Letters
Attack by Democratic candidates disgusts Manalapan resident

I never thought I would be so outraged as to send a letter to the editor, but as a parent I feel it necessary to respond to the lies and deceit generated by Michelle Roth and Anthony Gennaro's advertisement in the Oct. 12 News Transcript. Just like any other parent would be, I'm disgusted to have my daughter's name dragged through the political mud that they call a campaign.

My daughter, Kathleen Donohue, a mother of a 2-year-old and a 4-year-old, wanted to be involved in the community they live in.

She volunteered for the Teen Advisory Committee because she thought it was something the town should have for the teens and was hoping to be a part of something that her children could someday participate in.

She was nominated by Dotty Porcaro (the same Dotty that is attacking her now) and was seconded by Mrs. Scherer, the mayor's wife, to be the secretary for the TAC. She accepted the position not because it was a paid position, but because she wanted to help.

Over the last nine months she has attended 14 meetings, each about one hour with an additional hour of after-meeting work. The salary is $672 a year. The township's bill list will verify she has received less than five months of salary while the rest of the time she was a volunteer. Does that sound like $50 an hour? Not great math for people that want to handle the town's $27 million budget.

The Heritage Committee has always had a secretary. When the former secretary resigned, Kathleen volunteered to fill in until someone volunteered for the position.

No one did, and she was appointed in May by a 4-1 vote. Each meeting runs about 1.5 hours with about one hour of after-meeting work; the salary is $672 a year. She has attended five meetings since May 1. Does that equate to $50 an hour or more lies by Roth and Gennaro?

Lastly, my husband is the Republican municipal chairman for Manalapan.

First, do you think he could get her a job when the Township Committee is controlled 3-2 by the Democrats? Second, what kind of a father would he be to try to make his daughter work for $56 a month?

I can only hope that every parent in Manalapan joins me in condemning Roth and Gennaro for dragging everyone but their opponents into this campaign.

I truly hope that Roth's and Gennaro's children and friends read this and understand how vile and despicable they are. That's how they will treat "all the people."

Ginny McEnery

Manalapan

Agency extends thanks to donors of school supplies

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Monmouth County sends our sincerest thanks to all who made the start of school happy for more than 100 children this year. Monmouth Mall collected and donated school supplies, and hosted our "I'm Committed to My Education" pizza party at which kids participated in an educational program and received a backpack filled with notebooks, pens, pencils and much more.

We would like to acknowledge Monmouth Mall and all of the individuals, organizations and businesses who made this event possible, including the Colts Neck High School National Honor Society, Freehold Noontime Optimists, Illiano's Italian Restaurant, Meridian Health, Mon-Oc Federal Credit Union, Monmouth County Division of Social Services, United Way of Monmouth County, and 106.3 WHTG, as well as all who donated supplies at the mall.

Thanks to so much support from the community, our children got off to school on the right foot. We thank you, and the children of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Monmouth County thank you.

Marybeth Bull

Kid's Club coordinator

Big Brothers Big Sisters

of Monmouth County

Eatontown

All 3 Monmouth-Ocean-Middlesex rail routes are losers

The recent letter to the editor from Brian and Barbara Buckley of Freehold about the proposed Monmouth-Ocean-Middlesex (MOM) railroad did not let the facts get in the way of their "not-in-my-back yard" reasoning.

NJ Transit's 2005 Draft Environmen-tal Impact Statement made the Lake-hurst-to-Matawan route the favorite because it would attract the most passengers (5,450 round trips a day). So state Sen. Peter Inverso (R-14) was right when he asked that it be included in the feasibility study.

The Lakehurst-to-South Brunswick MOM route would have much lower ridership, would have the longest commuting time to New York, would cost $130 million more to build, and would cost $4 million a year more to operate (with subsidies from taxpayers). If Assembly members Michael Panter (D-12) and Robert Morgan (D-12) want to "find an efficient, logical alternative for the MOM line that would benefit as many people as possible," Matawan is the way to go. It's far better for more passengers and taxpayers.

Most important, NJ Transit's 1996 Major Investment Study did not conclude that the MOM route is "the only one that makes sense." Instead of recommending any railroad, it called for more commuter buses and stations along Route 9 and the Garden State Parkway in Monmouth and Ocean counties as a cost-effective remedy.

The Buckleys' letter decried the trains that would replace hikers and bikers on the new southern section of the Henry Hudson Trail on the site of old railroad tracks. They ignored the fact that the National Park Service has warned that 42 diesel trains a day chugging through Monmouth Battlefield Park on the MOM route would seriously damage one of the country's most significant historic landmarks.

Likewise, the large number of homes adjacent to the route to South Brunswick would suffer from air pollution, noise and lower property values, just as the homes along the route to Matawan would. (Yes, "not in my backyard" too.)

Years and millions have been spent on studying all three railroad routes (Lakehurst-to-Red Bank is the third). The conclusion will again be that none of them is viable because they would benefit a small number of New York and north Jersey commuters who moved to Monmouth and Ocean counties and now want taxpayers to subsidize their ride, and because trains would destroy the quality of life of thousands of people who live next to the proposed routes.

Buses don't have such a destructive nature. They are cheaper to buy, easier to put in service, more flexible to route and schedule, quieter and (with natural gas or other clean fuels) do less harm to our environment. The $7.2 million being wasted on NJ Transit's latest study could have bought a lot of buses.

Richard Wieland

Monroe Township

Republican Assembly candidates gain resident's nod

I support Assembly candidates Jen-nifer Beck and Declan O'Scanlon's ethics reform plan and their passage of Republican gubernatorial candidate Doug Forrester's appealing 30 in 3 year tax-savings plan. I believe both the 30 in 3 year and new ethics reform plans are doable and will result in needed change at the state Assembly level.

New Jersey has become stagnant with ideas on tax relief and ethics reform, and presently there are too many layers of government in Trenton. Jennifer and Declan have the knowledge and where-withal to eliminate big government.

Have we forgotten how assemblymen Panter and Morgan cut out rebates before voting to instate half of them? Have we forgotten how Panter and Morgan supported watered down pay-to-play reform instead of voting against party leadership? Have we forgotten how Panter and Morgan say they are advocates of spending cuts, yet we have record taxes under their two-year reign?

It is apparent Trenton has failed us under their leadership. Have we forgotten so quickly the wasteful spending and abuse of leadership under Democratic governors Florio and McGreevey and how under Democratic control, state budgets are at a record high?

Jennifer Beck and Declan O'Scanlon have the insight and the energy to fix the Legislature, passing needed property tax and ethics reform at the state level. Make the choice this year for reform. Take back New Jersey. Vote for Assembly candidates Jennifer Beck, Declan O'Scanlon and Doug Forrester for governor.

Rhoda Chodosh

Manalapan

Resident believes The Village will be an asset to town

I am writing in support of The Village at Manalapan project. I have looked at the plans and am so very impressed with the combination of beauty and usefulness that Richard Brunelli has achieved. I have been fortunate enough to see similar plans come to fruition in Hudson, Ohio, and Wilming-ton, N.C. I wish the people who keep referring to The Village as a "mega-mall" could see them as well, as that name does not fit The Village at all.

With what I have read, Mr. Brunelli is so very willing to work with Manalapan to have The Village be what everyone is looking for. I think Manalapan should seize the tax opportunity as well as the opportunity to have a "downtown" for dining, entertainment, recreation and living.

If any of your readers have not really researched The Village, I encourage them to please go to the Web site and look at the drawings and really read through the developer's plans. I truly believe that The Village would be a huge asset to Manalapan.

Alyson Craig

Manalapan