Letters
Early Christmas magic in city hall, reader says

The people have spoken! Jun Choi appears to have the mayoral seat by 270 votes. While there is still a potential election challenge by the more qualified Bill Stephens, let’s give the guy in the chicken suit the benefit of the doubt.

Well, that is what I was going to write this week.

But then I learned that Mr. Choi not only wanted $90,000 in a salary plus medical and pension benefits as full-time mayor, he also wanted us to provide $12,500 to his new “transition team” for two weeks of service and for an unspecified period after that.

I quickly multiplied the numbers and realized that the “transition team” was to be paid at a rate of $300,000 a year! So even before Mr. Choi assumed office, he wanted a near $400,000 draw down from the city.

But that never shocked me. I knew all along that Mr. Choi’s intentions were never pure. Heck, why not get paid and spread the wealth while using the fifth-largest city in the state as a stepping stone to a real office.

So what did I do? I watched the Edison council meeting in my finely heated North Edison residence. And it was the best theater free television could ever provide.

But here is what really got my goat: Choi tried to use the pre-Ricigliano Council and lame-duck Mayor Spadoro as an appendage to further his agenda.

And he almost succeeded. Councilman Diehl apparently introduced the $12,500 ordinance, but it was mysteriously not in the usual section. And the entire council remained silent, save one brave soul: Councilman Peter Barnes III.

Barnes asked why the ordinance was not in its usual place. No answer. Barnes then asked who was going to introduce the ordinance. Again, after a prolonged silence, Councilman Diehl finally spoke up sheepishly to say he and others on the Council supported the ordinance. Barnes then moved to table all Choi-related ordinances until after Councilwoman-elect Ricigliano took office. Sadly, Councilpersons Patel, Kapitan, Diehl, Tomaro, and the newly elected Pizzi voted NOT to table the $12,500 ordinance. Council members looked confused and betrayed that Barnes would have an opinion different from theirs.

The crowd went into a frenzy, with at least one resident expressing his profound disappointment in Pizzi and the naysayers. More questions were asked, and Choi approached the podium, defending his decision.

However, the inexperienced mayor-elect only succeeded in confirming suspicions that the “transition team” would probably be around for nine months, and thus need to be paid approximately $250,000. Once again, furious residents approached the podium and chided the council for even considering the ordinance.

The tide was turning. The bewildered council quickly realized that they were looking really, really, really bad on TV. Suddenly, Councilman Pizzi, who previously refused to table the ordinance, made a motion to deny the $12,500 ordinance. Suddenly, Councilpersons Kapitan, Tomaro and Diehl wanted to examine the ordinance with more caution.

Everyone found their voices again. The $12,500 ordinance was defeated.

For that fleeting moment, the council actually became the counterbalance to the mayor it was supposed to be all these years. It was Christmas magic, albeit a little early.

And we all have Peter and Councilman Massaro to thank. The rest of the waffling council ought to make way for braver souls.

Vik Advani

Edison

Jun Choi’s timing is off

What’s up with Edison’s Mayor-elect Jun Choi and his promises of open government? It seems that those well-spoken promises don’t take effect until Jan.1, otherwise, how could he explain the closed-door maneuvering going on with his all-Democratic council during this transition period?

Looks like Choi was using this time to try and negotiate an employment package and maneuvering to bring in his consultants of choice before he gets sworn in.

Apparently, Mr. Choi wanted a $90,000 salary plus pension plus health insurance. On top of that, he wanted a six-month, no-bid contract approved for two finance and management consultants at $25,000 a month, plus expenses. Kudos go to Councilman Barnes for raising the issue and bringing it to the public’s attention at the last council meeting.

Now, there’s nothing wrong with what Mr. Choi is asking for, but there’s everything wrong with the timing and manner in which he went about doing it, which was succinctly characterized as “Under the cover of darkness, with a lame duck council,” by Councilman Barnes.

It goes without saying that Mr. Choi is entitled to all the help and support he needs from Mayor Spadoro and our council during this transition period and they have an obligation and duty to provide it.

Further, he’s entitled to bring in any consultants that he believes will help him make the organizational and policy changes that he believes will benefit this town.

Having said that though, there’s a difference between what he’s entitled to as mayor-elect and what he’s entitled to as mayor. Unfortunately, neither of his requests falls into the mayor-elect category.

Since when do we allow elected officials to try and negotiate an employment package for what is only a temp job - and secretly try and do so after the election but before the oath is taken?

If we do that, then shouldn’t all the on the job perks the mayor gets be put out in the open and on the table for discussion? Does it matter that the council struck a deal for just health insurance coverage, for now?

This thing is wrought with danger and, once we go down this road, where do we draw the line? What’s next, free housing? It’s not the taxpayers’ responsibility to sustain the mayor or any other elected official.

Mr. Choi was well aware that the current mayor’s salary was $49,000 with no health benefits and the corresponding reasons why. It’s because we have a full time chief of staff and business administrator and the council eliminated health benefits for elected officials a long time ago.

