Hey Ed, Mayor Palmer is so upset about the school system, he‘s demanding action. What happened for the last 16 years while he was in charge? The school system failed under Mayor Palmer. He appointed the school board and he knew about the failure on Sherman Avenue, so the failure is Mayor Palmer‘s. Wake up, Trenton.

School monitor

You can blame Palmer all you want, but ultimately the voters have to take responsibility.

— Ed. Note

Ed, the RiverLine is a great idea, great for South Jersey people who ride to come to work in Trenton and great for people from up here to go down to the waterfront. But I have a problem. Every morning when I come to work, I take South Broad Street and when I get to the county administration building and the train crossover, the gates come down when the train is two stations away. I don‘t understand why this gate has to come down and block traffic and make people wait for such unbelievably long amounts of time. I‘m sure I‘m not the only person bothered by this situation.

Rider

You are not the only person bothered by this situation. I have personally sat at the rail crossing wondering exactly the same thing. And the only thing I can imagine is that some federal or state law must mandate that crossings come down within a certain distance. In the meantime, we all have to wait, because I agree with you, the RiverLine is a great thing in this area.

— Ed. Note

Thanks, you guys at The Trentonian, you really ruined it for me this time. My wife tells me I will never go to Brazil as long as we are married because the women are too pretty. Did you have to go show that volleyball player on Page 16 on July 26? Now I‘m sure I‘m never gonna get to Brazil. Thanks a lot.

Brazilian nut

The long and short answer is the same: Yep! You betcha! We woulda been nuts not to run that photo! I think I'm going to sponsor a trip to Brazil for BackTalk readers. I‘ll ask that girl to be our tour guide. Who‘s game? Let me know by visiting the BackTalk blog at trentonian.com. We could have a blast on a trip to Rio during Carnival.

— Ed. Note

Hey, Ed, I hear Corzine wants to spend $400 million for stem cell research. Doesn‘t he know the state is broke? Where does he expect to get this money? Tell him to keep his hands out of my pocket. If he wants it, let him pay for it.

Picked pocket

Apparently the answer to your first question is ”no.“ The answer to your second question is ”your pocket.“And telling him to keep his hands out of your pocket is not something he wants to do, so he can keep his hand out of his own pocket. He‘ll need his cash for the next election. But there are stranger things happening. Stop over to the trentonian.com Strange But True Blog if you don‘t believe me. Some weird stuff over there.

— Ed. Note

Ed, you can tell where the minds of some of these young people are? They got a hundred-dollar car with $400 rims on them and no place to live, living home with their mom, and no job. Something‘s wrong and somebody‘s got to tap into what‘s wrong because this is crazy.

Old mind

I guess their minds are in the same place that my mind was when I was that young. I remember buying cars cheap so I could throw a set of Cregars and Hurst shifter in it. Add a Glass Pack muffler and I was set to cruise for chicks.

— Ed. Note

Ed, someone recently installed a stop sign at a traffic light at the 7-Eleven at the intersection of Olden Avenue and Pennington Road. So now we have to stop at a green light! Are we trying to cause more accidents or prevent accidents?

Confused Driver

We? Who is this mysterious We? Did you ever stop to think that the sign is meant to slow down all those drivers who think it‘s OK to just drive into the oncoming traffic? Stop and think.

— Ed. Note

Ed, I’m a concerned citizen calling about the parking problem on East Hanover Street, the 200 block, where the Daylight-Twilight project construction workers are taking our residential parking spaces. Someone needs to look into this.

Parking spotter

I addressed this already, but I’ll take another stab at it. Reach into that lovely swimsuit drawer in your dresser. Put that sultry bikini on. Now drive over to the Y for a swim. The construction guys will gladly give you a space to park. I suggest you get your phone number pre-printed on a few cards, or learn to respond properly to catcalls. Good luck,

— Ed. Note

Ed, about your “City Parking Woes” reply and your suggestion that the parents wear bathing suits to the Y, you obviously don’t know that the Y’s pool has not been in working order for the past 10 or 15 years. Who knew?

