LETTERS TO THE EDITOR, Oct. 10
Radical leadership destroying Democrats
To the editor:
After weeks of listening to the far-left Democrats bleating that President Bush has neglected our security and that we are not safe enough, it is time to take a realistic view.
We are faced with a murderous enemy who will do anything to destroy us and kill as many Americans as possible, women and children included. For the five years since Sept. 11, there have been no significant attacks on U.S. soil, although numerous attempts have been foiled. We seem to have done some things right.
The New York Times and the rest of the left-wing propaganda machine insist that absolute security must be achieved, but they don’t tell us how. It is obvious that we cannot put armed guards 24 hours a day at every place Americans gather together: stadiums, shopping malls, bus and rail terminals, theaters, hospitals, churches, hotels, restaurants, schools, town halls, office buildings, etc. Neither do we want to live that way, with all the security checkpoints it would involve. It is also impractical to guard every bridge, water treatment facility, power plant, reservoir, industrial plant, railroad track, etc., in the country.
The closest approach to full security I can see would be for each of us to retire to an underground concrete bunker with padded walls and never come out. Real 100 percent security does not exist.
What, then, is the solution? Does it make sense to hunker down behind whatever protection we can devise and await the next attack? Wouldn’t it be more effective to take the offensive and pursue these mad fanatics, keeping them off balance, infiltrating their organizations, disrupting their communications and sources of financing, and killing or capturing them whenever possible? That is exactly what President Bush is already doing.
The Democrat leadership seems determined to undermine these efforts. They want to extend American rights and privileges to these animals, and revise the Geneva Conventions to include indiscriminate murderers. They worry more about preserving the dignity of those who want to kill us than they do about extracting information from them. Do these priorities make sense?
Their hatred of President Bush seems to have obscured their vision and common sense. He has done his best to reverse the trend toward authoritarian rule through socialism, and they can’t forgive him for that. As the American people begin to realize what they have been doing to us in recent years, their whole plan to gain power over our lives is in jeopardy. The concept of individual freedom is as frightening to the socialists as it is to the jihadists. They believe everyone’s life must be heavily taxed and completely regulated.
It would be a very good thing for the health of our great country if the Democratic Party could regain control of itself and remove the radical leadership that is destroying it. But until people like Howard Dean, Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, Ted Kennedy, Harry Reid, the Clintons and the rest of the liberal gang are out of power, it can’t happen.
T. Burnet Fisher
Snowden Lane
Princeton
Ideal council member has independent voice
To the editor:
Recently, much has been made in the media concerning dissension among West Windsor Township Council members. Democracy is best served when representatives do not think and vote in lockstep. The reason our government at any level has separate branches is so that they might balance each other and, while doing so, ensure public scrutiny and public accountability. It is an advantage, therefore, that any legislative branch includes a diversity of opinion something that is impossible without independence of opinion, as well. For a mayor, the ideal council is one that is handpicked and supports him without asking the hard questions. For the residents, the ideal council is one whose members represents the many differing views of the public, and yet respects each other and is willing to work together for the public good.
Candidates for council should be able to convince us, the voters, that they will judge prospective legislation by its content and character, not by the affiliation of its proponents. Building the transit village will forever change the character of West Windsor. We must be very careful that our council represents all different viewpoints, not just those of the mayor and the Planning Board chairman.
Barbara Pfeifer is a candidate chosen and supported by the mayor and whose campaign manager is the Planning Board chairman. Will Anklowitz is an independent voice.
Carole Carson
Edinburg Road
Alison Miller
Windsor Drive
West Windsor
Anklowitz has taken active interest in WW
To the editor:
In the November election for West Windsor Township Council, I will be voting for Will Anklowitz. I urge everyone to vote for Will, too.
Will is a lawyer whose family has lived in West Windsor since the 1930s. He is a lifelong resident who has taken an active interest in his community as a board member of his homeowners’ association, a member of Friends of West Windsor Open Space and a member of the West Windsor-Plainsboro Soccer Association.
Will believes in a government open to new ideas and open to public participation, a balanced budget supported by lower property taxes, and the importance of preserving open spaces. He knows West Windsor. He knows its history and its problems, and he will work to make West Windsor a better place for everyone.
Will’s practical background in law, his knowledge of the community and understanding of local issues and government are clear and valuable qualifications for being on the council. As a member of the Township Council, he will have a chance to put the best of his skills and experience to work for all of us.
Roy Wesley
Spruce Street
West Windsor
Birge’s contribution felt in Montgomery
To the editor:
We are writing to urge Montgomery residents to support Deputy Mayor Cecilia Birge for re-election to the Montgomery Township Committee.
