To the Editor:

Given the well-publicized events at the recent East Rutherford Council meeting, it is evident that radical change must occur immediately. The community will develop an unearned reputation for disorganization and turmoil.

The 2007 election is over, and it was my hope that the mayor and council could begin to collectively serve the Borough and its residents. Personal backbiting is unacceptable behavior at public meetings, regardless of who is the source of such behavior.

Negative campaigning leaves hurt feelings and bruised egos following an election, often standing in the way of progress. Those who allow such emotions to have an impact on community business need to step down. Serving the community is not only a responsibility; it is a privilege.

The public has a right to expect exemplary behavior among it leaders. The recent campaign was ripe with smear tactics that embarrassed everyone. East Rutherford deserves better. The ugly, hateful nature of the campaign will have lasting effects. The Borough will need time to recover. The campaign strategy was designed out of selfishness, not out of a goal to serve the community. Now, it threatens to prevent the Council from serving the community at large and its residents.

True progress is the result of cooperation and team efforts. It also requires that the ultimate goal truly be progress, and not the opportunity to castigate those who differ in the approach to progress. This concept may have been defined by a great American: "...the man who really counts in the world is the doer, not the mere critic-the man who actually does the work, even if roughly and imperfectly, not the man who only talks or writes about how it ought to be done." (Theodore Roosevelt, 1891).

It is the community at large that matters, not the emotions of any one individual. Those who cannot serve in pursuit of the common good must step down, immediately.

Dr. Salvatore Pizzuro

East Rutherford

Still spending too much money

To the Editor:

Happy New Year and Happy Holidays to my fellow Rutherford residents, this year could not end fast enough for me. With all that has gone on in town this year it still disturbs me the amount of money we are still looking to spend. For example, we took out a loan this year to purchase various items that the borough said were needed. One item was $12,000 to be spent on bulletproof glass for the tax assessor’s office. The glass has not been installed yet but the money has been given to the town and we are paying interest on it. Bulletproof glass, how many residents actually pay with cash? Most I assume pay through their mortgage and use a bank transfer. Do we really need bulletproof glass for that? Maybe as a protest we all should bring in the thousands of dollars we are paying in loose pennies. Maybe then the $12,000 would be justified; any council person who votes in favor of this extra spending should explain how much physical money is brought into the office, and when was the last time the RPD was called to help out the assessor’s office because of a robbery.

Some more silent spending is the $150,000 we have to pay for the memorial field tennis courts. I know we were all told it was paid for with a grant but what we were not told is that it was a matching grant. So we get to pay $150,000 when the recreation department said only 100 permits were issued. That means in 1,500 years we will break even. I can’t wait for that day.

A new item coming across is a requested loan from the boat club of $250,000 and with that money our children we were told will get the privilege of playing in the Passaic River because one of the items is creating a marsh. I don’t know about you but I like my child with two arms, thank you very much.

Lastly, has anyone seen that we are going to pay $112,000 to the event coordinator this year? It amazes me that according to borough hall we have only taken in $13,000 in sponsorship money this year. Leaving us $100,000 in debt for the events, didn’t the mayor and most of the council say that regardless of the spending the sponsorship money more then covers the cost? I guess they were wrong on this one too. The point I am trying to make is that if we do not learn from the mistakes of the past we are doomed to create them again. We cannot afford to create these mistakes again. The mayor and council must look out for us. They must not back pay –to- play as a way of doing business. They must not attack any citizen when they question the governing body why they are doing this and spending that. We control the town we have a right to say what we want our money to be spent on. Remember to never lose sight of this.

One final thought. When the budget was passed the council said that they had cut to the bone as best they could. We were told that our taxes had to go up again. Yet when we were to pay $500,000 in back sick days to the two retired employees, the town suddenly found $400,000 lying around. Let’s see, suddenly we found $400,000 from September to December. The $500,000 was not in the original budget yet we just found $400,000. Did someone reach down between the couch cushions and find $400,000 in change? Wow, imagine that. Maybe we couldn’t have had such a big tax increase if the $400,000 had been discovered in August. Makes you wonder doesn’t it?

