Potosnak: Education Is Key To Helping Economy

Although he is a small business owner himself—and believes that more needs to be done to protect those owners—Democratic congressional hopeful Ed Potosnak understands that the big businesses that line the highways in Bridgewater are suffering as well.

"Big businesses can benefit from changes too," he said in an interview at the Bridgewater Diner on Route 22 Tuesday. "Someone has to make the products, so writing off capital should not just be for small businesses."

With more opportunities and funds to move forward, Potosnak said, even the larger businesses can upgrade their materials and help to re-stimulate the economy.

Potosnak is running for his first congressional term to represent the seventh district, which includes most of Bridgewater and other towns in Somerset, Hunterdon, Union and Middlesex counties. He is running against Republican incumbent Leonard Lance, who is campaigning for his second term.

For Potosnak, his number one priority for the district would be getting people back to work as soon as possible. He said residents are concerned about what they will do after they graduate college, and when they will be able to get a job.

"That's an area in which we have to increase our focus," he said. "There is not enough being done."

One way to help matters, Potosnak said, would be to support the small business networks, making loans available and helping them get tax write-offs for purchases, as well as other methods of supporting growth.

"We have to understand that small businesses are the backbone of our economy," he said. "These people are entrepreneurs."

But aside from the small businesses, Potosnak said, it is important to support research and development in the seventh district, which is also present in the larger businesses throughout Bridgewater.

And to make all of this work, Potosnak said, it is important to keep a clear focus on education.

"Education is critical to all of this," he said. "We have to maintain the excellence we have with a rigorous curriculum so we have the skills to compete."

To maintain that excellence and increase employment opportunities, Potosnak said, he believes it is time to remove career politicians, like Lance, from office.

"Career politicians say they support something, then vote against it, and I'm tired of that," he said. "People struggle to make payments at home, and I think Mr. Lance is not in touch with that reality."

Potosnak said these kinds of concerns over making payments and finding new jobs is a reality in New Jersey and all of the country right now.

"Worries and fears are reality," he said. "If you leave a job, you think you can't find another, so you don't leave [a job you don't enjoy]. My priorities address these realities."

Born and raised in New Jersey, and currently a resident of North Plainfield, Potosnak received his bachelor's degree in chemistry and master's in education from Rutgers University. He has taught education classes at Rutgers, and also spent eight years teaching at Bridgewater-Raritan High School.

"I taught teachers how to teach chemistry," he said. "I was trying to shift them from blackboards to helping students work in a structured online environment."

Although he is currently involved in campaigning, Potosnak also owns a small home improvement business that he runs on his own.

Having taught at Bridgewater-Raritan High School, Potosnak said he understands the stereotypes people have about the district being wealthy and already having everything it needs.

"A school like it seems to have everything," he said. "But a lot of students don't have the resources in their families that one might expect."

"We want them to have their dreams, and Bridgewater makes them come true," he added. "But the Lance and [Gov. Chris] Christie agenda is eroding that dream."

It is possible, Potosnak said, that some people move to Bridgewater for its school system, and do so knowing that being part of a wealthier community will require taking on a second job, or enduring other sacrifices to make it work.

Having directed a school musical when he was teaching, Potosnak said he is shocked by the fact that some schools have to charge for participation in extracurricular activities.

"The idea of having to charge students to participate, I couldn't even fathom," he said. "I have championed partnerships to help kids afford schools, and they benefit greatly from the experience."

For a school like Bridgewater, Potosnak said, it is important to ensure that the resources are available for the students to learn and have a stronger education than those before them. This is one of the reasons, Potosnak said, he would have supported the federal Education, Jobs and Medicaid Assistance Act, which was passed by the Senate Aug. 5, and is designed to save and create 319,000 jobs, including 161,000 teacher jobs.

"People move to places because of the schools, and I am concerned that that is slipping away," he said. "By electing someone with real-world experience, we can bring that right into Congress. We bring a real understanding of what it is like to struggle in the middle class, and how hard it is to make payments and worry about retirement. I understand those struggles because I've lived them."

Aside from the schools, Potosnak said, the most important goal is to reign in out-of-control spending, and create a budget that reflects the priorities of the nation. For one thing, he said, bringing home the American troops would be a benefit both in safety and money.

"We have to continue to bring our troops home responsibly and safely, but quickly," he said. "That will also free up resources domestically."

As for campaigning in what is often considered a more Republican-leaning county such as Somerset, Potosnak said he is focusing on running a grassroots campaign.

"I am taking every opportunity to listen to the concerns of the constituents, and to share my position," he said. "My campaign is people-powered."

Potosnak said it is completely up to the voters whether they choose to vote for career politicians or those with real-world experience.

"It is for the intelligence and ability of the voters to be discerning," he said. "This is a very unique atmosphere for an election, and I have every confidence the voters will make the right decision for the future."

As he speaks with residents throughout the district, Potosnak said, the biggest concern he is hearing is about the economy.

"That is the theme I hear the most about," he said. "The underlying thought is that the governor is failing, and not getting the job done. People are very disappointed."

In this same vein, Potosnak has said he would like to engage in public debates with Lance in each of the four seventh district counties, and is disappointed that the request has not been acknowledged.

"I think a debate is critical to engage with the voters, and highlight our stances on each policy," he said. "I am disappointed that he has failed to respond. Mr. Lance should understand how important it is to show each voter where we stand."

For the most part, when it comes to Bridgewater, Potosnak said the biggest issues are providing the jobs and education for the residents and workers.

"If you don't have highly skilled workers, the companies find other places to offer their work," he said. "I am supporting the education for workers and the research they do. The best way to get out of the recession is to get back to work."