The Market Place will benefit Monroe

By: centraljersey.com
To the Township Council: This year, Congress Hill Farm will celebrate its 25th year in Monroe Township.
We have watched the great progress the town has made, which includes the recreational center and the new high school.
The accomplishments of our town are tremendous. Laurie and I want all of you to know Bob and Doreen McDaid have been fantastic supporters of Special Strides, our therapeutic riding center. We know them very well and have looked at many of their completed and in-progress projects.
Any McDaid project you look at is first class and adds value to the town it is in as well as to the properties that are nearby. The plans for The Market Place at Monroe are plans for a beautiful center that will benefit all.
The immediate neighboring property owners should ask themselves what would happen if another developer owned the property? No other developer will build as high quality a project or go to such great lengths to minimize their inconvenience and to assure their property values increase and not decrease.
Looking at the plans you have to wonder if the objectors are objecting out of normal fears of change that prevent them from objectively considering the facts. This is a great project that will increase the value of their properties.
Those of us who have watched the development of the State of New Jersey know that, with rare exception, all properties eventually get developed. In this economy, Monroe has a developer willing to employ a great number of people and create a great tax ratable for the town.
This project will reduce driving time and be a great convenience for a number of residences.
The high school and the recreation center had objectors. Every project has objectors. A few objectors should not stop this project.
Progress always infringes on someone. Our Planning Board and this developer will minimize any adverse impact this project will have on its neighbors. Monroe Township should allow this project.
Sam and Laurie Landy Monroe
Don’t ‘save’ by cutting benefits
To the editor:
Last year, over 160,000 New Jerseyans who rely on the state’s pharmaceutical aid programs, PAAD and Senior Gold, were hit with shocking news.
In an effort to balance New Jersey’s budget, the state proposed a first-ever $310 deductible and the more than doubling of brand-name prescription drug co-pays for PAAD program beneficiaries.
AARP spoke up, saying that turning to the state’s most vulnerable to balance the budget was not a decent solution. Luckily, the proposal was rescinded in mid-May.
Facing another huge budget deficit in 2011, the state may again be tempted to "save" by cutting the benefits of these programs. However, there is no real saving going on; the budget burden is just shifted to disabled and older adults who are already at risk, struggling to make ends meet.
While the budget deficit is undeniable, the state has alternatives – ways to cut spending in order to save. By contrast, the only way many PAAD and Senior Gold beneficiaries can cope with cuts to these programs is to choose between taking their medications and putting food on the table.
I hope our legislators will prevent this from happening by protecting our most vulnerable neighbors and leaving these vital programs intact.
Madlyn Fergang AARP outreach volunteer Monroe