To the Editor:

"A Christmas Wish"

The snow feel hard that cold Christmas night, as I made a wish by

the warm, fire place’s light.

A wish for peace, for love unending,

from God’s colorful angels, this night descending.

"Please! sweet Jesus" I softly whispered,

"my wish do heed, let you spirit of love this night,

truly suceeed."

I glanced once again to the falling snow, which had subsided

And was now aglow, from the brightest star,

through parted clouds. The inspiration I sought, was then

aroused.

With the thought of virgin mother, and her infant child,

I was inspired to write, a Christmas carol.

A wish for peace, for all mankind.

A wish for hope, for those too blind to see,

A child was born, on a Christmas day,

full of love, to show the way,

to love one another,

to always care,

to lead us home, to a father most dear…

Daniel Jay Mc Shane

Lyndhurst

Stick with Hipp on EnCap issue

To the Editor:

If you believe in The Record’s investigative reporting on Encap (which has not been substantially refuted) the town of Rutherford and its citizens have been damaged and has grounds for a lawsuit. I am not a soap box kind of guy, and I am not a lawyer but I am tired of being trampled on by my own government. We should fully expect our officials and agencies to fulfill their lawful fiduciary responsibilities to serve its citizens.

Our town has the right to a proper cleanup according to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s own policy and procedures. Their policy is not to make a "clean up site" worse or more polluted (which it is). According to the Record’s investigative reporting by Jeff Pillets and the corresponding "whistleblower" quotes by NJDEP personnel, the Encap deal did not follow these policy and procedures. They mention that behind closed doors NJDEP officials (with Encap personnel ordering state employees around in some cases) unilaterally made decisions and did not follow recommendations through the normal channels regarding environmental and financial issues such as the staff recommendation to decline lending state monies to Encap due to their financial instability and the fact that standard remediation clean-up requirements were relaxed, for example, excluding standard requirements such as an impermeable clay layer and thick concrete retaining walls.

To put it bluntly, Rutherford and its residents, we the people, are paying for the apparent (but not yet proven) widespread corruption and greed, and we are flat out being ignored concerning Encap by most officials and developers. If there was ever an important issue that should bring our town together in a bi-partisan action, this is it. I stand behind John Hipp, our Vision Committee, and the bipartisan The Concerned Citizen Group’s overall position as I understand it. No residential units should be built on the east side of Route 17 and the Encap site is to be cleaned up to the highest NJDEP standard.

I believe it is time for our town to assert its rights. My personal stance is clear. Not one unit should ever be built on a dump that does not include the proper "clean version" including clay layer, concrete walls, etc. It is unsafe and the potential of future citizens dying or getting sick is real due to the NJDEP inaction. Our town Building, Safety and Health departments should properly deny any Certificate of Occupancies with this "dirty version" clean-up. After all, isn’t the Encap land still a part of Rutherford? Don’t we still have the right and duty to protect our citizens? We should commence appropriate legal action and notify the NJDEP, NJMC, the Governor, Attorney General and any other necessary Agency of our position and demand them to stop any further remediation until the "clean version" is adopted for Encap, even if it is at the State’s expense and that we intend to void the current Encap agreement using all available resources.

Also, I feel Rutherford does not have any allies. Encap and Trump, who is officially deemed a "project executive" has been given a week extension and now has been granted a 45 day extension by the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, the New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure Trust, the Department of Community affairs and the Division of Law. Why wasn’t the Rutherford Borough invited to this meeting? Is our input worth so little? These agencies are not only excluding your interest but may exert pressure against Rutherford when we protest and file suit. The extension also means Encap is still in the deal while recent articles by Trump and his organization inferred that they were out of it. In return for the 45-day extension, they have to put up $5 million in cash right away but then they can take it back upon request (big deal), and they have to "…show measurable progress toward full resolution of these environmental issues." Full resolution only gets them towards the "dirty version" of the clean-up. Measurable means what 10% or 50%, who knows? There is no mention of the fines they have to pay which exceed $3 million for numerous violations. In addition, since the project does not have money to build, and Trump is not using his money, Trump is asking for the same up front future tax revenues through a bond issuance of $350 million that Encap asked for but was turned down because it put NJ at risk. He also wants more units. What has changed? If these bonds fail Corzine asked "Who eats it…?" Is Corzine changing his mind and wants to lend Encap the money? All the above mentioned agencies had an opportunity to make this right by defaulting Encap which would be in the best interest of Rutherford but these agencies have turned a blind eye to us. If they were defaulted, the insurance company would have to pay on the policy for further clean up (still only the dirty version), but the units may not be built.

