facility to operate in town and this facility potentially being in a residential neighborhood? I’m a total nerd who’s never taken a puff of anything in my entire life. But that said, if medical marijuana is going to help someone with terminal cancer feel less pain or someone with seizures get through their days, I certainly do not believe we should be depriving anyone of that. My mom raised me with severe epilepsy and unfortunately passed away from a massive seizure when I was only 19. I’ve seen multiple studies that show that she could have possibly lived a much easier life if that had been an option for her. Now, as for actual dispensaries, I don’t believe a huge dispensary has a place in our small community. From following the news, it looks like a dispensary will wind up in Asbury Park and I don’t think a 15 minute drive will be overly burdensome for anyone in Point Pleasant Beach who has a medical need.
  10. Can you please give us your thought on Police Radio Traffic being encrypted in Point Pleasant Beach? This is actually a totally new issue for me, so I can’t say that I have a clearly defined position on it yet. I did read a Wall Street Journal article on this last year and it appears as though it’s becoming more commonplace so I can understand why you’re asking. I’ve heard locally that there may have been some issues of interference in calls and disruption at the scene of a few incidents that could have played a role in our department moving in that direction. I’m obviously a big proponent of transparent and open government, but I also am a big supporter of law enforcement so I’d want to make sure they’re able to do their jobs effectively. I’m open to learning more on the issue.
  11. Where are your favorite places in Point Pleasant Beach to spend time at and why? Great question. There’s so many fantastic places in this town, it’s going to be a long answer. Usually I grab a quick breakfast or lunch from Beach Bagel or Round Dough With a Hole and eat it up at the inlet and that never gets old. The shopping downtown is fantastic. I’ll grab clothes at Gordon’s Surf Shop or toys for my nieces and nephews at Big Fun Toys. I take my grandparents out to eat at Spano’s Italian Restaurant often. Of course, April to October is a whole different rotation. The Food Shack up on the Boardwalk has a great locals vibe. The Patio Bar has some of the best views in town. Jenkinsons always has something going on and Red’s Lobster Pot is where all my friends and family always ask me to take them when they’re in town. And how many good pizza places could one town have? Rosie’s, Coal House, Santoro’s, Nana’s, Jimmy’s. The list goes on and on!
  12. How long have you been a resident of Point Pleasant Beach and what are your most memorable moments in your town? I’ve lived in Point Pleasant Beach for most of my life. I moved here in first grade, graduated from Point Beach High in 1997 and was inducted into our Education Foundation’s Hall of Fame in 2015. That was certainly one of my proudest moments. I was also 2nd singles on the first Boys Tennis team to win a State Playoff game against Glassboro back in 1995. I certainly remember the devastation from Hurricane Sandy and helping my grandparents rebuild and the way the community came together during that difficult time. There were also years and years of bike parades, tree lighting ceremonies and other community events that make this town special and inspired me to bring back the town bonfire last year. I’ve traveled to over 60 different countries and I can tell you as someone who has seen firsthand, there’s no place out there like Point Pleasant Beach. It’s an incredible town to raise a family in and I plan on doing the hard work necessary to make sure it’s safeguarded for generations to come to make memories of their own.

Best Regards,

Ocean County Scanner News 

*This interview was conducted by our own Julianne, OCSN 32.