Frank Wilson

Rutherford

Thanks to Patrolman Sommers

To the Editor:

We write this letter with great sadness acknowledging the passing of our beloved Mother Helen K. Myers of 1 Ayer Place. Our Mother, Helen, joined her Savior Dec. 9 as a result of injuries sustained on Nov. 29 in a horrific house fire.

Our Mother would have surely expired that evening in the horrific conflagration if not for the heroic and compassionate actions of patrolman Sommers. While our Mother ultimately passed away due to her injuries, our family was able to make peace with her, express our love, and help her prepare for her transition to eternal life in a peaceful and dignified manner. The ability of our family to say goodbye to our mom was only made possible by Patrolman Sommers decision, that fateful evening, to place himself in harm’s way by entering the blazing inferno and carrying our mother from the house. The citizens, governing officials, and the police department of the Borough of Rutherford should be quite proud of the selfless character, courage and actions of Patrolman Sommers.

On behalf of our immediate and extended family, we would like to publicly acknowledge Patrolman Sommers and profoundly and sincerely thank him for providing us the chance to have 10 more days with our beloved Mother, Helen Myers. May God bless and protect you Patrolman Sommers and forever hold you in the palm of His hand.

The Myers Family

Rutherford

Go Red for Women

To the Editor:

I have lost both parents and two siblings to heart attacks. I have survived two heart attacks and other cardiac procedures all before age 50, and as an American Heart Association Go Red for Women survivor ambassador, I truly am one of the fortunate ones. Heart disease and stroke claim the lives of nearly 14,000 New Jersey women annually. Too many mothers, sisters, daughters and friends die each year from these diseases. Cardiovascular disease is the leading health threat facing women today and it is a problem Congress must address.

Thank you Congressman Steve Rothman and Senators Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez for supporting the HEART for Women Act. If passed, this simple and cost-effective bi-partisan legislation will help improve the diagnosis and treatment of heart disease and stroke in women. The HEART for Women Act will also expand WISEWOMEN, a program providing free heart disease and stroke screenings to low-income, uninsured women that is not currently available in the Garden State. This program must be offered nationwide to give women the number one tool in fighting these diseases—the chance for early detection.

I applaud Senator Lautenberg, Senator Menendez and Congressman Rothman for working to reduce the devastating effects of heart disease and stroke in women. Your support of the HEART for Women Act shows you care about helping women like me live longer, stronger and healthier lives.

And please join me and millions of women across the country on February 1—National Wear Red Day for Women—by wearing something red. Go Red! to raise awareness and celebrate life.

Rose Rench, Bergen County resident

American Heart Association Go Red for Women Survivor Ambassador

Thanks to "Memory Walkers"

To the Editor:

As the Memory Walk 2007 fundraising season concludes, on behalf of the Alzheimer’s Association, Greater New Jersey Chapter, I’d like to thank all of the Bergen County residents and community members who supported our Memory Walk event on October 28th at Van Saun Park in Paramus.  We had a tremendous turnout of close to 1,700 community residents.

Currently, about five million people in the United States suffer from Alzheimer’s disease, and that number is expected to increase dramatically in the next few decades as the baby-boomer generation continues to age.  Locally, that translates to about 10 percent of the more than 136,755 individuals in Bergen County over the age of 65 who have Alzheimer’s disease.  Memory Walk is our largest community-based awareness and fundraising event.  The money we raise helps us continue to provide and expand the services that our communities count on us for each and every day.