I am anticipating Governor Corzine’s (whom claims to be environmentally friendly) investigation by the State Attorney office which appears to have an open ended timeframe for delivery. The governor’s spokeswoman commented, "The governor’s priorities are to protect residents in the region, see the site is made as environmentally safe as it can be…" which to me is the "clean version". The governor also claims to be against "pay to play". Does Encap get rewarded for brining in toxic dirt that would fill the Empire State building? Why hasn’t he recommended defaulting Encap? This is "pay to play" at its worst. Let’s see if he stands up to his word. Senator Codey wants to bring this up in Trenton at the Assembly in two weeks. What is his position? He wanted to put Encap supporter Senator Paul Sarlo in charge of a committee to investigate (investigate himself). Sarlo recused himself. As citizens we are entitled to a proper thorough investigation, criminal investigation in this case and maybe we should get the Federal EPA involved if that is feasible. Where there is smoke there is fire! Too many doors have opened and rules changed for Encap right up to the latest 45-day extension at several levels of government.

Should I have faith in this process? I am not feeling it. Right now I imagine Cherokee, Encap, now Trump, and all our Agencies and Commissions that are suppose to be protecting us are feeling very proud of themselves and are having a good laugh at our expense. They put a new spin on garbage but it is still garbage.

I do have faith in the power of Rutherford’s voice if we all stick together. I for one would like to follow our new Mayor elect John Hipp’s lead. Don’t walk away from this black eye, punch back. If this means we need to organize, petition, file suit, so be it.

Chris McCarthy

Rutherford

Corzine leading us astray

To the Editor:

Wake up, New Jersey sheep. The good shepherd, Jon Corzine, is not leading us to green pastures with his "Asset Monetization Plan." "Wall Street Jon" is corralling New Jersey taxpayers and their assets and leading us directly to the slaughterhouse to be devoured by his Wall Street buddies.

When Corzine’s "Asset Monetization Plan" to lease or sell our state roads faced public opposition, Corzine changed the name of his game to a "Public Benefit Corporation." He wants this new corporation to manage the Turnpike and Garden State Parkway and float bonds to pay down our state debt. Corzine intends to pay off these new billions of debt with huge toll hikes on our toll roads and possibly adding tolls on some of our other highways.

Corzine attempts to placate the populace by stating that 50 percent of tolls are paid by out of state drivers. While this figure is highly debatable, Corzine leaves out one little tidbit. A large number of these out of state drivers are actually tuckers who are delivering goods to our residents and our airport terminals and shipping ports. Higher tolls will dramatically increase the costs of our goods and services.

The real beneficiaries of Corzine’s plan will be Wall Street brokers, "underwriters", bonding attorneys and consultants who will reap billions in fees. One firm has already received millions in fees just to concoct to this ill-conceived plan.

Fasten your seatbelts, New Jersey sheep. Corzine is about to take us on another dangerous ride. The only way to save New Jersey is to cut spending, not replace one onerous debt with another. Call your legislators. Tell them to be aware of the flashing lights closing in on them from behind.

Vincent J. Frantantoni

Belleville

Encap and Xanadu a health issue

To the Editor:

When and if historians and investigative reporters connect the dots, we could see Kushner/Corzine and now Trump at the head of a toxic legacy that breathes true of NJ politics.

Twenty years from now if cancers are even more rampant in the South Bergen population, you will be able to thank in part an enabled, politically-connected elite for that contribution.

As Xanadoo-doo moves toward fruition and Encrap is wiggling its smelly head at us, we've stopped considering cars, traffic, fumes, congestion, flooding and resultant leachates into the NJ and NY rivers.

The Meadowlands should be cordoned off and declared a Federal disaster area. The Hackensack and Hudson Rivers need to be protected from a failed development plan that threatens this populace and its future generations.

The good work that led to the amazing and visionary parks/trails in the wetlands needs to be continued in lieu of the forced building of townhouse upon townhouse that will serve a limited few and serve them unfairly.

