to the editor:

Last week I had the opportunity to lead a contingent of our local officials to meet with Governor Jon Corzine over the issue of redevelopment and in particular, the controversial EnCap agreement. Myself, council members Steve Tanelli and Al Granell along with Borough Attorney Anthony D'Elia had the unique opportunity to state our reasons why the current proposal in place doesn't work and the alternatives we seek as a community.

I want to thank Senator Paul Sarlo for taking the time to arrange such a meeting. For years North Arlington was being led astray by pro-EnCap forces that had no interest in the opinions of the taxpayers and homeowners tired of being kept in the dark. For the first time since the inception of redevelopment in the Meadowlands, we had all the mayors, state senators and officials from the NJMC along with the governor in the same room and on the same page. I made it clear to Governor Corzine that a financial exit strategy for North Arlington must be considered before the garbage baler is closed forever. I told him that North Arlington would consider proposals to increase solid waste activity as a way to finance future redevelopment as long as North Arlington would receive increased host fees. I told Governor Corzine that North Arlington has no interest in any housing component, but rather commercial alternatives such as warehousing or retail space such as a convention center, hotels or other non-housing options that make economic sense to the region. Moreover, all of us were in agreement that PILOTS needed to be eliminated in any future agreements and Governor Corzine agreed. What we all seek as mayors and elected officials is remediation and site preparation of the meadowlands parcels for future development. We want the area cleaned up and ready for real economic growth.

As one of the busiest corridors in the most densely populated state in the nation, the state will need to address the transportation component that comes with new growth and development. Mass transportations links to NJ TRANSIT, PATH and light rail all can play a role in this process. Like the Meadowlands Sports Complex, passenger car access as well as bus transportation will be critical to any final proposal. For the first time in a long time, we had a general consensus on how to move forward. It was refreshing to take part in a true discussion of our future in an atmosphere that did not include hostility and various political agendas. For redevelopment to work, we need "bipartisan transparency" that transcends politics as usual. As your mayor, I will put the public good ahead of any political agenda that stalled effective public policy from ever being developed. North Arlington, Lyndhurst and Rutherford have a legitimate second chance to get this right. That is my objective as your mayor. Thank you for your continued support and patience in what has been a very trying process for all concerned.

Mayor Pete Massa

North Arlington

Keep water
safety in mind

to the editor:

Fish are able to live and breathe under water, but people need air to breathe. People drown when too much water gets into their lungs. When that happens, the lungs can’t carry enough oxygen to the brain and the rest of the body.

Drowning is the second most common cause of death from injuries among kids under the age of 14. Drowning can happen so fast—sometimes in less than two minutes after a person’s head goes under the water. That leaves very little time for someone to help.

Many drownings and near drownings occur when a kid accidentally falls into a swimming pool. But accidents can happen anywhere—at someone’s home or even at your own house, and that’s why you need to know how to be safe around water.

Pools are awesome. What could be better than a dip in the pool and fun in the sun? But remember a pool’s sides and bottom are usually made of concrete, a rock-hard material. A slip or fall could be painful and dangerous.

Have you seen those big numbers painted on the side of the pool? Those are called depth markers—they tell you how deep the water is at that point. You should always look before you jump into a pool. You should also only dive off the diving board. Never dive off the side of the pool unless an adult says that the water is deep enough. The water may be shallower than you think. If you hit the bottom…ouch. You might get knocked out or you could hurt your neck very badly.

Test the pool’s water temperature before you plunge in. Cold water can shock your body and make your blood pressure and heart rate go up. You might accidentally open your mouth to yell and accidentally breathe in some water. Cold water can also slow your muscles, making it hard to swim.

Here’s some other good advice for the pool: Always have an adult watch you when you are in the pool—even in your own backyard. Never go in the pool if there is no adult around.

Carmine Fernandez

911 Crime Watch Alert , Lyndhurst

Special thanks

to the editor:

How dedicated and caring is are Ambulance Corp, ready for any situation with their modern equipment? We should take a moment to realize how much caring and hard work goes into their jobs every day. They have saved many lives every day and for this we salute the Rutherford Ambulance Corp. Hats off to them.

Linda Provost

Rutherford

Benedict in
America

to the editor:

The historic visit of Pope Benedict should be a moment of tranquility. A moment to spiritually reconnect. Of course, many will use the Holy Father’s visit to call attention to a particular agenda, making the Church more liberal or more conservative. Hopefully, people can just enjoy the visit.

