The hidden costs of county assistance

   Saturday at Community Unity Day, I met Councilman Charley Carley. He explained to me how South Brunswick cannot afford not to purchase hybrid cars!
   It turns out that Middlesex County Freeholders give our township $10,000 for each hybrid car it purchases. The township cost for a hybrid Prius is minus $2,000 from day one — compared to the least expensive gasoline car. The township will then also save on the cost of gasoline as well. It’s Win win for South Brunswick!
   I was wrong when I stated the cost of a hybrid car cannot be recovered during the normal life of the car.
   What I didn’t know costs us all far too much in county taxes. The county is paying an overpriced inducement to get the township to make a bad investment when total costs to the taxpayer is summed, not just South Brunswick Township costs.
   The county subsidized solar panels on Monroe Township’s Fire Station. Another loss when all the real costs are summed.
   Then there was the County payment to Woodbridge for solar panels to generate electricity to heat a swimming pool! Laughable if it weren’t so costly. How much more of your County tax goes for unwarranted largess?
Paul C. Murray, of Kingston