If Mr. Choi believes it should be otherwise, then he should bring it before the residents on Jan.1 and make his case. The residents of Edison and not some brokered deal in the back of the council chambers should determine how the mayor gets compensated.

With respect to the consultants, it’s just shameful for Choi to try and disguise it as only $12,500 for two weeks in December when, by his own admission, it can go for as long as nine months and as high as $225,000. Was it necessary to try and sneak it in before he takes office without providing any details to the public? Shouldn’t the residents of Edison have an understanding and hence, a say in such a large expenditure?

Perhaps even more discouraging than Mr. Choi’s actions is the insensitivity he demonstrated by doing so on the very night that the council announced a whopping 15 percent increase in the municipal tax rate, raising it from 73 cents per hundred of assessed value to 84 cents or 11 cents. This 15 percent is without Choi’s wish list.

Let’s hope that Choi’s well-spoken rhetoric on open government in Edison morphs into some real action on Jan.1.

Ralph Bucci

Edison Township

States need the option to buy hybrid fuel vehicles

With everyone still reeling from the pain at the pump and the gouging of gas prices in Katrina’s aftermath, we need to take a hard look at our federal and state energy policies in order to develop practical solutions that work.

The federal Energy Policy Act of 1992 has failed to help New Jersey reduce its consumption of petroleum fuels. The act requires that all 50 states purchase alternative fuel vehicles for their fleets to reduce the nation’s use of petroleum fuels. However, the act does not require the actual use of alternative fuel in those vehicles and does not give the states the option to purchase hybrid vehicles.

A report released by the New Jersey Office of the State Auditor noted that our state purchased 1,700 dual-fuel vehicles, which run on unleaded gasoline and compressed natural gas (CNG).

The state auditor found that New Jersey is not accomplishing the objective of reducing its petroleum usage because 56 percent of the state’s dual-fuel vehicles had never been filled with CNG and operate exclusively on unleaded gasoline.

As a result, the state has incurred $6 million in costs for dual-fuel vehicles being operated on gasoline from which it received no environmental benefit. According to the state auditor’s report, New Jersey has also incurred an expense of $9 million for the purchase of these vehicles.

The major contributing factor to the under-utilization of CNG continues to be the lack of fueling stations. There are only three operating CNG refueling stations for New Jersey’s fleet of dual-fuel vehicles. According to the non-partisan Office of Legislative Services, the state’s CNG refueling stations are already operating at near-full capacity. The pace of constructing the necessary refueling infrastructure has been slow because of the high costs associated with it.

When the Energy Policy Act of 1992 was enacted, hybrid vehicles that significantly conserve the use of gasoline were not readily available in the marketplace.

Now that hybrids are sold to the general public, the federal government must allow states to invest in the purchase of hybrid vehicles in order to conserve gasoline and reduce air pollution. Any vehicle that combines two or more sources of power that can provide propulsion power is a hybrid. The gasoline-electric hybrid vehicle is a cross between a gasoline-powered vehicle and an electric vehicle.

Given the lack of attention this issue has received from the Bush Administration, it is incumbent upon the states to take the lead and persuade the federal government to change the course of the current energy policy.

I have introduced Senate Resolution 116, which urges the U.S. Secretary of Energy to designate hybrid vehicles as alternative-fuel vehicles for compliance with the federal requirements. I am also calling on every member of New Jersey’s federal delegation to urge the Secretary of Energy to give states the option to purchase hybrid vehicles.

If the Secretary of Energy does not designate the purchase of hybrid vehicles as part of the required alternative fuel vehicle purchases, our state will continue to purchase alternative fuel vehicles which will operate primarily on conventional gasoline. Hybrid vehicles offer an environmentally-friendly alternative without the need to build special refueling stations.

With escalating gas prices we need to have the federal government give the states the option to purchase hybrid vehicles. I urge my state and federal legislative colleagues to support this resolution and work together toward this goal.

Sen. Barbara Buono

18th District

Ross Street parents still opposed to Mocci project

It was a long evening for the students of Ross Street School who attended Wednesday night’s Planning Board meeting as one 5-year-old girl who was sound asleep on the floor could attest to.

Although the board granted an extension to Mr. Mocci (we were hoping to have the application resolved that evening), overall we were pleased with the thoroughness of the Planning Board. We feel that this application demands serious in-depth scrutiny given its potential impacts on 400 young children.

We think Mr. Mocci’s figuratively “extending an olive branch” to the parents was a generous gesture; however, we feel that he should meet with those individuals most directly impacted by his proposed strip mall — the students of Ross Street School.

We invite Mr. Mocci to visit at Ross Street School and engage in “focus group” sessions with the children. In this way, he can hear firsthand about their concerns for their safety and welfare, and collect their ideas on what can be done with the vacant property to keep the students safe.

Mr. Mocci appeared a bit confused Wednesday evening. At first he stated that he never wanted to build on this property; yet, a few minutes later he emphatically stated that something will be built on this property. So, which is it?

We look forward to closure on this application on Jan. 25, 2006. The parents intend to remain energized and vigilant regarding all aspects of this proposed strip mall.

Karen Stepien

Woodbridge