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Improved Financial Oversight Promised By Candidates for Township Committee

To the Editor:

Have residents granted Princeton Township leaders a "blank check" for spending?

The Princeton Township Committee unanimously approved a 2005 operating budget recently, with a 10 percent increase over the prior year. The 2006 budget is estimated to increase about 20 percent, and the 2007 budget by over 16 percent. With inflation at a low level of two to three percent, a Township resident might ask why the current and projected operating budgets increase at much higher levels. One committee member, with apparently understated candor, was quoted as saying that the Township is "facing a pretty severe financial problem."

Let's project out these numbers and review the effect on property taxes. At the "low" rate of 10 percent annual Township budget increase, Township property taxes nearly double in seven years. Assuming the anticipated 2006 and 2007 budget increases, with 10 percent increases thereafter, taxes more than double in six years. More than double your property taxes in six years – on top of tax levels among the nation's highest.

Princeton Township residents have only indirect input over how their tax money is spent. We cannot vote on the budget. However, we do select the Township leaders who then determine the budget.

This November, Princeton Township voters have a choice: vote for a change in leadership, vote for improved financial oversight. Vote for Tom Pyle and Gordon Bryant, candidates for Township Committee.

GORDON BRYANT
Ettl Circle

Contributors Thanked for Placement Of Folly in Barbara Sigmund Park

To the Editor:

Thanks to the contributions of generous Princetonians, the stately "Hands Together Folly" was permanently installed in Barbara Sigmund Park. And a big thanks to Cox's Market, the Alchemist and Barrister, and Princeton Wine and Liquor for contributing refreshments so we could celebrate the folly's installation on Saturday.

Barbara was given credit for chasing the clouds away while we enjoyed the folly and partied in the park.

POLLY BURLINGHAM
Scott Lane

An Inherited Watch Teaches a Lesson About Value, and Valued Possessions

To the Editor:

I was recently diagnosed with the first stages of open angled Glaucoma, a serious eye condition sometimes leading to blindness. My grandfather had it so I knew to watch for it and start the medication that may delay its progression.

With this bad news I thought I'd treat myself to a new pair of glasses – the fancy kind, light and rimless with progressive polycarbonate lenses and matching clip-on sunglasses. Now these were costly so I told my optician, Regan T. Burns, to leave the clip-ons off an already expensive package.

About a week later Mr. Burns fitted me with the new glasses and left the clip-ons on the order. Taking them out of their fancy case I said, "I'd better not take them because of my habit of losing them," to which Mr. Burns replied, "Try them without charge, I think you will like them. And keep them in a safe place, like in your car."

I took them. But as predicted, within a week I misplaced them. As they were expensive I searched for a month but couldn't find them. Eventually accepting my fate, I returned to pay for the lost clip-ons.

Mr. Burns took my credit card, thought for a moment, then handed it back to me and related the following story.

"My father always prized his ownership of a Movado watch, so much so that I bought one too," he said. "And when he died I inherited his Movado – so now I have two watches, one black and the other white, but you know, I always know where they are."

With that he placed a second pair of clip-ons into its fancy case and gave it to me saying, "No charge."

I think he knows now that I'll always know where I put them.

MORTON H. GOLDSTEIN, M.D.
Philip Drive

Our Egos Have Created a Government That Princeton Can No Longer Afford

To the Editor:

Cheers to Stephen Schreiber (Town Topics Mailbox, May 25). I have lived in Princeton for nine years and for the first time I am really tired of all the old excuses about our taxes.

Our pocketbooks cannot pay the checks our egos have created! We have to get rid of the duplication.

We are a community of 30,000 that did not need two multi-million dollar government buildings. I for one will be knocking on doors at the next election for three things:

1. An immediate hiring freeze on Borough and Township employees. Companies work smarter all the time with fewer employees. We can too.

2. Institution of zero-based budgets, like businesses. We should reduce the budgets by the amount of fixed expenses, like health benefits. If costs go up 5 percent, the budget should be reduced by that same amount to stay flat.

3. Tough decisions on staffing. Except for health and safety, with our police and fire departments, we should reduce services and maintain, not increase, staff. Let attrition and retirements take hold. Our biggest expense is staff related.

It's way past time for intelligent people to spend money we don't have to.

ALVIN LEE
Herrontown Road

Wooded Site Opposite Smoyer Park Should Be Spared More McMansions

To the Editor,

My family moved to a house in the rural northeast section of Princeton Township nine months ago. We chose this wonderful town because we wanted to escape urban sprawl and raise our family in this natural country setting. Thus, we were as upset as our neighbors to find that a developer was planning to build seven large homes on the heavily wooded 15-acre site along the west side of Snowden Lane below Autumn Hill Reservation and Herrontown Woods Preserve, and across from Smoyer Park. This site is a natural home to threatened species, and has many wetlands and tributaries of Harry's Brook, which frequently floods homes and properties to the south. The last imaginable thing that should be done to this haven for all who experience its peaceful beauty and its inhabitants is to cut down the trees, build a road, fill the wetlands, evict the wildlife, and build seven more McMansions. This site should be saved from development and incorporated into the existing park system.

Does every possible inch of remaining land "need" to be developed until all of nature is gone? What will we call ourselves when there are no "gardens" left in the Garden State?

KATHRYN MOSES
Snowden Lane

For information on how to submit Letters to the Editor, click here.