Referendum Flyer's Quotes Irk Opponents

Quotes from environmental groups such as the Sierra Club, Audubon Society and the Keep It Green Coalition seeming to support Hillsborough's open space referendum are causing an outcry from the sources of those quotes.

But the chairman of the Hillsborough Republican Election Committee, which printed and mailed the flyer, stood by the piece—calling the outcry "what happens in the heat of the campaign."

"They're saying we didn't use the entire quote—no one ever does," Steven Sireci said.

One of the strongest responses came from Jeff Tittel, director of the New Jersey chapter of the Sierra Club, who is quoted from a Sept. 9 opinion piece in the Star-Ledger titled "New Jersey needs a new approach on open space," in which he supports "new revenue for new recreation areas."

"The people who who pay for open space should be able to enjoy it," Tittel 

But Tittel called the use of the quote "a political dirty trick and a deliberate mischaracterization of the Sierra Club’s position."

"The Hillsborough Republican Election Committee willfully put in part of a quote without the entire quote to again confuse and misrepresent Sierra Club’s full position," Tittel said in a press release. "The people who put out this flyer have basically lied to the people of Hillsborough when it comes to open space and the Sierra Club’s position." 

"He did say that people should be able to use the open space—in that context, I think it's fair," Dr. Sireci said. "I don't think it's at all unfair with someone who's an advocate who thinks it's good for people to be able to use open space."

Tittel also compared the flyer to the "type of stuff that Nixon did during Watergate."

"Really? Are we getting a little ahead of ourselves? A little histrionic?" Dr. Sireci said. 

Representatives of the Hillsborough group opposing the referendum, Friends of Hillsborough Open Space" also contacted the NJ Audubon Society about the use of a quote on the flyer, which NJ Audubon spokeswoman Kelly Mooij said were "taken out of context, without our permission or knowledge, from a press release on an unrelated matter."

Tom Gilbert, senior conservation finance director for the Trust for Public Land, also said the quotes—which he said were in reference to Green Acres funding announced in 2011—were taken out of context.

But Dr. Sireci said the point of the comments is in line with the point of the referendum. "It's purpose is just to allow people to use the open space," he said.

Voters will decide the fate of the open space referendum Tuesday—to read more about it, see our special Storify compilation on the referendum.