Put this issue up for referendum and let the citizens decide. An elite few should not be drawing up plans that will affect our future health and quality of life.

Helen and John Dull

Rutherford

EnCap would raise taxes

To the Editor:

The fallout of the EnCap project has been real with higher property taxes the symptom of the failure of the state of New Jersey to properly monitor this mega development.

Those who dismiss the effects of EnCap as either irrelevant or minimal don't understand the tragedy of overdevelopment in the most densely populated state in the nation. To dismiss higher property taxes as a non-factor in the EnCap debacle doesn't hear the cry of homeowners and voters who are tired of development plans that don't include the opinions and support of the residents of North Arlington, Lyndhurst and Rutherford.

There is no question that the EnCap development as proposed in North Arlington (Arlington Valley) would raise taxes. The tens of millions in infrastructure costs were never equated in the bottom-line cost of the project.

The reason why property taxes spiked in North Arlington this year is two-fold:

* The failure of previous governing bodies to invest and save temporary landfill fees for the day when North Arlington could no longer rely on these revenues. Compound the lack of savings with an across-the-board increase in the size of local government in terms of employees, salaries, benefits, insurance and long-term debt, and you find the situation that exists today.

* The state's refusal to fund our request for $1.5 million dollars in Extraordinary Aid. Instead of receiving $1.5 million, the state awarded North Arlington just $500,000. In FY07, the state of New Jersey only awarded 22 communities Extraordinary Aid with the average award at roughly $250,000. This is a far cry from the almost $15 million that was awarded to some 75 municipalities in the prior year's budget. The state's decision to drastically slash direct aid to municipalities in lieu of property rebate checks left municipalities like North Arlington and Rutherford forced to pass along the cost of the increase to homeowners.

Few, if anyone equated rebate checks as property tax relief.

With the state's own financial situation getting worse, one wonders if these rebate checks will even be available in the future.

This is not a question of blame. It is a question of stating the facts. Facts that are part of this discussion. To understand where we need to travel, we need to know where we started.

Some have suggested that an audit of fees awarded to Rutherford and North Arlington take place. I welcome such action. I welcome any real action that gets to the bottom of this mess.

As a councilman, I ran against such irresponsible application of developer fees for operating expenses. I ran on a platform of stopping overdevelopment, eminent domain seizure and low income housing. I ran off the Democratic line and won anyway in the face of EnCap's vast political support.

I have kept to my promises to those who elected me.

I'll continue to oppose this project and support the proper litigation that keeps this proposal from ever being constructed.

This revisionist history of EnCap and who is responsible for these problems needs to be thwarted and corrected so that the public is not once again duped into what actually transpired and who actually supported this project from day one.

In that regard, It is impossible to separate the issue of rising property taxes and EnCap. Both are intertwined as long as state assistance and cooperation is lacking.

While high taxes in Rutherford and North Arlington helped challenging political candidates for different reasons, the election is now over and the problems still exist. Nothing has changed as it applies to either community. North Arlington and Rutherford are at the mercy of projects the general public does not want nor support no matter what brand is on the label.

I support and continue to support Mayor Pete Massa's call for a federal inquiry into the EnCap saga. He was right then and he is right now. Only a federal probe of this disaster will uncover what really happened here.

The political make-up of the North Arlington governing body has changed because of the tax increase created by the EnCap project. Those who were successful in pointing out a tax increase should now join me in seeking ways to shrink the size of government and lobby Trenton to assist in securing the help we need to pull through this financial crisis. I am ready to work on a bipartisan basis with any elected official who believes as I do North Arlington is a victim, not a willing partner in this economic crisis.

The emergence of The Trump Organization is welcome news at many levels. But if the plan remains basically the same with only a name change, what does it matter?

I welcome Mr. Trump to come to North Arlington. I support Assemblyman Gary Schaer's logical and reasonable assessment of the situation so that what has happened will not be replicated. If Mr. Trump can visualize and articulate a new vision for the North Arlington phase of the project that has the support of the Porete business community as well as the residents of North Arlington, then I am all for moving forward.

But if this is just more of the same with a new spin and some different rhetoric, North Arlington will not be able to survive the financial gamesmanship should that be the reality in this change in developers.

Councilman Al Granell

North Arlington