We initially came to know Cecilia through her children through play dates and soccer league, preschool pick-ups and school bus drop-offs. Like many of us in town, Cecilia moved to Montgomery to raise a family, leaving a promising professional career behind. And also like many of us in town, she cares passionately about our community.
What makes Cecilia stand out is her energy, intelligence and dedication to really make a difference in our town. She has an irrepressible urge to get things done. Rather than sit passively on the sidelines as our taxes rose, Cecilia plunged into the thick of the issue first by volunteering on the Budget and Finance Committee and then, three years ago, by winning a seat on the Township Committee, where she immediately set about implementing cost-control measures to stabilize municipal taxes a feat that she and the other members of the Township Committee have successfully achieved.
While county and school taxes have continued to rise over the past few years, our municipal taxes haven’t budged. At the same time, she has championed open-space preservation and better community services for local seniors to encourage them to remain in Montgomery. Only by restraining our population growth and preserving a diverse community that is welcoming to residents of all ages can Montgomery truly achieve stable taxes over the long term.
And yet, we still think of Cecilia first and foremost as our friend, neighbor and the mother of our children’s playmates. The impetus that drove her into township politics in the first place remains unchanged to ensure that our town remains a wonderful (and still affordable) place to raise a family. Her concerns are our concerns.
Please cast your vote for Cecilia Birge to return her to the Township Committee so that she can continue the good work she has performed on behalf of all of the residents of our town.
Jackie Barth
Heather Lane
Adelle Kirk
Black Horse Run
Anna O’Brien
Berkley Avenue
Montgomery
Wilson commended for fiscal discipline
To the editor:
I would like to correct some of the factual inaccuracies in Josh Owen’s letter to the editor (The Packet, Sept. 26), and provide some context for the discussion of municipal finances in Montgomery Township.
Responsible use of the surplus to stabilize taxes allows taxpayers to keep more of their own money. Failure to do so would require tax increases that residents certainly do not want.
Today’s surplus is $15 million, about the same as it was in 2000 and 2001.
Montgomery’s municipal tax has remained stable over the past five years. A home with an average assessed value paid $1,166 in municipal taxes in 2006, compared to $1,170 in 2002 and $1,149 in 2001.
Operating costs in the township are capped by state law. The budget increases that Mr. Owen criticizes are based solely on prudent, non-recurring investments in open space and road projects, which are designed to provide long-term property tax and traffic relief. What’s more, the cost of these investments has gone down significantly because the township has been aggressive and successful at securing grants.
The township’s 2006 budget is more than $1 million lower than its budget in 2005 and was approved by bipartisan vote of the Township Committee.
A proposal to cap spending at population "growth plus inflation," was deemed "ineffective" by the nonpartisan Budget and Finance Advisory Committee. If adopted, it would actually permit more spending than we have today.
Outside experts agree that Montgomery’s finances are managed wisely. The township carries a bond rating of Aa2, the second highest category, from Moody’s Investor’s Service, which specifically cited the township’s financial health as an important factor in its high rating.
Montgomery taxpayers are feeling real pain but not from municipal taxes, which account for about 10 percent of the property-tax bill. While our municipal taxes have remained stable, our county tax has increased by more than 25 percent in the past four years.
Party affiliation notwithstanding, Montgomery residents deserve effective representation on the freeholder board to bring the kind of fiscal discipline to Somerset County that we have experienced in Montgomery. I urge you to support Mayor Louise Wilson in her candidacy for Somerset County freeholder.
Mark Petraske
Opossum Road
Montgomery
Keep smart, responsible leadership in Montgomery
To the editor:
For many years, there has been a consensus in Montgomery that open-space preservation is important for both quality-of-life and financial reasons. The cost to taxpayers of preserving open space is far less than the cost of residential development.
What you may not know is that under the leadership of Mayor Louise Wilson and Deputy Mayor Cecilia Birge as the liaison to the Open Space Committee, each tax dollar collected in the past five years preserved twice as much land as it did in the five years prior, despite skyrocketing land prices.
That’s because about 60 percent of all recent open-space costs have been reimbursed by grants from nonprofits and government agencies, versus only 13 percent for the five years before our mayor and her colleagues took office, leading to dramatic savings for Montgomery taxpayers.
This has not been achieved by chance. The Township Committee has given skilled staff the resources they need, has recruited excellent people to serve on the Open Space Committee and has aggressively pursued open space and farmland preservation grants. Furthermore, the township is far more effective than ever before in partnering with private landowners, Montgomery Friends of Open Space, and other nonprofits including D&R Greenway.
Of the five members of the Township Committee, the two most influential open-space advocates are Mayor Louise Wilson and Deputy Mayor Cecilia Birge. They have forged excellent working relationships with landowners and grant makers, and they have developed strong financial planning and debt management tools to make it all possible.