The Pastoral visit should be a chance to reinvigorate faith and productive discussions on keeping faith relevant for 21^st century times in meaningful ways.

Henry Wallace

Lodi

A mother’s love

to the editor:

Mom;

You’ve brought colorful rainbows to my life from

childhood to present day.

Your soft spoken words eased my childish fears

during the thunder of stormy days.

Your gentle hands guided my steps till I could go it

alone.

Those little gifts, the acts of thoughtlessness,

from you I’ve always known.

For mom, it’s been your goodness, and kindness,

your brilliant diamond heart, that has filled my

life with happiness,

with every day I start.

Daniel Jay McShane

Lyndhurst

Thanks for
donations

to the editor:

The Woman’s Club of Lyndhurst would like to thank all who generously donated to our recent letter campaign.

The Woman’s Club is involved with many charitable organizations including "Shelter our Sisters," Operation Smile, local Veterans’ homes and "Ronald McDonald House," to name a few.

We welcome new members.

Joan Dougan, communications chairman

Woman’s Club of Lyndhurst

Thanks for
support

to the editor:

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the residents of Rutherford for reelecting us to the Board of Education. We also are so grateful to all those who worked so diligently to help pass our school budget. It is both our pleasure and our privilege to continue to serve our children and residents of our fine community.

Thom Casadonte, Diane Jones, Gary Novosielski

Rutherford

Youths and your
prescriptions

to the editor:

The Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey Center for Prevention Research (PDFNJ CPR), today, released the third "Parents' Attitudes and Behaviors Toward Alcohol and Drug-Abuse Prevention" tracking study. The study was conducted by GfK Group, Roper Public Affairs, New York City.

This study is the third of its kind by the PDFNJ CPR. The findings send a clear message; New Jersey parents lack knowledge of prescription drug abuse and over the counter drug abuse, the fastest rising drugs of choice for our children in New Jersey.

The study found that 44 percent of parents had a little or just about no knowledge of prescription drug abuse in order to talk to their children about them, while 47 percent reported have little of no knowledge of over-the-counter drugs.

Understanding the risks these drugs pose to their children is very important for parents to have. Parents are the number one tool in substance abuse prevention and their communication with their children about the dangers of these drugs is key in preventing them from using them.

Kids' and teenagers' use of prescription drugs has been on the rise over the past few years across the nation. Parents need to be aware of this danger, and may want to start talking to their kids about them when they talk about illicit drugs- a year or so earlier.

At PDFNJ we are committed to getting the messages out to parents about the dangers of prescription drugs and over the counter medication that are being abused and increasing their awareness of this drug of choice for our children. In response to these findings PDFNJ is launching a multi-media public awareness campaign targeting New Jersey parents with information of the abuse of these drugs.

Parents surveyed were also unfamiliar with other non-traditional drugs. Three in 10 parents say they know nothing about Oxycotin and two in 10 say they know nothing about ecstasy. The PDFNJ GetSmartNJ.com initiative, launched in 2006, continues to provide resources to parents looking for this information to speak to their children.

The survey also found that seven in ten parents of New Jersey Middle School students support random drug testing at the middle school level.

The PDFNJ CPR has also recently completed the first of a six-year longitudinal study evaluating the impact of random drug testing. The results of this study will be released in April 2008.

Other top line findings of the PDFNJ CPR study found:

One in four parents find occasional alcohol use by their middle school aged children to be only a slight or no risk to their child.

Sixty-nine percent of New Jersey parents reported seeing or hearing Public Service Announcements (PSAs) about the risks of drugs and alcohol one or more times per week. Of those parents, 78 percent reported those PSAs encouraged them to talk to their child about the risk of using drugs and alcohol and 73 percent of parents were made more aware of the risks of using drugs and alcohol, after seeing the anti-drug PSAs.

Parents, who eat family meals with their child five or more days a week, are significantly more likely to have spoken to their child about drugs than parents who eat dinner with their child four nights a week or less.

Parents who eat family meals with their child five or more days a week also indicate that their child has started conversations with them about drugs and alcohol, significantly more frequently, (64 percent vs. 47 percent) than parents who have dinner less than four times a week.

Thirty-four percent of parents surveyed indicated that they have had instances of alcohol and drug abuse in their own families.