Pool clue

How can that be? Why it was just... Ummmmm... like... about Feb. 30, 1957, when my mom’s friend’s sister’s boyfriend’s cousin’s mother-in-law went over there for a swim. How can this be? I want answers! But I’d really like to see these moms in their bikinis. Maybe we could start putting local moms on Page Six? Whaddaya think? And for the caller above, I suggest you just pretend that you don‘t know about the pool situation. Act coy about it all. Guys think that's cute.

— Ed. Note

Hi, Ed, I'm a volunteer at the Ewing Township Animal Shelter and we are in dire need of donations. I‘m asking all your readers who are animal lovers to find it in their hearts to donate. We can use paper plates, plastic spoons, cat food, dog food, and mother's milk for orphaned baby kittens. We would greatly appreciate any donations. For more information, call the shelter at (609) 393-9608.

ET Animal Shelter

This is refreshing — not a mention of "gimme money." But I also have to ask why paper plates and plastic spoons? I get the dog and cat food, but plastic spoons? Are we calling the kittens to the table and helping them develop the opposable thumb?

— Ed. Note

Hey Ed, don't you just love the justice system in America? They pick up a guy for robbing almost 19 banks and he had done 15 years for killing his girlfriend. The justice system in this country stinks. He should have gone to jail forever. I wonder how the defense lawyer and judge who put him away for 15 years would feel if this had happened to his family. Put him back in prison for the rest of his life.

Barrister

You have to love the revolving door of the American justice system. But remember one important point, our system is the best system going. They cane you in Thailand. They stone you in Iraq. You choose.

— Ed. Note

Ed, Michael Vick, star quarterback, means money to the already-enriched owners of the Atlanta Falcons. He will be fined and the Atlanta Falcons will pay the fine. He will be put on probation when he promises to go on rehab to relieve him of the urge to kill dogs. He will move his dog-fighting operations to a more clandestine location. These are my predictions.

Jimmy the Geek

I doubt he'll even get probation, but I note your predictions.

— Ed. Note

Ed, if you legalize drugs you will eliminate the gangs because gangs use drugs for power.

Power hitter

Sure, dude. We'll just legalize drugs and that will be the nail in the coffin of all those gang slugs. What have you been smoking? If we legalize drugs we can start re-living the 1960s where there was peace and free love, baby. It was groovy, man. Like, where can I get tickets to Woodstock before I head over to Berkley for the big love-in?

— Ed. Note

Ed, I’m calling about the $58 billion dollars that New Jersey is short for its pension funds and health plan because the state has not put its share into the workers fund, while the workers have contributed their share all along. Where did all that money go? Who knows? But now, all these idiots who voted for this last contract with the state are paying extra money into pension benefits to make up for the state’s failure to contribute. So, the people are paying again and the state gets away with it and these idiots who voted for this contract are paying more into the pension fund than they should have to pay in the first place. All of you who voted for that contract, think how the state screwed you once more.

Disappointed

You ever hear the expression ‘garbage in, garbage out’? Enough said.

— Ed. Note

Ed, I read in your paper how Corzine wants to borrow $650 million for stem cell research. Is he insane? With the state’s fiscal crisis he wants to borrow more money? I think that issue should be put to the voters in November. And I bet they say “no way.”

Cash cow

I guess it really does depend on your definition of insane. If you told people that you were going to spend $650 million you didn't have would that be considered insane? If you then turned around an started charging a fee (taxes) to anybody and everybody you knew so you could spend more than the $650 million would that be insane? Seems like a minor detail but it really does depend on that little definition.

— Ed. Note

Ed Note, New Jersey is $58 billion short on state workers’ benefits because in 1994, Christie Todd Whitman, then governor, reasoned that health-care inflation had leveled off and it looked like there might be a new national health insurance system that would take the burden off the state. Hey, all she had to do was call me, and I would have told her that wasn’t going to work. She’s responsible for this shortfall and she should therefore have to make up the difference. She’s rich. Let her pay. If she can’t pay, do what they did to that guy in China, execute her, and charge her husband for the bullet. These politicians have got to stop.

