Still questions
about Speizer
To the editor:
The Monroe Board of Education has exonerated board member Amy Speizer against the charges that she is not a resident of Monroe and is qualified to be a member of the Board of Education.
However the more that Ms. Speizer becomes an issue, the more that questions are raised. According to a review of online mortgage and deed records from Burlington County, Ms. Speizer purchased a home at 4 Rosemary Court in Lumberton in December 2005. She took a 30-year mortgage with NVR Mortgage for $115,000. She then took a Home Equity loan with PNC for $70,000. According to Ms. Speizer, the Lumberton property is for investment purposes, even though she says that no one lives there. Without a tenant, one would have to surmise that she is carrying both the mortgage and the Home Equity loan on her $48,000 annual salary as an employee of the Monroe Police Department.
Ms. Speizer also says that the she is waiting for a house to be built on Morning Glory Drive off Route 33. Houses on Morning Glory Drive start at $400,000. The carrying costs mortgage, insurance, taxes in Lumberton probably start at $1,500 per month. I assume that Morning Glory Drive could easily cost that much. If Ms Speizer’s statements are true, then she would need a minimum of $36,000 per year of net income to afford her two properties.
Ms. Speizer still has a substantial amount of explaining to do. Her explanations do not add up. It is possible that all of her financial dealings are above board, but at this time they appear to be as much above board as those of Carla Katz.
Patricia A. Appleby
Monroe
Hold the line
on spending
To the editor:
There’s an old saying: "Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it." It appears to be the same way with taxes.
Everyone talks about how high taxes are in New Jersey but still they are increasing. School taxes continue to escalate at more than twice the cost of living. And yet the school board continues to add programs unrelated to core education. What percent of the school budget goes to funding extracurricular activities and courses like "Italian" that are being added?
In Monroe Township, our taxes are funding $1.2 million to make two small fields out of one large Little League field. Don’t you want to know what costs so much for little kids to play on what is already a ball field? Ask Ernie Feist. He (as township engineer) is paying Ernie Feist (engineer) $150,000 to discuss and draw up plans with himself. Kids don’t care if it’s a million dollar field, only politicians and people who will make money from it do.
I’m in favor of good schools and good education but funding all the extras is like building a swimming pool when your roof leaks. Let’s put the tax money into education and put a moratorium on escalations. Leave some money in the family’s budget for other things they need. The only way to start controlling taxes is to hold the line on increases now.
Marcia Rickle
Monroe
Appreciation
to rec commission
To the editor:
Thanks to the generosity and cooperation of the Cranbury Recreation Commission, a group of seniors attended a delightful "America’s Sweethearts" program on March 21 at the Grand Chalet in Wayne.
The opportunity to walk down Memory Lane with the unforgettable Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy and their songs is deeply appreciated. It is regrettable that more seniors did not attend.
Thank you, Cranbury Recreation Commission, for your sponsorship of this great program, and Rose Siconolfi for her leadership.
Bill and Betty Wagner, Jackie Bencze Cain, Lil Conley, Anne Taylor, Carol Pierson, Tom and Mary Reilly, Bill and Rose Eller, Marie Dey, Virginia Benedict, Theresa Cyr, Helen Davies, Marion Greczyn, Mary Jane Liedtke, Betty Carman, Ed and Betty Conover and Vincent Pierdinock
Cranbury
First civil union
truly newsworthy
To the editor:
I am amazed at the reaction to your story on Monroe’s first civil union celebration. It certainly was newsworthy, and I found it most interesting. I am a regular newspaper reader, and there are many stories in which I am not interested, so I skip them. That is why I do not like TV news, which decides what news I must watch. The angry readers should get a life, and let other people live theirs.
I am a resident of The Ponds, happy that our community is so welcoming, and personally glad to have Stephen Lourie and Frank Pisciotta as neighbors.
Marc Eisen
Monroe
Reactions show
intolerance
To the editor:
We laughed when we read about your (former) reader calling us "a bunch of homosexual old men."
Firstly, we’re only Two; secondly it is correct. We are two old homosexual men who met when they were young and have grown old, in happiness, together. I also detect ageism in the person’s comments.
We suspect that the persons who wrote similar, intolerant communications have many other negative qualities that are manifested in their lives. Shame, I say to these bigots. We don’t tread on you. Do not tread on us.
We have taken advantage of a State law to provide us with the civil rights to which married people are entitled.
The New York Times has been running these types of announcements for months without complaint. It is sad that parochial minds do not realize that we are all a togetherness of differences.
Stephen B. Lourie
Frank N. Pisciotta
Monroe
No need
for new staff
To the editor:
The Monroe Board of Education has proposed the 2007 budget that includes a spending increase, which dictates a tax increase.
Part of the tax increase is to pay for additional staff. Apparently the existing board does not think that the 936 people on the current payroll are enough. I think that 936 are more than sufficient.
During the past year, my employer, Rutgers University has had to endure unpleasant choices as to what was going to be done on a going-forward basis. This was due to a Corzine-imposed $66 million reduction in state support.
My own department, Information Technology, sustained a 10 percent reduction in staff, but due to adept human resources management, all departmental functions have continued at required levels.
It can be done. The issue comes down to, whether the Board of Education is willing to confront school administration and force them out of the "we’ve always done it this way" mindset and into a managed approach to education. If they do, the additional staff will not be necessary.
Harold V. Kane
Monroe

