Writer questions claims made in mayor's advertisement
Iread with disbelief the political campaign rhetoric put out by the Kleinberg for Mayor Campaign printed in this publication. My objection to Kleinberg stems from your Oct. 10, 2007 issue where you printed "Kleinberg's Corner" on page 50. This "campaign advertisement" was meant to look like an editorial on the Letters to the Editor page.

Kleinberg made reference to statements that were outright falsehoods. In particular the claims that Robert Kleinberg and his "team" of Joseph Pernice and Patti Morelli held the line and "stabilized taxes"; we are the lowest taxed town in Monmouth County; that Kleinberg's tough choices have allowed him to now look toward tax relief measures; and finally, Kleinberg blames the past late mayor Hornik for "opening the floodgates of development."

First, your own article on page 2 cited the 62 percent tax increase we have experienced since 2006 and listed the average increase as $3,373. To my wallet, that was not stabilization as Kleinberg claims.

Second, a look at our neighbors in Manalapan shows that they not only pay less taxes based upon similar property sizes, dwelling square footage and age, but more services, like garbage pickup, bulk item pickup and the major recreation expansion are included in their lower taxes.

Next, Kleinberg, who has complained since 2005 that "corruption was the cause" of all our property tax woes and made a public mockery of Marlboro when he claimed he asked for $10 million from the state to pay for the damages of the corruption of his political party, says he is now ready to "move forward on tax relief."

What relief? The Township Council just approved a $6 million bond issue that we as taxpayers must pay back in increased taxes to pay interest and principal payments and Kleinberg must raise taxes just to pay for the turf field he installed without knowing where the money was coming from. I won't even mention the tax revaluation Kleinberg put off during his election year that occurs in 2008.

As for Mayor Saul Hornik and Kleinberg's claims, the late Mr. Hornik is not here to defend himself for policies taken in 1980 and any suggestion that Jonathan Hornik is responsible for the actions of his father is ludicrous.

What is clear is that Marlboro needs to make a change in direction by electing new people with new ideas and who are willing to say in public, "Wait, stop and think this through before you enact ordinances that affect our taxpayers simply because Robert Kleinberg wants to be reelected."

Jeffrey Rosen

Marlboro