Whitman sampler

So what you are trying to tell me is that something that happened 13 years ago is still effecting us today? Wow! I can't wait to see how 2020 turns out.

— Ed. Note

Ed, I agree about the long Lottery Lines in the morning. Perhaps they could stipulate a specific time when they can purchase lottery tickets, especially during school hours, when you run in to get a juice or something, and there are three people ahead in line, getting their tickets. I don’t know about fixing their faces, but maybe they can do something about the lines.

Lotto Rhees

Nobody is fixing anybody's face without sending me a color glossy first. But maybe the store owners could create separate lines for lottery tickets and all the other stuff they sell.

— Ed. Note

Ed, could you tell me why all the white cops just mess with the guys at Father Rocco’s Park? They happen to be African-American guys and all they are doing is playing soccer. Yet every day the cops harass them, but they can’t take care of crime on Calhoun Street, Stuyvesant Avenue and all those other crime-ridden streets. The cops are not over there; they are sitting and sleeping in their cars. ... I’m sitting here now listening to a cop who is disrespecting everybody, out here. Nobody is saying anything to him. He’s riding back and forth, just harassing, and it’s hot.

Pele

Can’t we all just get along?

— Ed. Note

Ed, this is about Mayor Gilmore’s dog park. Once again he started a project, takes all the credit, and never follows through. Kids are running all around with the big dogs and the park stinks because no one is cleaning up. The dogs lack collars and licenses, and someone said they haven’t sprayed in weeks, so the bugs are terrible. Gilmore spent taxpayers’ money to build it, but didn’t follow through to see to its upkeep. Someone’s going to get hurt over there. Doesn’t matter that the sign says “kids must be 12.” The parents don’t care, and no one checks.

Smell you later

Sounds like a great photo op, Mayor Gilmore. Pooper scooper in hand, cleaning up the township.

— Ed. Note

Hi, Ed, I was down at the new court house on Monday, July 23, and someone took my keys out of the basket. If anyone took them by accident, please return them to the court house. They have my name and phone number. I am also leaving my number with The Trentonian.

Searching

Anyone find some keys?

— Ed. Note

Ed, I read my paper every day at Father Rocco’s Park, and every day I watch kids come out of the dressing room and head for the pool as dry as when they walked in. They don’t take showers. or clean themselves at all. And these attendants who are supposed to be watching these kids, they only sit around at a table and do nothing. That’s why they have this fecal matter at this pool, because the kids are not doing their job. Somebody needs to oversee them because these kids are going to get some kind of disease for not washing themselves off. Some are coming from playgrounds and look sweaty when they get off the bus. This is not fair to the people who took the time to wash their bodies. Someone needs to get involved fast before an epidemic erupts. They could solve this by having these kids wash their bodies, not just get wet.

Mr. Clean

Ewwwwwww! And pretty weird to be so obsessed with the bathing habits of youth.

— Ed. Note

Hey, Ed, see, I told everybody those referees are crooked. They just busted one, but how many more are left in there? I say shoot them all.

Going overboard

A bit harsh, wouldn’t you say? How about a jail cell at a minimum security prison instead?

— Ed. Note

Hey, Ed, talk about deterioration in Chambersburg! Well, it’s pretty bad on Lawrence Avenue when they throw sneakers over the electrical wires up in the air over the street. I wish the old-timers would come from the grave and choke them. It’s disgusting to have sneakers hanging from your electrical wires.

Good old days

Sneakers on the power lines? That’s the worst of your problems? Kids tossed sneakers over the power lines in the 1950s. Innocent fun, that’s all.

— Ed. Note

Hey, Ed, I’m ticked off by the people who buy Lottery tickets in the morning but they don’t have their numbers ready, so they verbally tell the clerk, number by number, and hold up the line. Then, after they get their tickets and change, they don’t step out of line. Next time that happens, I’m going to fix their face.

Lotto bully

You do that. We need a good front page picture of you first. You think you could e-mail that to me at backtalk@trentonian.com? I would prefer a full face view, but I understand if all you have is the profile shot you got from the lock-up.

