Election Profile: Lawrence J. Furman For Manalapan Twp Committee

MANALAPAN, NJ – This November, there are two seats open on the Township Committee: Mayor John McNaboe and Deputy Mayor Susan Cohen, both Republicans, will seek to keep their seats. Democratic candidates Lawrence Furman and Bashir Mohammad will be challenging the incumbents for the spots this November.

Furman holds an M.B.A. in Managing for Sustainability from Marlboro College and a bachelor’s degree in Biology from the City University of New York. He currently serves as an information technology project manager.

Furman is a 27-year resident of Manalapan whose children graduated from Manalapan schools.

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Why are you seeking a seat on the Township Committee:

Susan Cohen and Jack McNaboe have been on the Manalapan Township Committee for a long time. Their approach seems to be, “Business as usual is fine. We don't need to change anything.” Frankly, I don't know what they have accomplished. Meanwhile, seniors are moving out and many of our adult children can't afford to move in, unless they live with their parents.

When I was on the Finance Committee, in 2008, we were discussing budgeting for new police vehicles. They police wanted Ford Escapes. I suggested we look into the Ford Escape Hybrid. “It gets roughly twice the mileage,” I said, “It burns roughly half the fuel.”

Jack's response was, “It will never work.”

“The Police Department in New York City is deploying Escape Hybrids,” I told him.

“This is not New York City,” he said.

“It is not,” I thought, “however, the same laws of physics apply.”

We need new ideas and diversity of experience on the Township Committee. And we need members of the Township Committee who listen to people and think about new ideas.

What is the single most pressing issue facing Manalapan and what will you do about it?

The most pressing issue is that seniors can not afford to stay here and young people cannot afford to move in unless they live with their parents. We need to use our resources more efficiently and explore new sources of revenue. Here are my ideas.

Municipal Solar
Residential and commercial solar energy systems generally pay for themselves in eight to 10 years. Municipal solar should also. Solar systems are expected to last for 30 to 40 years. Therefore they should pay for themselves several times over their useful life. Since the taxpayers pay the municipality's electric bills, municipal solar should save the taxpayers money.

Manalapan has plenty of roof space and a few municipal parking lots. If we were to put solar energy systems on the roofs of public buildings and over municipal parking lots, then Manalapan Township could produce some of the electricity it needs, at lower cost to the taxpayers than from other alternatives.

WMUA Methane
The Western Monmouth Utilities Authority is chartered to treat raw sewage from Manalapan and Marlboro and release clean water. It does a good job, however, it only does half the job. The WMUA processes the sewage and turns it into clean water and methane gas. It uses about one third of the methane to treat incoming sewage and heat buildings in the winter, but it flares off – wastes – about two thirds of the methane. I think the WMUA should burn the other two thirds in an electric generator and sell the power into the grid. Doing so would provide a source of revenue for the town. It might be a trivial source of revenue. But it is “low hanging fruit.”

Storms, Power Failures and Hardening the Grid
We were without power for a week after Hurricane Sandy, in October, 2012.
We were without power for another week this year, after Tropical Storm Isaias.

If – when – we have solar power systems, and if we were to treat those solar systems like emergency generators, then when the sun comes up on the day after the storm – as it has for the last four (4) or five (5) billion years and as it will for the next four (4) or five (5) billion years - t and if we add battery systems such as the Tesla Powerwall or its equivalent, then we will have reliable power regardless of the weather.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking to serve on the Township Committee?

I have met Susan and Jack a few times, I believe that they are decent people. However, it seems that they don't embrace change. That's fine in one's personal life. I buy new cars and drive them for 10 or more years. Similarly, we don't build schools, or other municipal buildings for the three year term of a Township Committee representative; we expect them to last 50 or 100 years. Elected representatives have to look down the road 10, 20, 50 years. And this applies to every office, from Township Committee, and School Board, to County Committee, State Legislature, Governor, and President. Elected leaders must not only embrace change – for the better – they need to look at the way things are and see what needs to be changed.

As Robert F. Kennedy said, “Some men see things as they are and ask why. I dream of things that never were and ask why not.”

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform:

Streamlining Regulatory Compliance. Back when I was on the Environmental Commission a local physician bought a piece of land between two (2) medical offices. He wanted to build another medical office building. He wanted to build a structure that was completely in compliance with zoning regulations. Yet he was subject to red tape that delayed the project and probably cost him thousands of dollars. I believe that the Planning Board and other committees exist to serve the community. They should not require people to jump thru hoops.

Marijuana Legalization is on the ballot. I am for it. Legalizing marijuana will save taxpayers money because we won't be spending money on law enforcement, trials, and incarceration. And it will generate revenue as we tax marijuana sales. It will be good for the economy as cannabis users will be able to lead productive lives, pay income, real estate, and sales taxes. As a member of the Township Committee I will demand that tax revenues be distributed equitably across the state, not simply accrue to the municipalities in which cannabis is farmed or sold.

I also support Bashir's ideas for expanding recreational opportunities and after-school activities for our children, and for surveying Manalapan's residents to better understand the needs of the community.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you will be effective on the Township Committee?

I have been writing and speaking on solar power, offshore wind, and risk management since 2005. It was really gratifying, in 2019, to see Governor Murphy take action on offshore wind, to plan 3.0 GigaWatts of offshore wind capacity, and to hear him set the goal of 100% renewable energy by 2050. However, it is also clear that it is not enough to write letters to the editor or to tell elected officials what they should do; when you have a good idea, especially when it is a new idea, you have to do what it takes to turn that idea into a goal and then develop and execute a plan to achieve that goal.

I have been in Information Technology since the early 1980's. I ran the IT departments for mid-sized law firms in New York City and Red Bank, NJ for 11 years, from 2005 thru 2016. I was responsible for making sure the attorneys and staff members of the firms had access to the systems and data they needed in order to be productive, and making sure the people in my department were doing the work that needed to get done to the best of their abilities. I have developed and executed disaster recovery plans, infrastructure upgrade projects, and responded to cyber security events. In addition to effectively managing information technology systems.

I get things done; I know how to plan and to how to execute the plan.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

When I was an undergrad in 1980, my father told me to learn how to program computers.

My father used to quote President Johnson, “You ain't learnin' nothin' when you're talkin'.”

He also used to quote President Truman: “The buck stops here.”

And he said, “A man is as good as his word. Your word is your bond.”

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

I am a fiscal conservative and a social liberal. Businesses look to the end of the month, quarter, and fiscal year; governments must look 25 or 50 years.

In addition to my Bachelor's in Biology, and my MBA, I hold three (3) current professional certifications, PMP, A+ and Network+, and two (2) federal government credentials: Transportation Worker Identification Credential, TWIC, and Public Trust Certification.

I am running to make Manalapan a better place. I am a second generation American. My parents, survivors of the Nazi Holocaust, came here in 1948. My wife and our children are proud of me for running, and my parents, if they were alive today, would also be proud.