We are deeply grateful for the support of our Honorary Chairs Pat Battle and Congressman Steven Rothman, as well as Mayor James Tedesco, Bergen County Executive Dennis McNerney, and Parks Director Bruce Bonaventuro.  Heartfelt thanks go out to our dedicated community volunteers who work tirelessly throughout the year in planning the event: Committee Chair Russell Rothman; Junior Co-Chair Amanda Shaw; Anita Clark; Mary Hoffman; Pam Bateman; Anjanette Sumala; Joe Shaw; Lynne Bennett; Linda Marzloff; Judith Wineman; John Riismandel; Fred Rohdieck; Tara Lyons; George Mulhauser; and the Knights of Columbus.

We are united with Bergen County in our vision to one day have "a world without Alzheimer’s disease". 

Patricia A. Lombreglia, president & CEO

Alzheimer’s Association Greater New Jersey Chapter

Keeping independent repair shops alive

To the Editor:

Millions of car owners trust independent repair shops to provide affordable and competitive automotive repair service. Unfortunately, the ability of motorists to choose where to get their vehicle repaired could be seriously challenged in the future.

Vehicles engine, safety and entertainment systems are becoming increasingly sophisticated, with virtually every vehicle system either monitored or controlled by computers. Servicing these vehicles will require that independent shops have full access to the same information and tools that the car companies make available to their franchised dealer network.

However, in many cases the car manufacturers are already making it difficult to obtain the information and tools needed to repair today’s vehicles, and we fear that the future will only become worse. Absent full access, local repair shops might not be able to compete, thus creating a repair monopoly where affordable and convenient repairs currently available to car owners is sacrificed to increase profits for the dealer service bays and big car companies.

Car companies say it is in their best interest to make information and tools available to independent repair shops, but the truth is that they and their franchised dealers are making more money servicing vehicles than they are selling new cars. Therefore, despite their lip service, they have little incentive to work with the independent service industry to ensure that we can compete on a level playing field with their dealers.

That’s why the future health of a competitive automotive repair industry is dependent upon the immediate passage by Congress of the Motor Vehicles Owners’ Right to Repair Act. This legislation requires that car manufacturers make available to independent service shops the same information and tools that they provide to their dealerships. After all, shouldn’t the car owner make the choice of where they have their vehicle repaired and not the car company?

I urge everyone who owns a car to contact their elected official in support of Right to Repair legislation. Go to www.righttorepair.org for additional information and to send a letter in support of this legislation.

Kathleen Schmatz, president and CEO

Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association

The Greening: a climate for change

To the Editor:

It is no wonder that green thinking has finally arrived in the mainstream. We have entered a time of change driven by fundamental challenges to the sustainability of our current way of life. Of our myriad crises, climate has now taken center stage in our consciousness, causing all to wonder what legacy we will leave to future generations.

The common sense of crisis has created a new climate for change. We may have dragged our heels since the 1970s, but now we are ready to chart a new course and to get to work on transforming our way of life to a sustainable form that can maintain a reasonable quality and diversity of life into the future. The green transformation is more than a superficial adjustment employing new technologies, but rather a fundamental social change. An underlying and integrative focus on sustainability is required if we are to avoid the solution to one problem becoming cause for another.

The current and sudden stampede toward sustainability has pushed us precipitously fast into a new era that I call "The Greening." In this time of transition, some employ new green language but think and act in old ways. But in reality The Greening is characterized by fundamental redefinitions of how we think about our health, our homes and communities, our relationship to the environment and people, and our responsibility and influence over the future. Self interest is redefined from defense of the status quo to a need for change. Individual wealth is linked to the health of nature, place and community, rather than their destruction. And buying green is viewed as prudent rather than an expensive luxury. Investing in the future has taken on a new meaning. The Greening demands a full mobilization of our energies to reestablish a sustainable relationship with nature and each other. The mobilization required is on the scale of the New Deal, but with strong grass roots and private input as well as government leadership.

New Jersey has emerged as an epicenter of change because of its far reaching target of an 80-percent reduction in greenhouse gasses by 2050 with substantial progress on this path by 2020. A revised Energy Master Plan is a major tool for achieving these targets. And other model innovations in renewable energy and community sustainability are evident.