— Ed. Note

Ed, I’m responding to “officer shot.” I know the investigator involved in this case, and two words will sum up why this case was solved so quickly, “witness cooperation.” I’ve been involved in numerous gang shootings when witnesses and even victims wouldn’t cooperate. So, for that person, if he wants to know why this investigation was so successful, it was because we had the cooperation of the witnesses who provided plate numbers, car description, and subject descriptions. If we got a little more cooperation from the gang-bangers when they got shot, I’m sure we’d solve them also.

Lawman

Too many people think the real cop world works like “CSI” or “Law & Order.” The fact remains that even in those television shows the victims and witnesses usually cooperate to help solve the crime. In the real world, the gang slugs are more interested in covering up the slimy trail they leave behind.

— Ed. Note

Ed, I read about the problems that Lemar Sound & Video is having due to construction near their store on Hanover Street. There’s also a problem with the nearby YWCA where parents are trying to drop off their children in the morning. The roads are blocked off and there’s nowhere to park. There’s a loading zone in front of the building, but I’ve never seen any loading except for the Y bus. Parents get tickets for parking there, and for whatever reason, the city doesn not allow them to drop off and pick up of children there. Affordable childcare is hard to find and this is just another obstacle for parents to obtain decent childcare when there’s construction and hazards. It really is a problem on Hanover Street, not just for businesses but also for parents and kids going to the Y.

Parking parent

I'll bet those guys over on the construction site would be more than willing to give up their parking spaces for the young mothers dropping off their little kiddies. I would suggest combining a trip to the Y’s swimming pool (think bikini) with dropping off the little ones. The guys would pull their cars out of those spots right away.

— Ed. Note

Ed, I think Michael Vick should be put in a ring with a pit bull. Put a chain around his neck and let him fight the pit bull. He looks like one, anyway, on your front page, and that’s so disgusting.

Chomper

I like the idea of a chain around his neck, but I would rather see him slathered in Alpo and sent out to the hungry pit bull pen.

— Ed. Note

BackTalk, this is for the famous football player, Vick. I’m an animal lover, and I try to do what I can for animals. The Bible says “as you reap, so you shall sow,” and I hope you sow.

An animal lover

Sow what? It would appear that Michael Vick may have to figure out how to fight off the Shower Waltz once he arrives at his new home at the penitentiary.

— Ed. Note

Hi Ed, I read about the elderly taxpayer‘s concern about this 35-hour work week for state workers. As a state worker myself, I‘m compelled to reply. The real scam comes when state employees spend those hours shopping on line, surfing the web, or talking to friends on the phone. In order to complete their work assignments they then must work overtime, at time-and-a-half, in addition to the regular salary. Managers are aware of this but do nothing. Fear of the union, perhaps? Some even do it themselves. There is unfortunately no accountability in government offices. If the taxpayers of New Jersey knew the extent of waste in government, we would probably have the tax revolt that is long overdue.

Disgusted

If. If. If. It's always ’if.‘ If we ’knew the extent of waste in government, we would probably have the tax revolt that is long overdue‘? How about you sharing some of that information? Oh, and by the way, speaking of sharing — stop by trentonian.com and go over to the new BackTalk blog. You can leave your own comments about BackTalk callers or my responses. I've gone Hi-tech!!!.

— Ed. Note

Ed, I‘m calling about the three imbeciles who called BackTalk about the dog that was killed. That was unfortunate, but I‘m appalled that there was no mention about the officer who was left lying in a pool of blood and how he was doing. He may have saved people‘s lives next door, in the pizza place, or anywhere in that neighborhood, yet they don‘t have any concern about this man lying in the hospital.

Str8 thinker

Priorities shift. Some people are concerned about the spilled blood of an officer of the law. Others are more concerned about Old Yeller, Lassie, Flipper or the Shaggy DA.

