Letters to the Editor
It's Your Turn
Americans Deserve Health Care Reform
To The Editor:
The debate over health care reform continues even as Congressional leaders and White House officials from both political parties gathered on February 25th to renew bipartisan discussion. At that point, AARP offered to help them continue progress by lowering the external political pressure that can prevent compromise. We pledged to pull back on our activities in the public debate as long as they continued to work together constructively. "You work together, we'll lower the volume." Unfortunately, no bipartisan solution appears to be in sight.
AARP's CEO issued a statement this week, saying that "while AARP is disappointed, we are re-engaging in the public debate because health care reform is too important to remain silent." As an AARP volunteer I couldn't agree more. AARP will continue fighting for the priorities of our members and their families, including protecting guaranteed Medicare benefits, lowering prescription drug costs by closing the Medicare Part D "doughnut hole" coverage gap, stopping insurance companies from denying affordable care based on age or pre-existing conditions, and increasing access to home- and community-based services so older Americans can get the services they need to live in their homes. It's what we all deserve.
Suad Al-Rabiai
AARP Outreach Volunteer
Franklin Township
A Dedicated Public Servant
To The Editor:
On February 18th, a small plane was intentionally crashed into a building in Austin, Texas where almost 200 IRS employees work. This wanton act of violence took the life of Vernon Hunter, 68, who served his nation as an IRS employee for almost three decades.
In today's world, it is difficult for some to see beyond the labels - to see the person. Mr. Hunter worked for the IRS - a difficult and demanding job. But he did his job fairly and he did it well. He was a dedicated public servant who respected taxpayers and their rights.
There are tens of thousands of Vernon Hunters working at the IRS helping taxpayers navigate a difficult tax code that we did not write and collecting the taxes to keep our nation vibrant and strong.
For some in America, the IRS will always be viewed as a faceless bureaucracy. But they are wrong. In fact, it is an organization of hard-working people whose love of country and spirit of public service were embodied in Vernon Hunter - a spirit that lives on in them today. I sincerely hope that is one lesson we can learn from this terrible tragedy.
Doug Shulman
Commissioner
Internal Revenue Service
Washington, D.C.
Support Right To Repair Act
To The Editor:
Few consumer bills are as important to seniors as the Motor Vehicle Owners' Right to Repair Act (HR 2057). Older Americans often live on a fixed income and many rely on trusted, reasonably-priced neighborhood repair shops to keep their vehicles serviced, repaired and operating safely. With thousands of car dealers closed, and many others closing, those independent repair shops are critical to keep seniors on the road.
The Right to Repair Act ensures that seniors can continue to enjoy the affordability and convenience of having their vehicles serviced locally. The bill makes certain that car owners, not car companies, retain the choice of where to take the vehicle for service by requiring equal access to repair information, safety bulletins and tools from vehicle manufacturers.
Without the Right to Repair Act, seniors may find their independence severely compromised if they are forced to go a car dealer for service and repairs, particularly if there is no dealership in their area. Worse yet, they may decide to forgo critical safety repairs because the distance to a dealership is too great.
RetireSafe strongly urges Congress to pass the Motor Vehicle Owners' Right to Repair Act to protect older Americans nationwide. We encourage vehicle owners to make their voices heard by visiting www.righttorepair.org and sending a letter to their U.S. Representative in support of the Right to Repair Act.
Thair Phillips
President
RetireSafe
A War of Words and Actions To The Editor:
As a coach and parent of two children in the Middletown Soccer League, and also as a lifelong soccer player and resident of Middletown, I want to commend Mayor Scharfenberger for his efforts to provide our children with safe, low-maintenance fields. I have met with the mayor in his office and also attended numerous public meetings and was highly impressed by his patience and willingness to listen to all sides in a very contentious debate over these fields. Unfortunately the relatively small number of people opposing the project has turned a long overdue improvement to an existing field into a hysteria-filled war of words and actions. To try and gain sympathy for their position, they have falsely told people that the town wants to build a "stadium" when all they want to do is provide a safe playing surface on an existing field that will be virtually maintenance free. To use the word "stadium" is a misdirection on their part and shame on them for misrepresentation on what the town wants to do for our children. There is even talk of retaining a lawyer to try and stop any improvements to the fields. Lost in all the rhetoric are the needs of thousands of children (our future), coaches and parents and their rights to play on safe, usable fields in the town where they live.