When asked to estimate what proportions of New Jersey middle school students abuse prescription or over the counter drugs such as cough syrup and pain relievers, parents estimate on average, that 23 percent of middle school students abuse these medications.

Available national data for prescription and OTC drug abuse suggest that this is an overestimate.

At the same time, because the increased abuse of prescription and OTC drugs is a relatively new phenomenon, studies tend to look at types of prescription and OTC medications discretely, and do not classify them under a generalized heading such as "Prescription Drugs/OTC Medications."

Complete results are available on the web at www.drugfreenj.org.

Angelo M. Valente and Peter Silsbee

PDJNJ and GfK Group Roper Public Affairs & Media

Rutherford

Safety is a collective effort

to the editor:

The days are longer and the weather is warmer. That means the spring season has finally arrived in New Jersey. It also means more walkers, runners, bicyclists and skateboarders are out on the sidewalks and roads, in addition to the countless number of motor vehicles.

Because of this increased traffic, I want to encourage all New Jersey residents to be alert of one another when traveling, whether on foot, by bike, by skateboard or by vehicle. It is only through a collective effort to be attentive to your surroundings that we can keep our roadways safe and avoid any unfortunate accidents.

And by a collective effort, I mean all motorists, all walkers, all runners, all bicyclists and all skateboarders need to be observant. Just as it is important for a motorist to look both ways before making a turn, it is equally as important for a pedestrian to check for oncoming traffic before crossing the street. Taking extra precautions is not a difficult task, but it is often something people overlook or just choose not to do. But the simple action of taking an extra glance to your right or left before proceeding could save your or someone else’s life.

So next time you are traveling, make it a point to be mindful of all the activity occurring around you. Do not assume that someone else sees you. If you happen to be driving, pay extra attention to the pedestrians and bicyclists who may be attempting to cross the street or are moving alongside your vehicle. Or if you are running or on a skateboard, be sure to take notice of what drivers are doing and act accordingly. By being alert, we can all contribute to making New Jersey’s roads safer for everyone.

Sharon A. Harrington, chief administrator

NJ Motor Vehicle Commission

Can NJ afford
universal care

to the editor:

Governor Jon Corzine has stated, repeatedly, that although he supports some form of Universal Health Care for New Jersey, the current State fiscal crisis makes it problematic, at best.

The same unanswered question appears whenever Universal Health Care is discussed, "Who is going to pay for it?" This question remains whether the proposal is made by Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama or Senator Joe Vitale of New Jersey.

On Monday, March 17, Senator Vitale unveiled his State Healthcare Plan, which would require all New Jersey residents to have some form of health insurance within three years. According to Vitale:

"The soaring costs of health care in New Jersey and around the nation are causing real hardships, not just for government-administered health-care programs but also for private citizens who fear losing their health benefits more than being a victim of a terrorist attack. Frankly, we cannot afford the status quo any longer, and must adopt a more cost-effective model to ensure affordable, high-quality health care for every New Jersey resident."

Vitale points out that his plan includes two phases. The first phase includes creating healthcare guarantees for all of New Jersey’s children. Phase two will require all adults to have healthcare within three years. However, a true funding formula for this plan remains unclear. Consequently, members of the State Legislature from both sides of the aisle have questions and reservations.

Vitale has addressed the healthcare issue from a civil rights point of view:

"I believe that every man, woman and child deserves access to affordable health care here in New Jersey and more importantly, so do an overwhelming majority of New Jerseyans who live this challenge every day."

Curiously, Democrats within the State Legislature have selected what may be the year in which New Jersey faces the most serious fiscal crisis in its history to focus on Paid Family Leave and Universal Health Care. In 2008, New Jersey faces significant cuts in services, the elimination of several state government departments, rising property taxes, an economic recession and an uncertain future.

Universal Health Care was instituted in Germany during the late 19^th century, funded by compulsory purchase of health insurance by the individual. Hillary Clinton’s plan for Universal Health Care during the 1990’s placed the burden of payment on the shoulders of employers. Recent Universal Health Care proposals by presidential aspirants have returned to the compulsory purchase concept. The uncertainty stems from the term "affordable". Will the compulsory purchase of health insurance require some citizens to buy healthcare that is beyond their economic means?

