Letters

New Jersey has just received its new slogan, “New Jersey: Come See for Yourself,” but Gov. Jon S. Corzine has just given our state another slogan: “New Jersey Is a Joke” by nominating Zulima Farber as the state’s attorney general.

Farber’s nomination seems like a political payback. Corzine hand-picked another seemingly political payback — Rep. Robert Menendez — as his successor to his U.S. Senate seat.

Haven’t the people of New Jersey suffered through enough nonsense with Peter C. Harvey as attorney general?

This state must let the people elect not only a deputy governor but an attorney general. Take out the political appointments and stop ruining the state. Give the people of New Jersey a choice.

Let us hope Corzine makes better decisions in the future. If the Senate and Assembly can stop this appointment, they should.

Ross W. Smith

Brick

Township and BOE should work together

I would like to publicly congratulate Brick Township Business Administrator Scott MacFadden and Brick Township CFO Scott Pezarras regarding their prediction of a $1.6 million additional surplus in the 2004-05 Brick school budget. Many may remember that the school budget was reviewed and analyzed by MacFadden and Pezarras and they found the 1.6 million dollars in additional surplus that the Brick school administration would not admit to having.

The accounting firm of William E. Antonides was able to find it, but the school Superintendent Thomas L. Seidenberger and School Business Administrator Nicholas Puleio weren’t able to figure it out. In recent years, there seems to be an increased tension between the Township Council and Board of Education members when it comes to reviewing school budgets that have failed at the polls. This type of political animosity needs to end.

This April we will be faced with another set of decisions when it comes to the school board election. Three incumbent school board members will be up for re-election and the 2006-2007 school budget will be presented to voters for their approval. Included in the proposed budget will be the anticipation of $1.6 million in surplus recently found as well as a $391,500 expense that will be incurred to bail out the cafeteria fund.

The net effect will be that school taxes should be going up due to contractual obligations and energy costs.

Two of the three incumbent school board members who may run for re-election have been serving on the school board for more than 20 years combined and I think it’s time for new blood. I also believe that there should be term limits for school board members so that a healthy flow of new ideas can invigorate this governing body.

The positions aren’t compensated and there is no set of health benefits paid for these leaders to control over $100 million of spending.

Over 50 percent of our tax dollars goes to paying for the school tax. I believe we get a bang for our buck, having three children enrolled in Brick’s school system. For seniors living on a fixed income, the burden can become too much to bear.

So my advice to those who will go out to vote this April is to look hard at the candidates and harder at the school budget. Analyze which candidates are running for the right reasons and how comfortable you feel with the school superintendent’s office and their ability to handle the district’s finances.

If the budget fails come April, know that Scott MacFadden and Scott Pezarras will be there to catch the budget and make recommendations based on their proven track record of finding the hidden monies. Believe their figures and hope that the school administration does a better job at cooperating with the township government. It’s not only what’s right for Brick, it’s what right for the children.

John Barrett

Brick

2006 Halloween Parade in the planning phase

Toms River Volunteer Fire Co. No. 1 is pleased to announce the 2006 Halloween Parade Committee: Chairman Carl Weingroff, Committeeman Ernest Stubbington, Committeeman Brian Timmerman; Committeeman Joseph Pace, Committeeman Edward Zakar and fundraising chairman Ronald Weingroff.

If anyone has any questions, comments or concerns about the past or future parades, please send us a letter in the regular mail or e-mail us at TRFD25NO1@aol.com. If anyone has any old photos of the parades that we can use in our rules and regulations booklet, please forward them to us as well. Black and white or color photos are appreciated.

If any business or anyone in the general public would like to donate to the Halloween Parade or have questions in reference to donations, again please contact us by regular mail or e-mail.

Ronald Weingroff

chairman of Halloween Parade Fundraising

Toms River Fire Co. No. 1

Resident: Praise of former Gov. Codey is unjustified

Former Gov. Richard Codey has received much undeserved praise during his final days in office as governor.

Here is why it is unjustified.

His original budget was seriously flawed and had to be trashed by the N.J. legislature. He knew it wasn’t worth the paper it was written on. He chose to avoid responsibility and defer to the N.J. legislature.

As senate president, he chose to block the bill to allow a property tax reform convention committee to be convened.

He lacked the courage and conviction to reform the transportation trust fund and to restore its fiscal integrity.

In his final days in office, he appointed 14 staff members to cushy state jobs that placed them on the state pension plan.

And finally, he signed legislation liberalizing the use of preserved farmland by allowing commercial development to take place. Could he have done this as a favor to a Middlesex County assemblyman who sponsored the bill and whose law firm specializes in land use development? This last action points out why New Jersey politics is so corrupt. Conflict of interest is rampant. Politicians use the state as one huge pork barrel, and Codey is part of the problem.

Gregory M. Cinque

Millstone