— Ed. Note

Ed, I‘m calling about the New Jersey homestead rebate. I live in subsidized housing, and while I do not pay for my gas and electric, I do pay almost $900 for rent. I am upset and feel it‘s unfair that I will not get a rebate check. I feel everyone in subsidized housing should get a rebate, and I want someone to look into this.

Want-a-lot

What a travesty of justice! You have to pay $900 for rent? And it includes your gas and electric? How dare they do it!! You are so right, it is unfair. Why should all those homeowners shelling out $1,500 a month for mortgage payents and $5,000-$6,000 a year in property taxes be the only recipients of the homestead rebate. You should complain. You should call your local state senator or assembly member and demand they get this inequity in the system straightened out right away.

— Ed. Note

Ed, I went to buy garlic powder from a local supermarket, and I found both name brands and the store brand contained garlic coming from China. You‘re telling me there‘s no place else in the entire world that we can buy garlic powder from than China? It‘s ridiculous. We let China send such massive amounts of imports into the U.S., and darn little is going out. Is there nowhere else in the world where we can buy garlic? Do we have to go to China for garlic?

Stinky breath

When the garlic we need for all those tasty Italian dishes comes from China something really does stink to high heaven. But do people really care? I don't worry, because I get my garlic at local farmers markets, and it appears California is the source for the garlic I buy. So buy local.

— Ed. Note

Hey Ed, about that graffiti incident, a resident was pictured cleaning his own car, but the chief of staff for an assemblywoman, well, his garage door was being cleaned by a public works employee. How does that work?

I. Noticed

From what I understand, but I'm not 100 percent sure, it starts when the public works truck pulls up in front of your place and starts cleaning, while the other guy gets the opportunity to pull his car in the driveway so he can breakout a power washer unit. But to be fair, they both had to push a button to start the process of cleaning. Next!

— Ed. Note

Hey, Ed, I moved back to Trenton-Lawrence from Southern California a few years back. In both Los Angeles and Orange counties, they had a graffiti removal program meant to thwart gang writing. When you came across graffiti, you called a 1-800 hotline and reported it. Within 24-48 hours a crew came out and removed it with power-washing, sandblasting or painting. The gangs couldn‘t make a lasting mark and eventually gave up marking up that site.

Hotline

Trenton is supposed to have some GraffitiBusters contraption, but it hasn‘t been seen lately — maybe the cost of gas is keeping it on the sidelines.

— Ed. Note

Ed, It doesn‘t make any sense for people to ride down the street and throw their garbage on the street when there are trash cans on the curb. C‘mon, people of Trenton, wake up! Stop living in dirt.

Pick it up

That problem is not exclusively a Trenton problem. You can drive down almost any street anywhere and find trash. People are what they are, and some people are litterbugs.

— Ed. Note

Ed, I feel really bad for the sheriff‘s officer who got shot. But what really gets me is that when a fellow police officer gets shot, law enforcement rushes to get things done. They found his assailant in minutes. But with all these gang-banging murders, nobody can figure out anything and nobody knows anything. They get the license plate but still can‘t find the person. Why is that?

Les Ufanithang

One of the great mysteries of the universe.

— Ed. Note

Ed, people in Trenton, don‘t complain about the crime in the city. You control the crime with your vote. But if you don‘t vote right, don‘t blame the people in office. If you vote for the same idiots, you‘re going to get the same idiosyncracies as you go along for the next four years. Don‘t dump it on them, dump it on yourselves.

Rhees Pond

You can‘t expect voters to take responsibility for their vote. They are only interested in hearing what they want to hear, or getting what they feel they have coming to them. Judging by the politicians we have today, it would appear voters are getting exactly what they have coming to them.

— Ed. Note

Ed, I just read where Santiago said the Mill Hill graffiti incident was just kids out on a mischievous night, unsupervised. But guess what, if this was a swastika cut in a cornfield in the middle of nowhere, it would be treated as a bias crime. I think this should be treated the same way. All they are trying to do is instill fear. It doesn‘t matter how old they are, or what‘s going on, that‘s their background.

Compare

Everybody seems to be missing one very important aspect of this graffiti incident — where did these little kiddies learn these gang tags? Seems a good bet, you learn things by being involved — in some way or another.

