Letters

Crabiel, Fernicola deserve support Nov. 8

The Middlesex County Freeholder Board is always coming up with new and innovative ways of helping the 25 towns in Middlesex County. They have a cooperative purchasing program that allows the towns to make purchases of goods and services off of contracts the county has gone out to bid for. They have completed electric and gas energy aggregations that have saved the towns many thousands of dollars. They have annually guaranteed a capital equipment lease bond that has allowed municipalities to lease/purchase equipment at considerable savings because of the county’s AAA bond rating. County road crews have graded and repaved local streets, saving the towns the higher costs of private contractors.

Freeholders Dave Crabiel and Camille Fernicola have been instrumental in supporting these programs because they believe if municipalities can save money, then property taxes can be controlled. Because of their commitment to the towns, they deserve our support on Election Day in November.

Wasilisa Wills

North Brunswick

Vote GOP to end county control of gov’t

Did you know in

North Brunswick, the Republican-controlled council had no tax increase for three years in a row (2000-02)? In comparison, the Democrat-controlled council increased taxes 22 percent during a three-year period (2003-05). Did your income increase by 22 percent in the last three years? Can you afford to pay these increased taxes?

Did you know that the present council allowed Middlesex County to purchase the DKM property? We now lost 52 acres of a valuable commercial tax ratable on Route 1. Is this a payback to the county for their generous contributions to fund the North Brunswick Democratic campaigns?

Vote Republican if you want to pay less municipal taxes and end the Middlesex County control over our local government.

Joyce Zimmerman

North Brunswick

Residents need more assistance programs

New Jersey is a wealthy state — the median family income is above $70,000. Yet the cost of living is also high in New Jersey. And a significant number of people struggle with not enough income. In 2003, there were more than 700,000 New Jerseyans living below the federal poverty level for a family of three ($14,824). One-fifth of the population had household income at or below $29,648.

The Legal Services of N.J. Poverty Research Institute released an in-depth study by Diana Pearce from the University of Washington, which provides bare-bones living costs based on local costs for each county. Necessities are covered — food, housing, child care, health care and transportation — but no money is allotted for savings, restaurant meals or entertainment.

To meet basic living expenses, a family of three with one adult and two children needs $36,540 in Atlantic County and $54,432 in Somerset County. A two-working-parent family with a preschooler and a school-age child ranges from $41,350 in Atlantic County to $62,481 in Somerset County.

Realistically, to make it possible for low income-families to meet their actual expenses, we must ensure that food stamps, school breakfasts and school lunches are accessible to those eligible. The innovative N.J. State Rental Assistance program must be expanded to include more low-income families to make rents affordable. Adequate child-care programs are vital so workers are able show up for work reliably. FamilyCare [a state program providing affordable health-care coverage to children and certain low-income parents] must be made available to all those who need it. These programs are vital to individuals and families living with an income-expense gap so both they and the communities they live and work in can thrive.

Anjali Srivastava

director, Poverty Research Institute, Legal Services of New Jersey and participant in the Anti-Poverty Network

North Brunswick should vote line ‘b’ for O’Neill and Rhodes

North Brunswick received a $4.3 million windfall due to a successful tax appeal on the Bristol-Myers Squibb Property. This money will help to reduce tax increases by the current all-Democrat mayor and council. What you will not hear from the township is the fact that this tax appeal dates back to the Republican-controlled council.

The Republicans came into power in North Brunswick in the middle of tax increases imposed on the taxpayers due to the mismanagement of a one-party Democrat-run mayor and council who ruled for well over 20 years. The Republicans came into power in 2000 and cleaned up the mess that was left behind. Taxes and water bills were at their highest and taxpayers were being taxed out of their homes.

The Republicans began investigating new businesses and research center. to see if we were receiving far taxable income. The Republicans began tax appeals, and now we are benefiting from their hard work.

It was the Republican council that started a new road plan that had never been put into place. It was the Republican council that did not raise taxes while it was in office. It was the Republican council that promised open space and followed through with the Otken farm. It was the Republican council that listened when the resident on Route 130 did not want a shopping area at General Motors. It was the Republican council which set new precedence in North Brunswick, and we now have a BP gas station in place of a go-go lounge.

The Republican council worked on a new water contract; however, as the Democrats came back into control, that contract was changed and a deal was made with the all-Democrat county, and now you will be seeing your water rates going up.

Wake up North Brunswick — we need new voices on the council who will really be working for the people of North Brunswick. Learn about your candidates rather than just voting for a party. Your pocketbooks will thank you. Try line “b” this time for Tom O’Neill and Claude Rhodes.

Maureen Little

North Brunswick

Davis, Corbin will keep North Brunswick on track

Even though the campaign for the two North Brunswick Township Council seats has been relatively quite this year, I hope the voters do not overlook the outstanding records Bob Davis and Bob Corbin have compiled during the three years they have served on the council.

For those of us who live in North Brunswick, it is nice to know Bob Davis and Bob Corbin along with Mayor Francis “Mac” Womack and the rest of the council, have made it their priority to address the issues that matter most to our residents. Just think, in the last three years, our water rates are down, our parks have been refurbished, they have put in new financial policies which have saved taxpayers money, and now they have changed the focus of planning and zoning in the township so we have a vision for the township as a whole, instead of looking at our community in pieces such as what occurred under the Republicans.

On Election Day, Nov. 8, I hope the voters re-elect Bob Davis and Bob Corbin. We need their continued leadership if we are to keep North Brunswick moving on the right track.

Betty Kessler

North Brunswick

Sierra Club backs Greenstein for Route 92 efforts

We are disappointed to learn of a letter being sent to members of the 14th District that criticizes Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein for considering all sides of the Route 92 conflict. Route 92 has been in the planning stages for some 50 years. It is such a contentious highway plan that its alignment has changed and shortened over time while the cost of the road has soared.

As we await the results of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), we are urging everyone involved to agree to conflict mediation in order to solve the region’s traffic problems once and for all.

Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein agrees the best solution has yet to be proposed and that the most effective means of achieving the peace would be to convene a roundtable partnership, as was done for the Penns Neck area EIS.

Both Greenstein and her running mate, Daniel Benson, have gone on record as having grave misgivings about the road. In fact, in a recent news report, Greenstein stated publicly she “does not think Route 92 should be built.” For the Baroni/Paquette campaign to distort her words shows only that these Republican candidates are willing to jeopardize a reasonable and productive process for political gain. Baroni and Paquette should not assail others for wanting to ensure all the facts are known. Important decisions that affect all of Central Jersey cannot be made in the vacuum of a political campaign.

Laura Lynch

Chair, Central Jersey Group

New Jersey Chapter of Sierra Club

Baroni, Paquette will put end to wasteful spending

I am tired of corruption, high property taxes, and out-of-control state spending that puts the interests of politicians first and the interests of the average resident last. I want elected officials who serve the community, instead of serving their own self-interest, and later going to jail. I want an end to the corruption, the wasteful spending, and taxing without end that defies common sense.

The two people who will put an end to this are Bill Baroni and Mike Paquette.

Baroni’s record as assemblyman and Mike Paquette’s record as South Brunswick chief of police show we can have honest, hardworking public officials who believe in public service and put the interests of the community first.

If we want good government, we must elect good public officials with the experience and the ability to tackle our most pressing problems. We need Baroni and Paquette to represent us in the Assembly.

Maryann Kreutzer

Hamilton Square