LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

From the issue of Dec. 8, 2005.

Martin urges residents to participate
To the editor:
   I wish to thank all of the 5,600 Hillsborough citizens who voted for me on Nov. 8 for election to the Township Committee.
   I appreciate your confidence and support of my candidacy. The margin of four votes in the election demonstrates the importance of every vote in an election outcome.
   I wish Ms. Nisivocchia and Mr. Ferrara well as they begin their new terms of office in 2006 and as they address the important issues facing our community.
   The closeness of this election should serve as a wake up call to our elected officials that business as usual is not acceptable and that large numbers of Hillsborough voters want more accountability and responsiveness from their local leaders.
   I urge our residents to participate in their municipal government by attending Township Committee and Planning Board meetings, watching channel 25 televised sessions and seeking appointment to various municipal boards, commissions and committees.
   It is through participation that you learn how things really work in Hillsborough.
   My family and I wish all residents of the township a happy and healthy holiday season.
Sonya Anne Martin

Gabriel Court

Town saluted for schools’ support
To the editor:
   I am writing in response to Louis Bernard’s comments regarding the use of Noonan Field in the Dec. 1 edition of the Beacon.
   As a native of Somerset County, I remember when Hillsborough High School had just a few neighbors as it opened in the fall of 1970. Over the years, homes have popped up all over the landscape.
   Could it be possible that the Realtors shielded potential home buyers from seeing the school as they drove around the area? Is it conceivable that they told their clients that the school would only be used for 7 hours each day and the sea of yellow busses would remove the entire population as the last bell rang each afternoon?
   Did these same Realtors tell folks that no extra curricular activities would take place and all sports events would be held at the facilities of the opposing schools?
   Obviously, the answer to all of these questions is no.
   At present, I have a daughter who is active in numerous programs at the high school and thrives on her extra-curricular activities so I may appear biased.
   We moved into our house, not more than a mile from HHS, when she was still in elementary school and attended numerous events and activities held inside and outside on the high school grounds.
   I anticipate we will also frequent such activities after she graduates.
   Certainly, the school needs to be a good neighbor and I believe makes an honest effort to do so.
   Mr. Bernard, would you prefer to go sleepless until 9 p.m. on a Saturday night knowing the facilities are being utilized by our local youth or would you rather hear them congregating on your neighborhood street corners for lack of anything to do?
   I salute this town for offering a wide array of academic, musical, artistic, and athletic programs for our young people to invest their time, creativity, and energy in and suspect that, deep down, you do as well.
Harold Levin

Hillsborough

Politicians need to raise ethical values
To the editor:
   Election Day has passed and Thanksgiving gatherings give way to holiday preparations. Let’s pause briefly to see what we can learn from the results of the general election.
   Would you be surprised to know that over 70 percent of the voters here can not name the mayor of our town? Even more remarkable, nearly 20 percent don’t know the name of the president!
   So when GOP money was used to blanket the town with nasty claims that 1) a change in government would raise our taxes, 2) would divide the town, and 3) would cost over $700,000, a very large number of voters were scared despite those claims being grossly inaccurate and so they voted no on the change of government question.
   Aided and abetted by the Republican Party, the RAW group assaulted voters with knowingly false information.
   In the Star-Ledger there was a quote from RAW members, something like, "it isn’t fair, it’s just politics!"
   There’s a simple challenge. If they wish to claim competence and honesty, then there should be a few towns that changed forms of government where similar amounts of money ($700,000) were spent. Simple right?
   Well, there are no towns to use as examples since the change would not have cost anywhere near that amount – not even a quarter of that figure! They lied.
   The Committee of Petitioners were derided as egotists, pseudo-Republicans, power-hungry Democrats and labeled self-appointed. To answer these claims – we had to appoint ourselves since the Township Committee refused to initiate a charter study.
   Once we decided to do it ourselves, we assembled a balanced non-partisan group where not one person would have gained a single thing from a change in government.
   Two of us saw government in action first hand from service on the Township Committee and the others were very qualified, very community-active, non-political citizens.
   Our goal, and only goal, was to make our community a better place for all of us. Yet we were defamed knowingly and intentionally by our very own elected officials who showed us they are willing to do whatever it takes, including outright lies and defamation, to win an election.
   Two of the Republicans on our group are lifelong GOP’ers while one of us (me), has less time as an "elephant." Nothing "pseudo" to be found.
   So while the local GOP secured a victory, know this — the voters aren’t very happy with our local officials. Roughly 1,000 voters who pushed the Republican button for the highest "R" vote-getter on Election Day, did not push the "R" button for the top Hillsborough Republican.
   It’s a pity we have to settle for people who do not adhere to ethical and moral values, but we have to work with what we’ve got.
   Stay tuned in to make sure our needs are properly met as a community. We will be watching.
Glenn van Lier

Hillsborough