— Ed. Note

Ed, why are our soldiers out there sleeping in tents and eating C-rations when prisoners are sitting in air-conditioned cells watching cable TV? Things have got to change around here. Let‘s start treating prisoners like the scum that they are.

Dick Tater

First, let me straighten you out about something: Soldiers don't eat C-rats anymore, they eat MREs (Meal, Ready to Eat). And I hate to point it out to you, but dog faces have been sleeping in tents in the desert, jungle, woods, snow, ice, rain, etc. since the beginning of time. It's their badge of honor, don't you dare try to take it away from them.

— Ed. Note

Ed, Trenton should take a page from Baltimore, where they fired the top cop due to the rise in murders in that city. Trenton needs to fire its top cop and get somebody who knows his business and how to control this city and keep the murder rate down.

Crusher

Wake up!! You cannot control the murder rate. But what you can control is how a person feels about where they live. The residents of this city have a self-esteem problem. It's like the old saying: You gotta love yourself before you can love anybody else. This city has to start loving itself.

— Ed. Note

Ed, I just read this item in BackTalk on glorifying gangs. The person who wrote that was absolutely right. They see their picture on the front page, that’s a step up for them, as far as they are concerned in the gang. And I also believe it is a recruitment advertisement. Whether you run it on Page 10 or Page 1, I absolutely agree, it’s recruitment advertisement.

Another ostrich

We will not stick our heads in the sand because some gang slugs think it's cool to get their faces plastered on the front page of our paper. Maybe they should take the advice of a local politician’s aide who cautioned his people that they should think before they speak, or act — “Will what I am about to do or say get me on the front page of The Trentonian?” He warned them that if the answer was a “yes” or even a “maybe,” they shouldn't say it or do it. But I guess if we look at it your way we are at fault. Yeah, right.

— Ed. Note

Ed, this is for “Girls Gone Wild” in the post office. I raised three children, and if they behaved like that they would be knocked senseless. That’s what the mother needs to do, smack their butts once in a while. And if she can’t control them, she doesn’t need to bring them at all.

A parent

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Then some goody-goody first-time parent screams about protecting the children and we have yet another case of Parental Jeopardy — New Jersey style. But I hear what you are saying.

— Ed. Note

Ed, I’m calling about Mercer County Sheriff’s Officer Joshua Hahn to commend him for doing what he thought was in the best interests of the young lady who was being pushed around. The only problem I have with this is — and it’s not only with him, I have lots of friends who are city and township policemen — is that they do not carry their weapons after hours, and I think this is wrong. With the way things are in the city and township these days, it’s important that they carry their weapons. Otherwise, don’t get involved in something you may not be able to handle. But I think he is a hero, and I think I would have gotten out of my car and done the same thing, and I am not an officer and I would have gotten shot. The sheriff should make it mandatory for his officers to carry their weapons off duty, and the same goes for the police and all who are authorized to carry weapons. That’s my opinion.

Pro-cop carry

I agree with you. All cops should carry their weapons 24-7. They are not 9-5 officers of the law, they are peacekeepers around the clock.

— Ed. Note

Hey BackTalk, I‘d like Mayor Gilmore to look into this dog park. It‘s a great idea, but the sign says no children under 12, yet every time I go there I see kids under 4 running around . One kid was sitting on a dog and the mother sat there doing nothing. If that dog bites that kid, you know there‘s going to be a lawsuit that will involve Hamilton Township for not monitoring the dog park. Another thing, half the dogs are not licensed, don‘t have their shots, and the people don‘t care. Nobody goes there to check up. At nighttime there‘s a free-for-all. We need monitoring and spot checks. Check the dogs‘ licenses to make sure they have their shots. It would be a shame to ruin something so nice because of a few people.

Dog monitor

Well, it sounds like you have your thumb firmly on the pulse of this situation. Are you volunteering to do all these doggy checks?

— Ed. Note

Hi, BackTalk, several months ago you had an item in the paper where a lady was trying to collect soda tops. I‘ve saved up over a thousand, and I don‘t know if they still need them. Please print this, and let that person know if they still need them, they can reach me through you.

