Kevin P. Moroney of Montgomery
To the editor:
Local elected officials are going to be faced with very difficult choices in the months to come. The unprecedented global financial situation is going to put enormous strain on the resources of all the local communities. It is therefore imperative that we make smart, sustainable choices as we need to allocate what will surely be diminishing revenues across the entire spectrum of municipal expenditures.
Now, more than ever, environmental considerations need to be high on the list of priorities when necessary municipal expense are being debated. When environmental concerns are factored into these decisions the impact is almost always a long term cost savings. Have your local government offices begun replacing standard incandescent light bulbs with compact flourescents where feasible? When considering new police vehicles, consideration needs to be given to what are the conditions under which these vehicles will be utilized. Does your community truly need high speed V8 police interceptors if the overwhelming majority of police calls are routine in nature? In Montgomery we have a need for a few four wheel drive vehicles due to our large percentage of rural area. However, when the time comes to replace our police cruisers, we need to consider other more cost effective alternatives. V6 police cruisers are available and in use in many other New Jersey communities, Metuchen being a good example.
Replacing gas guzzling V8 police cruisers with more fuel efficient but competent vehicles would save both initial up front costs (as these vehicle are almost always less expensive), and save a significant amount of fuel, as well as pollute less.
As a society we need to move away from the attitude of “this is how we have always done it” and generate a new attitude of “this is the way of the future.” Now is the time for all of our elected officials to demonstrate the vision that we have all neglected in the past. Lead by example, we will follow.
Kevin P Moroney
Montgomery