To promote a successful green transformation, the Institute for Environmental Studies at Ramapo College of New Jersey has crafted a two-day event this Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 entitled Green Meets Green, including a conference, an EXPO and a training program in green building. The locus is the college's Bradley Center.

The conference A Climate for Change on Nov. 30 tackles how to make the green transformation successful with the help of such luminaries as Author/climate activist Bill McKibben, climate and renewable energy visionary architect Edward Mazria, and the father of Superfund, James Florio. The free GREEN EXPO and Green Holiday Boutique opens 4:30-7:30 on Nov. 30 and continues all day (10 a.m.-4 p.m.) December 1. The EXPO showcases the best in renewable energy, transportation, and green products and offers short talks on how to green ones’ home and life and rides in the Magic electric car. Saturday also features KIDSPO and a midday book signing and talk by popular WABC-7 weatherman Bill Evans. For the jam-packed program and conference and LEED training registration info, go to the Ramapo College Web site, www.ramapo.edu, write greeningtheregion@gmail.com or call 201-684-7745.

Michael R. Edelstein, Ph.D.

Green Meets Green Expo

Preserving New Jersey’s landscape: a daunting challenge

To the Editor:

New Jersey voters have never been reluctant to spend public funds for the protection and preservation of open space. Over the past half-century, we’ve been asked 11 times to approve statewide bond issues for open-space, farmland and historic preservation. And all 11 times we’ve done so-to the tune of a total of $4 billion.

On Nov. 6, we did it again, approving public question No. 3, which authorizes the state to issue $200 million in bonds to keep our open-space, farmland and historic preservation programs afloat.

But this was not a business-as-usual election-and approval of this public question was by no means a foregone conclusion. Unlike past years, when open-space bond issues routinely passed by 2-to-1 margins or better, this one squeaked by with only about 53 percent of the vote.

The message here was pretty clear: Yes, preserving open space is still popular in New Jersey, but there’s a limit to the price we’re willing to pay for it. As the state plunges deeper and deeper into debt (already, $2.6 billion, or 8 percent, of our annual operating budget is devoted to debt payments), government has a heightened responsibility to use taxpayer dollars as wisely and efficiently as possible.

Purchases with the state’s Green Acres and Farmland Preservation funds are a sound investment in New Jersey’s future, but those programs can-and should-be fine-tuned to accomplish even more. Here are four steps the state can take to ensure that we get the biggest bang for our bucks.

· Use precious funds wisely. Carefully consider state contributions for local purchase of properties whose price has skyrocketed because developers have already gained local construction approvals. This happens when communities fail to plan proactively for open-space and farmland preservation. We must encourage local governments to target parcels strategically for preservation-and zone them accordingly.

· Step up the requirements for the state’s premier open-space and Farmland Preservation grant programs. Require municipalities to adopt not only an open-space funding mechanism and plan, but also an inventory of natural resources, an agriculture retention/farmland preservation plan (if relevant) and basic ordinances to protect water resources. Tailor these requirements for urban areas. Get needy communities (those that rank low on per-capita income, but high on natural resources) on board with technical assistance and matching grants.

· Reward those communities that exemplify sound planning for sustainable development and preservation. Dedicate $2 million of state land acquisition funds annually for one-time bonus grants to the top five communities in the state that adopt innovative land-use plans, programs and ordinances for well-located, compact, mixed-use development and redevelopment and permanent protection of natural resources. Use an objective ranking system to protect against political influence. This program will not only fund strategic land purchase, but also encourage communities across New Jersey to improve plans and ordinances.

· Foster regional cooperation on preservation projects that cross political boundaries. Create a special funding pool for regional preservation that multi-municipal and multi-county partnerships can apply for.

New Jerseyans should be proud of our record of preserving and protecting open space in this most densely populated state in the country. As resources become scarcer, we can maintain this record only if we’re willing to take some bold steps now, securing a legacy of which the next generation can be equally proud.

Chris Sturm

New Jersey Future