Collectible

That is so nice of you. Hey! I'm collecting crumpled up twenty-dollar bills. You think you could start saving those and call me when you gather up a thousand of those beauties? Thanks.

— Ed. Note

Hey BackTalk, I just read about the public employees working 35 hours, and you're defending them. How about the people who have to work 40 hours and the hour lunch is on their time, so they're around for 45 hours a week. There's a lot more of them than state workers. You‘re always defending the liberal element, aren‘t you?

Reader habit

I suggest you go to your nearest software retailer and get a beginner's version of Reader Rabbit cuz you ain't readin' rite, pal.

— Ed. Note

Hi, Ed, this is in response to "We Need Hunks, Too." But first, I‘d like to thank and commend all the law enforcement who participated in getting that piece of trash, Billy Heisler, off the street. And the best of health and get-well-soon to Sheriff‘s Officer Joshua Hahn. Second, I‘d like to compliment the photographer who took the picture of that amazing-looking trio, the officers walking down the street, especially the two gorgeous bookends. That newspaper photo has been circulating where I work, from woman to woman, and they all say "thanks for putting those hunks in the paper."

Yummy

Ohhhhhhhh, you want hunky cop-types. Well, that is a totally different request. I thought you just wanted photos of some random guys. No, you want coppers. Well, OK, I can understand that ... but my answer is still ”No guys on Page Six.“ But we'll try to get more hunky SWAT dudes in the paper for y'all.

— Ed. Note

Hey Ed, tell that Bruce Willis look-alike cop with the tattoos and steroid arms that our city has enough problems without his trigger-happy martial law action. Who was in charge when citizens were ordered out of their homes like cattle and a dog shot? What goes on, Mayor Palmer and Mr. Santiago, that we don‘t see or know?

Gun Shy

Let's paint a picture here. You have a sissy boy with a gun hiding out in the house next door to you and your family after he shot a cop at point-blank range. The cops find him there and want to take him out. Would you want to be in your house when the bullets start flying next door, or would you rather have the cops herd you out of the house like cattle so you can be a safe distance from all the flying lead? If you say you want to stay, you're stupid. That's why the guys did their job and got those innocent people out of harm's way.

— Ed. Note

Ed, my heart goes out to the Millbourne family who lost their pit bull in the shooting on Centre Street because of those two idiots who started to hide over there and shot the officer. They had no right to harm that dog. It wasn‘t bothering anyone. They should be ashamed of themselves, especially Sgt. Manzo. Maybe one day someone will shoot or kill something you love that‘s near and dear to you. You should be ashamed of yourself.

Dog lover

Oh, stop. If that dog was in any way perceived as a threat (and let's not forget it was a pit bull) Sgt. Manzo had a responsibility to take it down. Let's not forget that the life of an officer is much more important than that of an animal. Now, with that said, I'm still upset that the shooting of the animal and the discharge of an officer's weapon was not reported by the department. Here come the calls.

— Ed. Note

Ed, this message is for Sgt. Manzo the pit bull killer. You should be ashamed of yourself, as big as you are, you are nothing but a coward for killing that pit bull. You get your thrills by going around and shooting pit bulls? Guess what? Word‘s out on the street, and in your next life you‘ll see what you get. I hope you come back as a dog. And everything you did will come back to you. Before the Millbourne family adopted that poor innocent dog, it had been hit by a car, tortured by people in Trenton, and was almost put down. And then you go and kill it. You knew there was nobody else in that room. You are nothing but a big coward and a big sissy. Just you wait. What comes around goes around.

Dawg Pawler

I've already covered this subject, and this caller is just over the top.

— Ed. Note

Hi, Ed, I'd like to ask your readers, where are the birds and rabbits in Hamilton Township? I‘ve lived in Hamilton for many years, and we always had birds and rabbits in our yard. But I haven‘t seen any for the past two weeks. I like the birds because they eat the bugs. What‘s going on? If the squirrels are chasing the birds away, what can I do to bring the birds back?