Senator Vitale’s plan includes the elimination of public funds earmarked for Charity Care, transferring that money to a New Jersey HealthCare program. Nevertheless, the Vitale plan would include the compulsory acquisition of healthcare, either through transferred charity care money or mandated purchases by the individual. Once again, the term "affordable" comes into play.

Certainly, uncontrolled medical costs have destroyed families. Catastrophic illnesses can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Gone are the days when an individual could pay his medical bills via "out-of-pocket" resources. Unfortunately, we are living at a time when families are faced with home foreclosures, rising taxes, increased gasoline prices, and the uncertain challenge of affordable health care.

Governor Corzine has indicated that, although he supports the concept of universal health care, he is realistic, and the State’s current fiscal status could prevent reaching a common goal. Vitale has suggested that to implement such a plan would cost New Jersey four hundred million dollars, which he points out is much less money than the one billion, seven hundred million that we would spend on Charity Care.

Vitale has the support of Republican Senator Bob Singer, Assemblyman Louis Greenwald, Assemblyman Neil Cohen, and Senate President Richard J. Codey. The first phase of the plan would require an expansion of the FamilyCare Program in order to provide coverage for uninsured children. In addition, the success of the program would be dependent on the State’s ability to work with the health-insurance companies in order to lower costs. According to Vitale, specific information about the second phase would be made public in May.

The debate continues among think tanks, such as the Cato Institute in Washington DC, which believes that health care is a private matter and individuals should be able to opt out of such programs, at will. Still others believe that health care is a right and an entitlement and Universal Health Care should be a basic guarantee of citizenship.

Salvatore Pizzuro

East Rutherford

Teen accidents
on the rise

to the editor:

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released data from its Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) showing that alcohol-related fatalities increase between the middle of April and the middle of June. What's significant about these time periods? It happens to be when teenagers tend to do a lot of partying, namely prom and graduation.

Alcohol is one of the most difficult drugs to combat, especially with youth. Being a legal drug that is easily obtained, clear and effective prevention and education measures must be taken.

The Fatality Analysis Reporting System data showed that in the year 2000, 58 percent of traffic fatalities were alcohol-related during the prom and graduation period. This compares with 41 percent for the rest of the year. In addition, 36 percent of all alcohol-related traffic fatalities are young people between the ages of 15 and 20, below the legal age to consume alcoholic beverages.

This data shows that more work needs to be done on the education and prevention front. This being said, April is national Alcohol Awareness month and the message must be delivered, alcohol is a drug and it costs Americans too much time, money, lives and grief for us not to make a stand.

Advertisements from alcoholic beverage companies specifically market to our nation's youth, depicting a fun atmosphere, good-looking people and sometimes a picture of total irresponsibility, making it appealing for rebellious or thrill-seeking teenagers.

Nobody starts using drugs or alcohol with the intent of becoming addicted or losing their lives. But when people wait and don't get help immediately, they can die or end up in the hospital or prison. Some people are fortunate enough to get the help they need but those are the people that have the courage to reach out.

For information on Narconon's successful drug treatment and educational programs and materials, contact Narconon Arrowhead at 1-800-468-6933 or visit their website at wws.stopaddiction.com. The Narconon program was founded in 1966 by William Benitez in Arizona State Prison, and is based on the humanitarian works of L. Ron Hubbard. In more than 120 centers around the world, Narconon programs restore drug and alcohol abusers and addicts to a clean and sober lifestyle.

Gary Smith, executive director

Narconon Arrowhead

Congressman pushes to repeal Tiahrt Amendment

to the editor:

According to ATF trace data on guns used in crimes that were recovered in New Jersey in 2006, 74 percent of New Jersey’s crime guns come from out of the state - a rate higher than that of any other state. To fight this alarming problem, which is a matter of life and death for New Jersey residents, I worked with the ATF and New Jersey Mayors, as well as Senator Frank Lautenberg and Congressman Donald Payne, to bring an ATF Field Division to our state to stem the tide of violent crime. Finally, after 7 years of blood, sweat, and tears, New Jersey got its very first field division in Newark."

This ATF Field Division will be staffed by 40 federal agents and law enforcement personnel who will find, prosecute, and stop the gun runners who arm New Jersey’s gang members and violent criminals who hold our streets and cities hostage.

Enforcing the laws on the books

However, we must do more to help our local law enforcement on the ground so that police can prevent the flow of guns to criminals, those with mental illnesses, and children. I would like my Republican and Democratic colleagues to fix provisions such as the Tiahrt Amendment, which ties the hands of local officers.

