Letters to the Editor
It's Your Turn
Holmdel
Sewer Bills
To The Editor:
I applaud the long-awaited improvement in Holmdel Township's calculation of residential sewer bills that is starting in 2009. Holmdel's Sewer Department is now obtaining winter-water usage date for each resident from the local water company and using it to calculate each resident's quarterly sewer bill, beginning with those bills due this June. This is a fair and effective resolution to the historical over-charging of residents who are modest users of water and sewer resources.
The Holmdel administration is becoming more aware of residents' interests with respect to sewer charges. Several years ago, residential sewer users were treated as mere "cash cows" by the current Holmdel Township Committee majority, which took about $2 million from the sewer surplus fund to subsidize other township expenses. But primarily due to the leadership of Township Committeeman Larry Fink, the residential sewer rates driving that surplus were generally recognized as excessive, and those rates were correspondingly reduced.
More improvements in Holmdel's administration of residential sewer charges are needed. Those Holmdel neighborhoods with sewers installed over 40 years ago have fully repaid their sewer construction bonds. However, repayment of sewer bonding debt is still included in the sewer bills of the residents in those neighborhoods. This is an unjust situation that should be more widely recognized and corrected.
Anthony Cooper
Holmdel
Debt For Health Care
To The Editor:
I have been reading with great interest about the latest plans in Washington to create universal health-care coverage.
While I join most in saying that all Americans should have access to quality, affordable health coverage, I remind President Obama and Congress that taxpayers are not an open checkbook, and our country is already buried in debt.
The plan that is being crafted in Washington is expected to cost $1.6 trillion over the next 10 years. That is on top of the $1.7 trillion expected to be spent in Iraq and Afghanistan by 2018, along with the $787 billion bill known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
The outstanding public debt of our nation currently stands at more than $11 trillion, equal to $37,200 for every American. Our debt has increased an average of $3.8 billion a day since September 2007, and there is no relief in sight.
So the issue here is really not if you support universal health coverage or not. The issue is about how much Americans are willing to drive themselves, their children and their grandchildren into debt.
The issue is about the general rule of inflation, in which money is devalued when its issuer is broke. And the issue is about how much influence America is prepared to sacrifice around the globe, as a large percentage of U.S. treasury bills are owned by other nations, including communist China.
And, so, as people weigh the benefits of public insurance vs. private insurance, I urge them to look at the bigger issue: Can the America we know be sustained under yet another $1.6 trillion of debt?
Dave Mordo
Legislative Chair
New Jersey Association of Health Underwriters
Middletown
Thanks For Fire Help
To The Editor:
There were many people working behind the scenes on the fire that consumed Memory Lanes Bowling Alley in Shrewsbury on June 4th. Besides the courageous front line work of the Fire, Police, Public Works and EMS of Shrewsbury and the surrounding towns, O#M and the Jersey Coast Chapter of the American Red Cross, help also arrived in other packages.
LaRosa's Pastry and Café donated food and beverages, and the Red Bank Windmill sent and replenished significant amounts of hot dogs and hamburgers. Most gracious of all, however, were the owner and employees of Red Bank Volvo. Despite watching their inventory become engulfed in flames, they provided a staging area for the Office of Emergency Management, made their facilities available and also purchased a large number of pizzas for everyone involved. Their willingness to assist was, no doubt, a reflection of their agency.
My apologies to anyone whose kindness has been omitted and a large "thank you" to the participants for engaging in a situation filled with cooperation and lacking upheaval.
Anthony J. Pellegrino
First Aid Captain
Shrewsbury
Come To
The Table
To The Editor:
We would like to take the opportunity to commend the members of the Rumson Education Association (REA) for their professionalism this past school year. As many are aware, the contract crisis between the REA and Board of Education remains unresolved, and we will end this school year without an agreement.
Both sides met with a state-appointed fact-finder on June 11th, to no avail. Despite efforts by the REA to reach a settlement, the parties were unable to move forward and must meet again in July. This is especially frustrating because we came ready and eager to discuss a resolution. After months of face-to-face bargaining and four meetings with a state-appointed mediator, the two sides were unable to reach a settlement and the process moved into fact-finding, at an additional cost to taxpayers.
We must openly commend the teachers, paraprofessionals, secretaries, and custodians for their commitment to the students and community of Rumson. Despite the lack of settlement, they came to work every single day and never faltered in their dedication to provide the best education possible for the children.
