Letters
Pay attention to the 900-pound gorilla

While everyone is enjoying the lazy days of summer in Edison and pondering who gets the nod for mayor come November, that 900-pound gorilla called the Edison Board of Education (BOE) is quietly stirring in the background.

Fresh off their April approved 2005-06 budget of $173 million, they’ve maneuvered to get a $51 million bond referendum question on the ballot in a special election slated for Sept. 27.

In a special meeting on July 28, the BOE voted to place the question on the ballot. Now, is that $51 million investment a good thing or a bad thing? Who knows? Apparently, only the BOE members know because the public can’t see any of the documents supporting the $51 million until after their Aug. 18 caucus meeting. I know, I asked. Makes you wonder how they could have a public meeting but not provide the public with anything to ask questions about.

Seems the BOE is more concerned with chasing down the amount of money they can get from that almost depleted financial debacle called the School Construction Corp. (SCC) program. Last estimate was $11.5 million was available for Edison.

Maybe the state will give it to us as construction develops or maybe they’ll spread it out over the bonds’ 20-year life. Since we’re in the maybe mode, then again, given the state of SCC program, maybe not at all. Hence, the convoluted ballot question you’ll see come Sept. 27.

Seems like this BOE is putting the cart before the horse and quietly misdirecting the attention of the taxpayers. The real issue here is not the $11.5 million and the need to expedite the matter to meet some state deadline to get it on the ballot.

The real issue here is why does the BOE now want another $51 million when the $173 million included $7.1 million for capital improvements? Where’s the rationale, justification and overall plan that says (1) this is why we need it (2) this is why we need to spend it this way and (3) this is why we need it now. Surely, the reason can’t be because the SCC is running out of money. They’ve been running out of money for a long time.

Unfortunately, as this bond referendum demonstrates, we the taxpayers have no say or input on how this BOE spends our money. All we can do now is vote yes or no.

But don’t despair, soon you’ll hear from the BOE’s Rah! Rah! Squad that will tell you how important this is to do. Of course, this is how we got a $173 million 2005-06 BOE spending budget, of which approximately 75 percent goes for salaries and benefits. A budget that just raised your taxes from $2.00 to $2.08 per hundred of assessed value.

Time to pay attention to what goes on over at the BOE. Stealth and misdirection only works if you close your eyes to the 900-pound gorilla in your pocket. Yes, I know. It’s all for the kids, right?

Ralph Bucci

Edison Township

Realtor sounds warning about selling your home

Today, Aug. 4, 2005, I read Kerri Miano’s letter in the Sentinel and my heart goes out to her and her family. It had to be very frustrating and extremely disappointing to go through this whole process only to lose the house of their dreams.

I will try hard not to let this sound like an advertisement but as a local Realtor in Metuchen, I would have to think they were going through this process alone, another words “for sale by owner.” And if she actually had a Realtor assisting her than shame on her Realtor for letting this happen to her. I know it seems very inviting to sell your home on your own, and save some money, but these are the things that can happen when you go it alone or you don’t have the right Realtor who’s working “for you.” Sometimes saving money turns out to cost you money in the long run.

With the market as hot as it is, the next house they find will only cost more than the house they lost. With multiple offers coming in on most homes in Metuchen today a Realtor can determine which deal is the best and strongest and then oversee the deal every step of the way. It is important to find a Realtor that is looking out for your best interest, not their own.

I pride myself on helping my customers and providing outstanding service from day one until closing, and then have repeat business and referrals because of all my hard work. Better luck next time, Kerri.

Susan Lauricella

Weichert, Realtors

Metuchen

Woodbridge needs animal shelter, not a dog park

So Woodbridge Township is going to construct a dog park. To that I say, “WHOOPEE DOO.”

I have already heard it referred to as the “Pelzman Poop Park.” At least when I was in Japan and Korea, we had “Smiling Sam the honey-bucket man” to maintain hygiene. Who in Woodbridge will have this responsibility? Smiling Charley!

I am not totally against a dog park. It’s just that I believe a decent animal shelter should come first with possibly a park area attached. If Woodbridge can find $80,000 for a park and $23,000 for a politician’s raise, then there has to be money somewhere for a shelter as indicated by my recent property tax increase.

Woodbridge claims they have an animal shelter. Where is it? I am told it is on Arbor street in Sewaren in an abandoned chemical plant. Try and find it as there are no signs. Arbor Street is a dead end street with oil tanks on one side and private homes on the other.

Is Woodbridge ashamed or afraid of the public seeing the condition that exists in what they call a shelter? Is this so-call township shelter inspected by the New Jersey State ASPCA or by the township health department?

Are records available under the public right-to-know that indicate how many animals (dog/cats) are housed annually, how many get adopted and how many of each are euthanized?

I understand some cats and kittens are displayed for adoptions at the PetSmart in Woodbridge on Saturday mornings. The question is, where are the dogs viewed for adoption?

What Woodbridge needs is a decent, well-ventilated, well-lit and easy to maintain shelter where the public is welcome. I am sure there are people who would volunteer to run a shelter if a decent place in Woodbridge existed, like the shelter in Edison Township.

Ray J. Schneider

Woodbridge

Reader bashes court’s eminent domain decision Well-heeled developers whose money influences Democrat politicians in Middlesex County municipalities must be celebrating the 5 to 4 U.S. Supreme Court decision allowing local governments to take a private home or business.

Eminent domain, once touted as the doctrine only to be used by government to take private land as a benefit to the community, has been perverted, especially in cities in Middlesex County run by the Democratic machine.

This Supreme Court ruling allows a developer to mount the weakest of arguments that taking your home, business or other real property is a tax benefit to the community. Not since the Dred Scott decision in 1857 — which ruled that Scott, as a slave, was not a citizen of the United States and thus not eligible to bring suit in a federal court, and that as a slave he was personal property and thus has never been free — has a Supreme Court ruling been so wrong.

Eminent domain has been abused in Edison, Perth Amboy, Highland Park and New Brunswick. Coincidentally, Democrats control all these municipalities. The most egregious of these abuses is Edison. There, a decent, hardworking, 80-year-old man was forced to spend most of his savings to defend the business he built over decades from a developer who contributed large sums of money to local Democrats.

It is ironic that the liberals on the court sided with big money developers and their ilk. Justice Sandra O’Connor said in her dissenting opinion, “Any property may now be taken for the benefit of another private party, but the fallout from this decision will not be random. The beneficiaries are likely to be those citizens with disproportionate influence and power in the political process, including large corporations and development firms.”

Justice O’Connor could have been talking about Edison or any other Democrat-controlled city in Middlesex County.

In view of this decision, Edison voters must vote out all the town councilmen who allowed this abuse to take place. Voters cannot trust any of these people with the power recently granted by the Supreme Court. In November and beyond, vote out the entire sitting Democrat town council and then choose very carefully between Mr. William Stephens and Mr. Jun Choi.

One of these men will control your home and/or business ownership.

Philip G. Labasi

Edison