Keep up good work

Nancy Weinstein
Titusville
    It’s a sad reality when we need to praise our government officials for making wise and fair decisions rather than expecting it routinely. However, observing our partisan Congress from afar and the failed political checks of an all Democratic Mercer County government up close, it feels necessary to laud NJ DEP for its thorough analysis of the Jacobs Creek bridge project.
   They reached the fairest decision (even if failing to fully please any constituency) in issuing a temporary denial of the county’s application. Where Mercer County failed, the DEP correctly asks if the county executive has justified its planned encroachment on historic land, specifically questioning the validity of the county’s reported traffic volumes and accident statistics.
   Furthermore, the DEP lacked the all-too-common hubris of politicians by acknowledging insufficient expertise and asked DOT to weigh in on major safety concerns in the county plan raised by qualified engineers.
   Finally the DEP asked the DOT to comment on whether the county was wisely using NJ tax dollars, alluding that a more cost-effective approach is in everyone’s best interest. In a true sign of reasonableness, it gave the county 60 days to defend a very unpopular plan.
   Yes, the DEP’s decisions mean another delay in our efficient travel, but it’s worth not having the high potential loss of life and wasted tax dollars inevitably tied to the county plan. Excellent work DEP!