Letters
Against development, taking over parklands

Now that the Monroe school voting is over, I still have a few thoughts on my mind.

I am not against proper schooling for the children. I am against overdevelopment and also taking over parklands for building anything.

If there were not so many cases of overdevelopment, newer and larger schools would not be needed. Everywhere you look you see houses going up — not only houses, but mansions. There are no small houses being built for the “little guy.” The roads are becoming (or already are) crowded, and the next problems will be storm drainage, water shortages, power outages and the rest of the problems associated with overcrowding.

Taking over parklands for a high school and offering another space for open land may sound like a good idea, but it sets a precedent for the future acquisition of park space.

There is also the question of biodiversity. Placing patches of open space to make up for one large land mass is fragmenting habitats. Wildlife confined to small areas tend to inbreed, making them vulnerable to disease and famine (with rabies, West Nile virus and other diseases, this concerns humans as well). You place a road transecting a wildlife refuge and then wonder why so many animals end as roadkill. It shouldn’t take too long to arrive at the answer. As a biologist, this concerns me.

I believe that one of Monroe’s problems is that there are no checks and balances (the foundation of good government). The mayor and the Township Council members are all Democrats. I think it would be to everyone’s benefit if a Republican or Independent were there to keep things in balance.

In conclusion, I hope the architect they hire to build schools in the future is not the same one who was used at the Mill Lake School. In my opinion, whoever drew up those plans, is guilty of “DUI” — drawing under the influence. That school is a nightmare. Our tax dollars should at least purchase buildings that fit in with the landscape.

E. George Strasser

Monroe

Taxpayers should not have to pay to bail out politicians

Middlesex County taxpayers will soon be assessed a new political tax, thanks to the Democratic Party’s gross mishandling of the Halper farm case. On Jan. 26 a jury said that the Halper family is owed $18 million for its Piscataway farm — that’s about five times as much as was originally predicted the property would cost.

Several years ago the politicians told us they could get the farm for a mere $4 million. They miscalculated, badly. Besides the hefty price tag for the land, the county and the township have to pay the Halpers reasonable relocation expenses, and they have to dig deep to pay for all the high-priced legal talent that was assembled to guide the government through a series of losing court battles.

The politicians would most assuredly like the Halper farm problem to go away — but it won’t. One problem they face is the fact that Piscataway doesn’t have $18 million-plus to pay for the farm. At best, the township says, it has about $6 million.

The Middlesex County Board of Chosen Freeholders (at the urging of Freeholder David Crabiel, the father-in-law of Piscataway Mayor Brian Whalen) has agreed to chip in $8 million from the county open-space trust fund to spare Whalen any further embarrassment.

That still leaves about a $5-million to $6-million shortfall. Where will that money come from? Is the county going to dig deeper into the trust fund to bail out the Piscataway Democrats? If so, that means all county taxpayers are going to be assessed a political bailout fee to make the Halper farm debacle go away.

It also means that some other worthy open-space preservation projects in the county will not get done. Instead of more open space, the county will get more townhouse developments and strip malls.

Soon, I hope the voters of Middlesex County will grow tired of paying for the corruption and arrogance of the county’s ruling Democratic Party. We just can’t afford to keep paying to bail out our local politicians.

Joe Sinagra

Helmetta

Clarifies calculations on Heavenly Farms proposal

I recently wrote a letter to the editor regarding the artificial surfaces proposed for two playing fields at Heavenly Farms (“Plans for Heavenly Farms Not So Heavenly,” Sentinel, Jan. 26).

Before all you math wizards out there correct me, let me state that according to an article published in the Sentinel, there will be two fields covered with this surface at a cost of $1 million each. Deduct the $300,000 the soccer club will donate, and the taxpayers cost is $1.7 million. At a rate of $12,000 per year (the rate the soccer club took to raise the $300,000), it will take 141.66 years to repay.

Somehow, the letter was edited to show a cost to cover the fields of $1 million. If this is indeed the case (the original article said two fields at $1 million each), then the taxpayers have only 83.33 years to remit the rest of the monies.

On a related note, a letter to the editor from Shawn R. Taylor, chairman of the East Brunswick Democratic Organization (“Setting Record Straight on Golden Triangle,” Sentinel, Jan. 26) stated that the Golden Triangle fiasco will pay for the community center at Heavenly Farms.

How about ditching the community center idea and using the money to cover the playing fields with plastic? Just a thought from another weary taxpayer.

Walter Goldeski

East Brunswick

Thinks chairman’s words intended to settle misinformation

This letter is in response to the editorial in the Feb. 2 Sentinel regarding Shawn Taylor, chairman, East Brunswick Planning Board (“Chairman’s Letter Raises Questions of Objectivity”). Specifically, the Sentinel criticized Mr. Taylor for expressing an opinion on the planned development of the Golden Triangle along Route 18 in East Brunswick.

As I read Mr. Taylor’s original remarks, I see they were directed at what he perceived to be misinformation about this project made by another person, who it turns out, is a constant political candidate in local politics. Mr. Taylor’s remarks seemed intended to clear up that misinformation and to provide a balanced point of view.

While he is the chairman of the local Planning Board, Mr. Taylor is also a lifelong resident of East Brunswick with both unique experience and perspective on matters pertaining to his hometown. As such, he is certainly entitled to challenge improper representations about the things he cares most about. In fact, given his standing in the community, there is almost an obligation to set the record straight.

Richard S. Walling

East Brunswick

Milltown youth rate applause for winning contest entries

Congratulations to the Mohr family of Milltown on their two sons, Nicholas, age 6, and Christopher, age 9. Both boys were winners in the contest that was sponsored by the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) and will have their artwork displayed on the walls of the new ATF national headquarters building in Washington, D.C.

The concept was for the children of employees to draw a picture depicting what they thought would be a great rendition of what the ATF building should look like in our capitol. The judges were most impressed about the variety of ATF jobs that were illustrated in the drawings and how the youngsters depicted their parents at work.

The children and the families of the winners will be visiting the new building upon its completion, and they will be able to see their artwork displayed on the walls of the building. In addition, they will meet President George W. Bush.

Congratulations to both Christopher and Nicholas on a great job well done.

Mary and Phil Tonachio

East Brunswick

New Jersey: Enter and see at your own risk

Now that “New Jersey: Come see for yourself” and not “New Jersey: Enter and see at your own risk” was chosen as the state’s new slogan, I think it’s our responsibility to warn unsuspecting visitors:

• Our state has the highest property tax in the nation.

• New Jersey is highest when it comes to all kinds of insurance.

• Crime is running rampant, and to prove it we feature the nation’s No. 1 city in that unwanted category.

• Clean beaches and fresh air are just about nonexistent because everything’s polluted.

• Our highways are as congested, if not more so than anywhere else.

• Average price of a house is probably the highest in the country.

• People are not as humble or friendly as where they came from.

• Our politicians say one thing, but do the opposite as soon as they take office. That’s a national problem, not only here

• Concrete state, not Garden State should be our official name.

Yes, travelers, do come and see for yourself. Ask around, then run or ride as fast as you can to the nearest exit — preferably south — for if you go north there’s another monster, our big sister state, New York.

Minos Rigopoulis

Lincroft section of Middletown