To the editor:
Should the fracking industry be left unregulated? No fracking way!
Fracking should not be treated as an issue of bad or good, black and white. Hydraulic fracturing has both beneficial and detrimental consequences. However, the problem comes from the lack of control the government has over the industry. Because Fracking companies claim that their toxic “fracking fluid” is a trade secret, its very difficult for scientists to know what chemicals are possibly seeping into the nation’s aquifers.
Furthermore, fracking zones do not only contaminate water, but they use water, a lot of water. In order to complete a single fracking job there needs to be around 1 to 8 million gallons brought in by a caravan of trucks. With California in the middle of the worst drought of the century, it is possible the water could be used for a better purpose.
The unfortunate part of all this is it’s possible for companies to frack safely and correctly. After all, hydraulic fracturing is one of the best ways to make fuel affordable and it has decreased the nation’s reliance on other countries’ oil.
The best thing the government can do is to heavily regulate the fracking industry. Right now there are numerous loopholes that power companies utilize in order to evade the law. Unfortunately, if left unchecked, companies will continue to do whatever is necessary to cut corners and turn a profit.
As a nation we must protect our environment and have our Congress create laws that will protect our communities while still keeping American exports low and oil independence high. America does not need to end fracking, just regulate the industry to prevent damage to the only planet we have.
Kevin Parlato
Hillsborough
Independent candidates should
be given a look-see in fall election
To the editor:
For decades, the American political landscape has been dominated by the two-party system. The Republican and Democratic parties are the two main political parties which maintain control of the various political offices at the local, state and national levels.
As a result, candidates that run from an independent party are considered an afterthought in most elections. However, independent candidates represent an important facet of American democracy. Independent candidates embody the idea of free political expression as they represent the values and ideas that are not expressed by the main two political parties.
However, it is difficult for an independent candidate to gain a sufficient amount of support because their platform usually only appeals to a smaller portion of the population.
In Hillsborough, there is an independent candidate running for one of the two open seats on the Township Committee. Susan Gulliford is running her campaign around the idea that she is an independent candidate, and represents different values than those of the main party candidates.
Susan Gulliford is a qualified candidate that has had years of experience working with Hillsborough Township committees such as the Planning Board, and Township Committee as a writer for the Courier News. I also read in an article published on centraljersey.com last week that Susan Gulliford has also had experience working as a police dispatcher, and paralegal as well as owning several rescue dogs.
In addition, she has spent time photographing numerous township events such as the Rotary Fair and high school marching band competitions. It is evident that Susan Gulliford has been involved in several different areas across the township over the years and has been exposed to many different types of work. As a result, I believe that she is more than qualified for a position on the Hillsborough Township Committee.
I strongly urge Hillsborough voters to participate in the upcoming election in which the town elects the two open seats for Township Committee. It is important that voters educate themselves about each of the candidates before making a decision, rather than just voting straight ticket.
I feel that a large problem in this country and our community is that voters feel that a large problem in this country and our community is that voters align themselves with either the Republican or Democratic party based on their political beliefs, and refuse to explore other political options. There are some independent candidates, such as Susan Gulliford, who would make for exceptional Township Committee members, but struggle to win the election because most people vote for all the candidates of the same party.
I think for American democracy to run more effectively, voters should take the responsibility of educating themselves on each candidate before making a decision on who to elect to office.
Ryan Applegate
Hillsborough
County’s reduced budget hopefully
remains efficient and relevant, she says
To the editor:
Somerset County’s Board of Freeholders recently announced the operational budget for2015. Apparently, Somerset County operational costs for 2015 will be below the operational costs for 2008.
Since 2008 the Board has systematically reduced costs by approximately 5.69 percent, according to the Patch . The general 5.69 percent reduction is attributed to the 9 percent decrease in county employees and a 72 percent decrease in capital expenditures. In 20081,329 were employed. Due to streamlining efforts by the county board 1,207 are currently employed.
While I appreciate the fiscal responsibility exhibited by the board, I do hope the reduction of county employed officials is the result of eliminating redundancy and waste in the system as opposed to eliminating valuable jobs that could create overburdening and inefficiency in departments.
Moreover, I am pleased by the allocations in the budget for repairs and maintenance of county bridges and roads. The harsh winters have made road conditions increasingly unsafe when left unattended. There is also considerable attention paid to the maintenance of 15,000 acres of recreation and open space areas, which I also appreciate, as this is easy to overlook to other business-centric issues.
Katharine Ello
Hillsborough
Police need better technology
to trace origin of ‘swatting’ calls
To the editor:
A new and unfortunate form of threat has begun to consume areas of high visitation as well as local school systems. Known as “swatting,” an unknown individual masks their identity during a 911 call and poses a public threat that cannot be left to chance as to whether or not it is real.
Such threats can be “I am on the roof of the school and am going to try and kill as many people as I can” or threats of similar ilk. Local law enforcement with potential assistance from the FBI then have to “sweep” the entire area for potential hazards, bombs or weapons.
Fortunately, the calls tend to be empty threats and simply waste local law enforcement time, energy and materials. However, with more than 400 swatting incidents a year nationally, it is starting to become an expensive and dangerous epidemic. The most recent event occurred Monday, June 8, at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, where much of the hospital had to be evacuated to ensure that there was no imminent threat to people in or around the hospital.
How can law enforcement possibly go about combating a crime in which people go to great lengths to hide their identity and location from 911 operators? It seems like the only potential solution, which is really not a solution, is to have an expedited sweeping process where the search for lethal weapons does not take several hours.
Certainly the solution would not be taking the threats lightly due to their low statistical chance of being an actual threat. It only takes one swatting event for it to become a national tragedy.
For now, the best option would be to improve the tracking technology of 911 operators so that whoever is calling can have their location identified in a matter of seconds. During this technological era, people have the capability to go to great lengths to mask their identity and their location; local law enforcement will just need to be one step ahead of the curve.
Whenever a threat of this manner is heard, it would be irresponsible and a public threat not to respond as if the threat was real. The number of cases a year is only going to increase should law enforcement simply deal with the issue at hand and not improve for the next potential catastrophe. Each time, an aspect of the sweep should be improved so that it can slowly but surely be eliminated as a daily fear.
Max Melnick
Hillsborough
