Former Gov. Richard Codey has received much undeserved praise during his final days in office as governor. Here is why it is unjustified.

His original budget was seriously flawed and had to be trashed by the Legislature. He chose to avoid responsibility and defer to the Legislature. As Senate president, he chose to block the bill in the Senate to allow a property tax reform convention committee to convene. He lacked the courage and conviction to reform the transportation trust fund and to restore its fiscal integrity. In his final days in office, he appointed 14 staff members to cushy state jobs in order to get them on the state pension plan.

Finally, he signed legislation liberalizing the use of preserved farmland by allowing commercial development to take place. He did this as a favor to a Middlesex County Assemblyman who sponsored the bill and whose law firm specializes in land use development. This last action points out why New Jersey politics is so corrupt. Conflict of interest is rampant. Politicians use New Jersey as one huge pork barrel, and Codey is part of the problem.

Gregory M. Cinque

Millstone

Millstone Board of Education speaks out on letter

I have been asked by the Millstone Township Board of Education, as the president, to respond to several articles and a letter to the editor written by Tom Foley, a member of the Millstone Township Board of Education. This was the consensus of the board and is contained in the minutes of the Dec. 12 Board of Education meeting.

In his letter to the editor in November, Mr. Foley stated, “… serving as an elected Board of Education member, I get to interact with many community members,” and ended with “I’m asking the many other residents that I’ve met over the course of many years to … .” His statements implied to the reader that he was composing this letter on behalf of the Board of Education.

The nine people who comprise the board are only “board members” when sitting at Board of Education meetings, and our opinions outside of those meetings are only those of Millstone residents. By stating that he is a Board of Education member in his letter, Mr. Foley suggested to the public that his opinion had more credence than others.

It is important for the residents of Millstone to understand that the board has made it a practice not to endorse political candidates running for Township Committee and that the board prides itself with its ability to work with all members of the Township Committee no matter their party affiliation.

There have been several articles addressed by Mr. Foley regarding the relationship between the Millstone Township and the Upper Freehold Regional boards of education. Mr. Foley is correct in that Millstone does not physically have a high school. But since 1930, the students of Millstone have been an integral part of Allentown High School.

The opinions of Mr. Foley are not shared by this Board of Education. In fact, Millstone and Upper Freehold have been investigating ways to increase the partnership between the two districts. These meetings have been extremely positive and the majority of the Millstone board wants them to continue.

While Mr. Foley has a right to his opinions, and to state his opinions publicly, it is inappropriate to do so stating that he is a member of the Millstone Township Board of Education; this may have implied that he was speaking for the full board in the matters he addressed.

When issues arise that the Board of Education needs to address to the public, there is a procedure defined in our board policy as to whom and how these matters are to be addressed; Mr. Foley did not follow this policy. In this case, Mr. Foley did not have the authority to speak for the board nor were his comments a reflection of the majority of the board. Mr. Foley’s comments were just that — his personal opinions.

Therefore, it should not be construed by members of the public that the opinions of Mr. Foley were a reflection of the opinions of the Millstone Township Board of Education.

Kathy Winecoff

president

Millstone Township

Board of Education

Homeowner seeks to begin effort to attack bagworms

I attended a Millstone Township meeting which addressed the gypsy moth problem in the hope that another infestation problem — bagworms — would be addressed at the same time. The information I would like to share with other residents of Millstone is that the town will sponsor a meeting to help residents with a bagworm problem to possibly reduce the expense of spraying in the spring. The township and the state are unable to share in the expense of spraying. If a large enough group of properties are affected, we may be able to keep costs within reason for each homeowner.

Bagworms appear to look like a pine cone. If your trees are infested with these “cones” and left untreated, defoliation occurs and the tree can die. They hatch in May. Each bag can contain between 500 and 1,000 eggs. Fortunately for Millstone, which is environmentally concerned, the control can be done biologically, which does not affect humans or animals. Spraying would be done between mid-June and mid-July because it works well only on young bagworms.

Trees now loaded with bagworms will cause a severe problem in the spring. The trees may look healthy now. Check closely to see if the cones are covered with bits and pieces of leaves and twigs from the host plant, which identifies them as not being pine cones.

Please call me at (732) 446-1765 if you are interested in attending the meeting or in obtaining more information.

Albert Genatt

Millstone

Times and circumstances require a new mayor

As I continue to ponder and research whether the yeshiva/high school is beneficial to Roosevelt, I am among those who have mixed feelings. However, I am clear on one thing: Neil Marko needs to be recalled. He is not the right person to help our town solve this current crisis, because he is too entangled, emotional and defensive. Maybe at another time, his skills and love for Roosevelt will help our community, but for now, Marko must be recalled.

I honestly wanted to see what it felt like to have this yeshiva/high school down the street, in order to make an informed decision about this issue. I have read several books, spoken with people in town, conducted Internet searches and engaged in e-mail dialogues. I also met the rabbi’s wife and found her warm and receptive. While I cherish the fact that our children can share friendships with people who have different perceptions, I also noticed that our schedules, our geography (she lives on Lake Drive and I live on North Valley Drive) and our decisions about how we spend our weekend time make it difficult for our children to spend time together.

This is why I am very grateful that the Congregation Anshei has the right to terminate their contract over the next four years. Taking risks and making mistakes is essential for creating a peaceful, joyful and enlightened life, but there must also be sufficient time for reflection and measured assessment.

Therefore, I ask that Mr. Marko, as well as all the Congregation Anshei leaders, dedicate their energy to suspending their egos and to reflecting on how the yeshiva/high school enriches, enhances and creates a more peaceful environment for our town.

In the meantime, I ask every citizen of Roosevelt to help find a mayor who is committed to cultivating our diverse citizenry. Someone who is mindful and respectful of our differences yet committed to creating a peaceful environment that is fiscally sound. Someone who can facilitate conversation and consensus between the factions of our town. Someone who is proactive and who detests being a victim. Someone to build bridges and to inspire us all to want more for our town — more fun, more joy, more opportunities for meaningful engagement and more peace. Someone who can help our citizens feel excited and proud about being a resident of Roosevelt. Someone who listens with an open mind and heart — to our town council, to our Board of Education, to our local businesses, to our senior and our regular citizens, and to our children. Someone to create a safe space to which we can come freely and converse about our frets, worries and prejudices.

I’m convinced that there must be one person in our 900-plus village who possesses the wherewithal to fulfill this role. So, please join me in thanking Mr. Marko for his service, in asking him to make the right decisions for our community as a leader of the Congregation Anshei, and in our search for a new mayor who can transform this ugly and embarrassing crisis into an opportunity where we, the citizens of Roosevelt, are unified and inspired to create an even better community.

Jaymie Reeber Kosa

Roosevelt

Reader concerned about Samuel Alito’s record

The president claims that the “Commander-in-Chief” clause gives him the authority to wiretap American citizens without consulting the FISA [Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act] court. The balance between security and civil liberty is in jeopardy.

This issue will undoubtedly be argued before the Supreme Court. The Senate must grill Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito concerning this clause. While working for the Nixon administration, he justified executive immunity from wiretap abuse. Such overreaching executive power ultimately led to the Watergate debacle.

In general, Alito’s track record on privacy issues is not good. For example, he upheld a strip search of a mother and her 10-year-old daughter without a warrant. This is poor judicial temperament and enough to disqualify him as a Supreme Court justice.

Robert Scardapane

Somerset