All of us, as taxpayers, have benefited greatly. With the township stretching open-space tax dollars farther than ever, we have slowed the pace of residential construction, a key driver of school taxes. And, of course, the open-space program is critical in preserving the rural character that makes our community so special.
In order to retain the smart, fiscally responsible leadership we have in Montgomery, I urge voters to elect Mayor Wilson to the Somerset County freeholder board, re-elect Deputy Mayor Cecilia Birge and elect her running mate, Brad Fay, on Nov. 7.
Larry Koplik
Harlingen Road
Montgomery
No strings attached to independent slate
To the editor:
In Rocky Hill, the choices for mayor and council are clear Ed Zimmerman for mayor and Bill Hallman and Dan Harrington for Borough Council. They are running as independent candidates, free from the intrigue and duplicity that bedevils our local political scene, free to work for the betterment of our town without fear of reprisals from the Rocky Hill’s partisan party "puppet maestros."
Succinctly stated, Ed Zimmerman has done more to enhance the quality of life in Rocky Hill during his one term on council than most people have done in their entire careers. From overseeing the remodeling of the borough offices to managing the construction of the recreation shelter behind Borough Hall, Ed has been tireless in his efforts to serve our community. Ed (along with Bill and Dan) is an advocate of both the Fire Department and the Rescue Squad, and all three candidates support the South Bound Brook Police patrols. Additionally, Rocky Hill residents need to thank Ed for building the new State Police substation in Borough Hall. I’m certain the State Police appreciate his efforts.
Ed’s list of accomplishments is impressive. However, to be a successful mayor, Ed will need the support of council members willing to work with him for the betterment of our community, and not obstruct his efforts to govern merely because he is not a party sycophant. The disdain some council members have for Ed is palpable, and even the most dispassionate observer can discern the invective directed his way at meetings. It’s a shame, because Ed’s suggestions would benefit the entire community. To base votes on personalities does a disservice to our town.
Consider the following: Two years ago, Ed produced a five-year plan for buildings and grounds that accomplished the required work and reduced its budget by nearly 5 percent annually. The plan was ignored by the Finance Committee, and a request to have all committees produce similar plans was denied. This is politics as usual.
Then there’s the problem with the anti-Community Group bias exhibited by certain council members. Plans for Park Nights and the bike race, both great events for the community events that Ed, Bill and Dan support have been continually hampered by unwarranted political attacks.
Dan and Bill will give Ed the support he needs to be an effective mayor. These two longtime Rocky Hill residents are familiar with the borough and its needs. Bill has served on the Rocky Hill Board of Health. He is also active with the Rocky Hill Community Group and is working to electronically preserve historic photos of Rocky Hill stored at the Amy Garrett house. Dan has been involved with the Traffic and Safety Committee, and was president of the RH Cooperative Nursery School. Each man is an intelligent problem solver and capable of reaching decisions independently without relying on the back stage thought police.
Rocky Hill voters have a unique opportunity to reconfigure their town to address the problems it is facing. The "string-free-three" of Ed Zimmerman, Dan Harrington, and Bill Hallman are the candidates best qualified to lead Rocky Hill into the future. Please vote for them the choice is easy.
Martin Engelbrecht
Crescent Avenue
Rocky Hill
Youth group invites performing artists
To the editor:
I read about the ending of the Friday music at Princeton Public Library (The Packet, Sept. 22). Those who enjoy that sort of activity could be interested in activities of our new group, NJ Performing Arts Youth. Our Web site has details about our activities: http://NJPerformingArtsYouth.org.
The next event we are hosting is Performance Fright Day on Oct. 20 at 6:30 p.m. at Mary Jacobs Library in Rocky Hill, back-door entrance. It will be a performance party with a Halloween theme. We invite performers to play scary music, read scary poetry or a monologue or story, etc. It will also be a party so you can come to enjoy the party whether or not you perform anything.
We urge you to RSVP right away, especially if you plan on performing, by sending an e-mail to [email protected], calling (908) 881-5275 or using the input form at our Web site.
We are also arranging a group of young performing artists and friends to go see Dracula, The Musical at Kelsey Theatre. We have reserved a large block of seats for the Saturday, Oct. 28, 8 p.m. show. A Halloween mood will be in the air and some audience members will likely be "dressed to kill." You can contact us to arrange to become part of our entourage. Please RSVP today.
Afterwards, we will continue with monthly Performance Friday events at Mary Jacobs back-door entrance. The next two scheduled dates are Nov. 17 when we will be studying the music of "Oliver!" and Dec. 15.
Our group is inclusive and made up mainly of middle school and high school youth. It is a way to network and build social connections among those interested in the performing arts. Come out and play with us.
Robert Colby-Witanek
Griggstown Road
Montgomery