What I don't understand is why people have to be so malicious and vindictive in order to try and get what they want. If you are going to fight a battle, try fighting a worthwhile battle instead of a battle to stop our children from playing on improved, up-to-date soccer fields, football fields (recreational fields) which will only better our community and more so our children.
In closing, I want to state unequivocally to Mayor Scharfenberger that, I and hundreds of families appreciate your efforts on behalf of the Middletown children and look forward to playing on a field that we can be proud of.
Bethany L. Ryan
Coach, parent and lifelong resident
Middletown
A Silent Epidemic
To The Editor:
As the headlines concentrate on steroid abuse and prescription drug abuse, let's not forget that inhalant use is a cheap, legal and easy way that young people get high.
Inhalant use has become a silent epidemic. Why? Parents are out of the loop. Children discuss it and practice it; adults stay in the dark.
A recent study by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission showed that 95% of parents believe their child has never used inhalants. Yet, almost one in five eighth graders has intentionally inhaled everyday office, school and household products at the risk of brain damage and even death, reports the National Institute on Drug Abuse "Monitoring the Future Survey." Inhalant abuse, most common in the 10-12 year age bracket, is also considered a "gateway drug" - a student's first form of substance abuse before "graduating "to other drugs. While there has been a decrease in inhalant abuse as a result of targeted prevention efforts, recent abuse and attitude surveys done by the Partnership for a Drug Free America indicate that the current perceptions of youth have shifted, reflecting a very dangerous resurgence.
The week of March 14-20 is National Inhalants & Poisons Awareness Week. Contact Prevention First and ask for a free copy of "A Parents Guide to Preventing Inhalant Abuse." We must educate our children about inhalants before they educate themselves. We can protect our children by working together. For more information call or visit our Resource Center at (732) 663-1800 ext. 216.
Mary Pat Angelini
Executive Director
Prevention First
Restore NJ SHARE Grant
To The Editor:
On the day of his inauguration, Governor Christopher Christie inherited a gaping $2 billion hole in the state's budget and swiftly set about the people's business in meeting our constitutional mandate guaranteeing a balanced budget. Shortly thereafter, he declared a State of Fiscal Emergency via Executive Order No. 14, effectively freezing most governmental spending with the intent of ensuring that extravagance in a time of severely diminished fiscal resources." While most rational citizens would agree that state spending has exploded and that much of the $550 million in frozen spending could clearly be characterized as "waste" or "extravagance" or even "mismanagement," there is one cut that most certainly does not: the New Jersey Sharing Available Resources Efficiently (NJ SHARE) grant, commonly referred to as the "Shared Services Grant."
There is no doubt that Governor Christie is faced with many difficult decisions. The easiest one he could make would be to give municipal leaders back the one tool they had relied upon to greatly reduce spending; reinstate the NJ SHARE grant. The decision to eliminate this grant as part of the solution to the budget deficit is one that needs to be reevaluated on a number of levels. First of all, freezing this grant eliminates the only portion of the state budget designed to save tremendous sums of essential funds. The money that could be saved because of this grant would result in exponentially greater savings than those that would be attained by simply eliminating it. Not only that, but the governor clearly advocates the sharing of services in order to use money more efficiently, as he has stated through his own campaign, speeches and even in interviews. This demonstrates the fact that the decision to eliminate the grant is shortsighted at best. It is obvious that the elimination of this grant will only add to our collective financial problems. The NJ SHARE grant is a key part of our state's long term, cost-cutting solution.
Brian J. Valentino
Patriot Consulting Group
Long Branch
Remembering Old Red Bank
To The Editor:
As a former resident of the Red Bank area (1936-1959), I so enjoyed George Severini's article about old time business owners. I do remember most of them - especially the X-ray machine at Miller Shoe Store.
My mother was a teacher at Red Bank High, so she knew a lot of the merchants - some of them her former students.
I would like to add Tetley's Toy Store - now long gone - but I remember the beautiful doll display in a glass case as you entered the store.
Even though I moved to Massachusetts in 1959 (now on Cape Cod), I still visit the Red Bank area every summer and I look forward to each edition of The Two River Times™.
Maggie Ring Bacigalupo
Hyannis, Ma.