The Tiahrt Amendment, sponsored by Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-KS), is an anti-police measure that has been successfully attached to spending bills over the years that restricts local law enforcement’s access to ATF data on guns used in crimes. This restricted data - which had been freely available until 2003 - would help law enforcement locate ‘hot spots’ for illegal gun purchases and build cases against those helping supply criminals with firearms.

Last year, members of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, including Senator Lautenberg and I, successfully repealed parts of the Tiahrt Amendment, such as the restriction on local law enforcement from accessing data on crime guns outside their jurisdiction. We also made aggregate trace data (http://www.atf.gov/firearms/trace_data/states_and_territories/cy2006-newjersey-rev2.pdf) publicly available again. Still, Lautenberg, law enforcement advocacy groups such as Mayors Against Illegal Guns (http://www.mayorsagainstillegalguns.org/html/home/home.shtml) and I continue to push for full repeal of the Tiahrt Amendment, which continues to restrict cities’ access to and use of ATF data on guns used in crimes.
Congressman Steve Rothman

(D-NJ)

Senator pushes for more gun control

to the editor:

As the country mourns the loss of the 32 students and professors at Virginia Tech one year ago, we must renew our commitment to ending gun violence in our schools and on our streets. It defies common sense that felons, fugitives, and others who are legally prohibited from owning firearms can walk into a gun show and walk out with a gun-no questions asked. My legislation would require background checks for every gun purchased at every gun show across America. Congress needs to stand up and close the gun show loophole.

In 1993, the Brady Law was passed requiring prospective purchasers of guns sold by federal firearms licensees, like gun shops and pawn shops, to go through a background check. However, a loophole in current law allows people to purchase guns from unlicensed dealers at gun shows without going through a background check. The ATF reports that between 25 and 50 percent of firearm vendors at gun shows are unlicensed.

Senator Lautenberg

(D-NJ)

Senator calls for restoration of municipal aid cuts

to the editor:

I’ve been clear from the day Governor Corzine announced his budget proposal that we must restore the $189 million in municipal aid cuts to New Jersey’s small municipalities. Our small towns are among the most efficient in the state and these cuts would dramatically raise property taxes for countless families throughout the state and send the wrong message to taxpayers.

When you add in the fact that many of the towns that are facing municipal aid cuts just saw an increase in their school aid when we passed the new school funding formula, these cuts make even less sense. It’s like robbing Peter to just pay Peter the money back.

The legislature will need to find other places in the budget to cut to make up for this $189 million, but municipal aid is too critical to our communities to allow these cuts to continue.

There is certainly more that all municipalities can do, both large and small, to cut costs and make local government more efficient. But the cuts the governor proposed this year based on population are too arbitrary and too quick to allow our towns to make those changes.

The legislature should work this summer after the budget is passed to develop changes to the municipal aid formula that move our towns towards sensible consolidations and shared service agreements. Forcing these towns to go ‘cold turkey’ in a matter of months will only hurt New Jersey’s property taxpayers.

Senator Paul A. Sarlo

D- Bergen, Essex and Passaic

Long-term healthcare options available

to the editor:

A new report from the Institute of Medicine on the healthcare outlook paints a dim picture for the 78 million baby boomers in the United States. Simply put, the current healthcare system is not able to properly provide adequate care for the increasing number of aging and chronically ill people. Individuals born between 1946 and 1964 are living longer with more complex health needs that require specialized care and services. According to Caregivers of New Jersey, there are more than one million long-term caregivers in the state alone. Together we are facing a caregiving crisis.

The report recommended family members and other informal caregivers who assist the elderly or chronically ill receive adequate training. Most caregivers do not get training until the need arises, a time when they have little time to manage all of their new duties. Caregivers must balance work and family responsibilities while navigating the health care system, finding the right home health care agency and hiring the best person to assist them. This can be overwhelming.

Planning and organizing in advance can help to avoid some of the inevitable stress.

Vital information for a caregiver should be simply organized and accessible. It is important for people to take the time to discover the long-term care options available for them and their loved ones and decide what is best for them before the unexpected happens. As a long term care expert, I encourage people to learn about long-term care options when they are healthy and not in a crisis situation.

Lorraine Spiotta, president

Senior Long-Term Care Insurance Brokerage, Inc.