We know parents don't want just an average school or an average education for their children, that much is evident by their strong support of the teachers, school programs, and the recent school budget. However, when the Board would rather spend district money on a fact-finder and attorneys, we worry that they may not be on the same page.
The bottom line is that our members love the children in our schools and love the community where they teach. We all want this lengthy, expensive process to come to an end and have the district's tax money spent on the students, not the Board's lawyers.
On behalf of the 110 members of the REA, we urge the Board to come to the table on July 13 ready to discuss a plan that will benefit us all.
Deb Tomaino and Robin Yaeger
REA co-presidents
Oceanport
Retrofitting Municipal Vehicles Promises to Create Jobs
To The Editor:
There is no simple solution when it comes to municipalities and government agencies improving fuel economy and reducing emissions of their transit and fleet vehicles. This is especially true today when there are limited resources available to address a multitude of complex issues.
Before municipalities spend hundreds of millions of dollars on hybrid vehicles, they should consider retrofitting their current vehicles with state-of-the art hydraulic braking and propulsion systems. These cost-efficient systems capture wasted brake energy and convert it to an auxiliary source of energy to power the vehicle. The realized reduction in fuel consumption and added years of useful life are economic advantages, while the reduction in harmful emissions from a renewable source of energy is a "green" benefit as well. It is important to note that retrofitting vehicles could create jobs immediately, as municipalities and government agencies could begin the evaluation and conversion process right away. Purchasing new hybrid vehicles, while a costly endeavor, does not bring jobs to the area. The bottom line is that it makes economic and environmental sense for municipalities and government agencies to investigate the benefits of retrofitting before spending millions of dollars. Conducting a thorough vehicle asset analysis and having a comprehensive, executable plan in place are the best ways to conserve energy and maximize return on investment.
Sam Jones
President
Recaptured Energy Technologies
Chicago, Il
RB Should Retain River Access Site
To The Editor:
The Littoral Society is a coastal conservation organization headquartered on Sandy Hook. We have had an abiding interest in the waters and water edges of coastal New Jersey, with special attention to Sandy Hook Bay and its Shrewsbury and Navvesink tributaries. Our interest and work focus on protection of marine habitat and of adequate access to those lands and waters, access and use as guaranteed by the Public Trust doctrine, which defines the Public's rights to lands and waters influenced by tides.
It is our understanding that Red Bank has been approached by a private entity interested in purchasing the Red Bank Borough-owned lot on the Navesink River just downstream from the foot of Maple Avenue. We also understand that the parcel is on Red Bank's Recreation Open Space Inventory (ROSI) and as such is considered parkland.
We consider any public access to the water of enormous value, especially if it is already listed on a municipality's ROSI. Thus we urge borough council to retain the parcel of land in borough ownership and proceed to design it for low-impact recreation, particularly non-motored small-boat access.
We would be interested in information you can provide about the plan for this parcel, specifically: Is Red Bank considering an offer to sell its Maple Avenue property into private ownership? Is Red Bank considering retaining its Maple Avenue property as permanent open space? The Littoral Society stands ready to support the preservation of the Maple Avenue property as a valuable public access to the Navesink River.
Tim Dillingham
Executive Director
American Littoral Society
Highlands
Lunchbreak Thanks Rotary
To The Editor:
Lunch Break received a check on June 11th at the Rotary Club of Red Bank's Award Luncheon. This check generously represented the proceeds of the Ninth Two Rivers Food and Wine Tasting event that was held on April 27th. This annual event has raised much needed funds for local charities and reflects the Rotary Club's commitment to supporting those in our community who need help.
The evening was a great success: close to 400 people feasted on food provided by many of the finest restaurants in our area and sampled a great selection of beverages.
We want to express our sincere gratitude to all who made this Food and Wine Tasting event such a financial and social success: members of the Red Bank Rotary Club, Lunch Break volunteers, local establishments that contributed food and beverages, and everyone who purchased ads in the Ad Journal and tickets. This kind of support enables Lunch Break to respond to the increasing demands that we face every day: meals at noon time (more than 30,000 during the past year), groceries from the Food Pantry, clothing and other services.
Gwen Love
Executive Director
Hans Zweerink
Board of Trustees President
Lunchbreak
Red Bank
