RANDOM THOUGHTS JAN. 24, 2009

These mortars dating from the late 19th Century and the cannon from WWI were part of the fortifications defending Helsinki. They were ineffective by the time of WWII. They do remind me of our attempts to combat the rising costs of living in Plainfield as illustrated by the items below.






Friday's Plainfield Plaintalker in reporting on the PMUA's meeting states "The last hike was in 2007 and before that, rates did not increase for three years. But now householders will be asked to pay $191.45 per quarter for solid waste costs, up from $159.65, and $578 per (Correction: per year) quarter for sewer services, up from $509".

I happened to find a 2003 PMUA bill and my calculations determine that the 2009 fees equate to a 65.5%increase in solid waste rates from that year and a46.2% increase in sewer services charges. I would dare say that if I could find the initial charges when the PMUA was formed that the increase in a little over 10 years would be nearly 100%.Yet we have no accounting of the salary costs and executive compensations. Is the PMUA our own little Lehman Brothers?

Friday's paper had a small blurb stating that the Freeholders are considering a 4.9% increase in their tax rate. Also as an economic measure they will close the Oak Ridge Golf Course the County's #3 course but a challenging one.

We have no idea what increase the Board of Educations budget will impact on our 2009 taxes, much less that what our city's budget will be.

Obama has directed that any one in the White House Staff earning over $100000.00 a year will get no raise this year. Other communities have made similar announcements and some have taken de facto reductions by eliminating one day of work to preserve positions for others.

Locally we must have a government including any municipal established authority that can operate efficiently without burdening the taxpayers. Is it being done?

I happen to see this in Jerry Green's latest posting; "It was very encouraging to feel and hear the response of the large crowd at our Inaugural Ball when I informed them of our construction and sustainment the coalition in which we have started on behalf of Pres. Obama and his movement for local and national change."

Please Jerry enlighten us peons about the nature of the "coalition" to which you are referring.