Letters

Supporting Bjornsen
To the editor:
   I received a phone call from my good friend Carol Bjornsen to announce her candidacy to run for school board. I have to say I was thrilled and elated.
   When I shared the news with my husband he said, "it’s about time someone with integrity and good values, knows about the high school and its problems, runs for office. Hopefully, she is elected just because she knows how to work as a team for the good of the kids."
   We have personally known Ms. Bjornsen and her family for more than 11 years. In all that time, she’s never disappointed us by changing her deep-rooted values of integrity and honesty.
   We think there’re several reasons and qualifications that would make her and excellence school board member.
   Ms. Bjornsen has previous experience working with the board. Her integrity has never been called into question. Her honesty sometimes is uncomfortable to those who don’t want to hear it, but no one can say she’s wishy-washy. She doesn’t see different rules for different people.
   One strong asset she has is her approachability by the general public. She’s easy to talk to and really listens. She takes constructive criticism and makes it an asset. We applaud her public decorum as well in these times of infighting and resentment that is most apparent at board meetings lately. Ms. Bjornsen has always shown her respect for others and their opinions both in public and in private. She is very aware of how to act in public.
   Often she would have to make decisions that affect others and we know that her ethics guided her. She always made it a point that the perception of conflict of interest was just the same as the reality of conflict of interest. This is something a lot of people just don’t understand.
   We think her reputation speaks for itself. Ms. Bjornsen and her husband have lived here for 22 years and put two children through the school system. When change was needed she rolled up her sleeves and joined in the fray. She served as a member of the board before and now is the time to ask her to serve again. She knows the schools, the other board members, and most importantly the issues we are all concerned about.
   As community members, taxpayers, and parents with children in the school system we think Ms. Bjornsen is the perfect representative for our school board. We strongly urge you to please take this opportunity to go out to vote and give our kids better leadership.
Su Reiser

Carl Reiser
Monroe
The dance of residency
To the editor:
   According to the attorney from Wilentz, Goldman and Spitzer office residency is where you place your head most often. The most important part of that description — which he didn’t explain — only applies when you own or rent more than one home.
   School board member Amy Speizer owns one home and that home is in Lumberton in Burlington County. Not one member of your Board of Education asked Ms. Speizer where she paid her school taxes last year or where she is going to pay them this year. I bet Lumberton isn’t $36 million in a hole, overcrowded and can’t pass "No Child Left Behind" two years in a row. A third year means sanctions against your school system, which in turn could hurt your child’s college application.
   It doesn’t surprise me that this Board of Education can be fooled by a library card and not ask Ms. Speizer where she paid school taxes last year. This is the same Board of Education that states publicly that the voters of Monroe approved a referendum for a school in the park because they think you are too stupid to know the difference between voting for a school or voting for a land diversion.
   This Board of Education is a reflection on you the voters and parents of Monroe Township. You can continue adding money to your $36 million shortfall, overcrowded school system that can’t pass "No Child Left Behind" or you can vote to change what’s happening in April by voting in new people.
   It doesn’t matter to me, because I have spent the last six months in up-state New York taking care of my sister who fell ill in July. This is where I place my head most often and I have a New York library card so I will be running for mayor of Amsterdam.
   The fact that I don’t own property or pay rent should not matter since my sister owns property. Don’t worry even if I win the election, I will still vote here because I won’t change the address on my digital driver’s license for the next seven years, vehicle insurance or credit cards.
   That little dance the attorney from Wilentz, Goldman and Spitzer did around residency wouldn’t have fooled most first-graders, only your Board of Education.
Audrey Cornish
Monroe