Otto Bonn

Oh, I guess you didn't see the memo — the birds and the rabbits in Hamilton got upset and decided to go on vacation. They all are currently sitting on the beach in Cabo planning their next move. An insider tells me they are thinking of relocating to North Carolina's Outer Banks region. Stay tuned.

— Ed. Note

Ed, maybe you or your readers can give me some answers. I pay $5,000 a year in property taxes, and was supposed to get a 20 percent tax decrease, according of our wonderful Gov. Corzine and the legislature. That‘s a $1,000 decrease. Well, I just got my tax bill yesterday, and it went up a couple hundred dollars. Does that mean I‘m going to get $1,000 added to my homestead rebate check this year? I doubt it. Do you know what‘s going on?

Spinal Tapped Out

Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh! A word problem, New Jersey style. Where do I start? First, never believe anything a politician tells you. Second, never believe anything a politician tells you in an election year. Third, there ain't never gonna be something for nothing. And last, but certainly not least, remember that you live in New Jersey where your taxes always increase exponentially — like rabbits in a cage.

— Ed. Note

Ed, this is for Mayor Palmer and the state Department of Corrections. I was under the impression that once you paid your debt to society and want to be a law-abiding citizen, you are given a chance. Well, tell that to all the people out there who will not hire a convicted felon. So, basically, you are labeled for life. If this happened to one of yours, then you’d see things differently. It’s a shame.

Convict responsibility

Ahhhh, did you break the law and get your label as a law-breaker? You weren't listening were you? Member when they told you it would stick with you forever? Well they meant it would stick to you forever. Try convincing people with your good deeds and they will quickly forget about your past. Oh, and the next time somebody tells you that there are ramifications for your action — listen to that person.

— Ed. Note

Ed, I’m a senior citizen in Chambersburg. There are people living off Section 8 housing subsidies here. There are so many people living in this one house, they don’t go to work, they deal in drugs, they carry on and party all night. When is someone going to investigate and do something? Senior citizens can’t get anything but these people who don’t go to work can. I want to see this in the paper! I am fed up with what’s going on.

Fired up old lady

Have you told the police about what you have seen? Do you have proof, or is this just what you ‘think’ is happening over there? Let's not forget we live in a free country where the Gestapo doesn't just barge in and arrest you before actually finding out the facts.
— Ed. Note

Hey, Ed, I’m the father of a seven-year-old boy. I’m a good father, I pick up my son every other day and my child support is up–to–date. Can you let your readers know that I need a good aggressive lawyer to help represent me in court because my son’s mother refuses to comply with court-ordered visitation. She makes my life miserable because she doesn’t like my current girlfriend of six years. If anyone out there knows of an aggressive lawyer to represent me.

Good Father

I suggest you look for a Father's Rights Advocate lawyer. You might just find a good one if you looked in our classified section today. Tell him Ed. Note sent ya.

— Ed. Note

Ed, You are so full of it! We do not need these illegal immigrants in this country to fill jobs. We’ve gotten along in this country long before all these illegals arrived. If you remember in World War II, we even had people standing in lines looking for jobs and many would work for food. Send the illegals back where they belong. This country did very well without them.

Yep, and I also remember that the WWII parents told all their kids that they had to go off to college and get a good job because they were too good to cut grass. And I'll bet you a lunch that you tell your kids the same thing. So who is going to cut all that grass out in the suburbs, when Mindy and Biff are just too good for manual labor?

— Ed. Note

Hey Ed, I’m a member of the Peddie Golf Course in Hightstown. There’s a guy who’s been playing here for years with a cardboard handicapped placard hanging on his (car) mirror. He parks in the handicapped spot yet he goes out and walks 18 holes, three and four times a week. What gives? Someone should investigate these phoney placards.

Eagle-eyed Fore

Sounds to me like the guy might take his handicap just a little too serious. I've heard of scratch golfers and handicapped golfers, but this guy has it down to a placard. Talk about wearing your score out on your sleeve, errr, mirror.

— Ed. Note