Letters to the Editor | May 20, 2024

As a lifelong South Jersey resident, I grew up reading The Inquirer as the paper of record in my small Camden County town. Now, as a candidate for the United States Senate, I’m excited to share my views with your readers as to why I’m the best candidate to serve our state in Washington.

I would’ve loved to participate in the endorsement process in the GOP primary, but The Inquirer didn’t provide me with that opportunity because of a scheduling misunderstanding.

However, here’s what I want voters to know:

As the owner of Congress Hall and the Virginia hotels in Cape May, I’m a businessman and entrepreneur who’s created 1,000 jobs. I’m running for Senate to bring freedom, security, and opportunity to all New Jersey families — not just the political elite. I’m running to protect businesses from bureaucratic overreach and ensure the government stays out of our homes.

I also believe that the happiness and domestic tranquility referred to in our founding documents are closely tied to our safety and security. Our porous border is a humanitarian crisis and a national security threat. We need commonsense solutions to close our borders to illegal activity, while still providing a legal pathway to the American dream.

America is the land of opportunity, and that starts with a strong economy. Yet, too many New Jersey families are struggling to pay their mortgages, buy groceries, and put gas in their cars because of the crippling inflation caused by runaway spending in Washington.

New Jersey can’t keep sending the same entrenched insiders to D.C. and expecting the same results. It’s time to elect a political outsider on the front lines of our economy who knows how to get things done. That’s why I respectfully request your vote in the New Jersey Republican primary for U.S. Senate on June 4.

Curtis Bashaw, Cape May

The writer is a candidate for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate from New Jersey.

Very little has been reported about the economic issues pertaining to the war in Gaza. The issues of arms exports, gas, and oil have received very little attention.

Israel is one of the top 10 exporters of arms in the world. Israel sells more than $3 billion of military arms to India alone. The U.S. gives Israel over $3 billion worth of arms a year for its defense.

It has been reported that the Palestinians are sitting on $500 billion worth of natural gas in the Gaza Marine field off the coast of Gaza. The conflict in Ukraine has created a shortage of oil and gas in Western Europe. It has also been reported that Israel is planning a pipeline to Europe to fill this void.

It would be prudent that not only the politics of the conflict in Gaza be reported, but also the economic implications, as well.

Edgars Nilenders, Rockledge, ed.nilenders@gmail.com

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