Ed, this is very disturbing. Out in Yardville on White Stag Drive and Fox Road we senior citizens have to pick up the garbage that these spoiled brats who live in the rich area behind our homes throw out of their rich cars. I have their license plate numbers and now they are going to pay a heavy fine. They are rich and they are spoiled and they need to be locked up.
Senior Moments
You go, granny! —Ed. Note

Ed, it is certainly a shame that some schools may have to close and people may lose their jobs. My brother lives on Genesee Street and he has a kindergartner who attends Harrison School. Now that child will be bused to Columbus School, right on the Lawrenceville border on the Brunswick Circle. Has anyone ever looked into the cost of busing these kids? I understand the budget crisis, but I can’t see the sense of busing kids, especially the younger ones, to the opposite side of town. I can’t believe school board members wouldn’t pick up on these things.
Walking Distance
Well, it’s hard to think clearly at 8 o’clock in the morning. —Ed. Note

Ed, in regard to “Another Cut.” Easy answer, do what many of us do. We don’t put our children in after-school programs. We work part-time and take care of our own kids and don’t expect the government to take care of our children. We are responsible for our children.
Aftermath
Oh, taking care of your own kids. That’s so old-fashioned. —Ed. Note

Ed, Dennis Gonzalez is leaving. Trenton might have some hope after all. He is one of the problems here in Trenton. He has been arrogant to businesses that want to come in. You can get rid of City Council now, which we are, basically, and get a new mayor and maybe Trenton will have an opportunity to rebound. Dennis Gonzalez has contributed to many of the decisions that have been made and they were all bad.
Gonzo
Addition by subtraction. —Ed. Note

Ed, I am calling about Christie slashing these schools. Who can argue with the guy? There is so much waste and fat in these schools there is no money left. Who can argue with Christie? They are cutting swimming and hockey and yet they are building a half-million-dollar field for football and soccer. The rank and file are applauding Christie. It is long overdue.
’Bout Time
Who can argue with Christie? Um, like millions of people. But he needs to tune them out for a while. —Ed. Note

Ed, my husband and I are very major sports fans. L.A. Parker is not correct about ESPN not talking about Ben Reothlisberger. Our TV is tuned to ESPN from morning to night. They did not bury this story. They talked about it all last week.

‘Berger Time

L.A. didn’t mean to imply that Big Ben’s story never gained a mention in the press. His issue was with the scale and the doggedness of coverage versus that of a black athlete in the same situation. —Ed. Note

Ed, in regards to the call about the after-school programs in Trenton. Parents were getting the after-school program for free. Now, parents will have to pay a nominal amount based on a sliding scale of income. Usually the third or fourth child is free. What they should do is call Child Care Connection, which is the local child care referral agency, and they will be able to get information about programs available in Trenton. Don’t expect it to be free. Just pay what you have to pay, but they are good quality programs.

Parental Guidance

You sound like a voice of reason. What are you doing here? —Ed. Note

Ed, our new governor would like to eliminate some cops in the city of Trenton. I think it is a disgrace to get rid of one cop. Christie doesn’t care because he has got protection.

The Force

I don’t think Christie really wants to micromanage the city budget, beyond sucking a bunch of money out of it. —Ed. Note

Ed, if Chris Christie is looking to save money he needs to investigate the Department of Human Services, Division of Developmental Disabilites, off of Kuser Road. We have new faces appearing every day despite the job freeze. What is up with this? Why are these people from Ohio here? They are the assistants to the assistants, they work a couple of months, then they go on vacation, then they are back again.

Old Face

Didn’t you know? We’re outsourcing all of New Jersey to Ohio. —Ed. Note

Ed, maybe the New Jersey Education Association should stop giving millions of dollars to lobbyists, who are the biggest impediments to a free society in the world. If I were a member of the organization I would put a stop to this. They think they are like Hoffa and the Teamsters, they can do whatever they want. They are arrogant, smug people.

E. Nuff

And if you’re going to be paid millions to be arrogant and smug, you better be on television. —Ed. Note

Ed, I have an issue I want to talk about. Why don’t they check into these pawn shops? They are ripping people off. They give you so little money for your stuff.

Rooked

“They” should also check into fast-food joints for selling crappy-tasting food and check into Ikea for selling furniture that falls apart in six months. —Ed. Note

Ed, L.A. Parker really seems to have a problem with Ben Roethlisberger, or should I say the lack of Ben Roethlisberger stories. He seems so angry and also seems furious at ESPN not mentioning Ben. L.A. also seems to be saying that had that been Tiger Woods or Kobe — oh boy, would it be different! I am very tired of hearing him whine about this. It really seems to be a matter of color to Mr. Parker.

Deep Thoughts

Indeed. L.A. leaves no doubt that he’s talking about race here. You’re not really breaking much ground with that analysis of his analysis. —Ed. Note

Ed, let’s not just pick on the Latinos, Puerto Ricans and the Guatemalans, the people coming in and getting the jobs illegally and either staying here and going back home. There is also another whole nationality that is doing that. And that is the Polish people. They bring people over for six months on a visa then they go back home and come back again for another six months. The only thing that they pay out is the person who gets them the job. They stay in the home and work as a health aide for $700 a week. For people to get a nurse or an aide they normally would have to pay $1,000. I think that is unfair. This is taking away from the nurses and health care workers who studied for this specific job.

They Took Our Jobs

Right. There isn’t enough ethnicity-based hatred out there; let’s drum up some more. Good job. —Ed. Note

To Mr. Parker, my name is Mary Ann Dunn and I am a resident of the Escher Street SRO. I am not an ex-junkie, sex offender, social dreg or someone who is down on their luck. I highly resent the statements that you made concerning myself and the other tenants at the SRO. Every person in this building has an income, some of us even have jobs. The majority of the individuals who reside in our building are in recovery and are attempting to rebuild their lives. Who are you to judge? Are there no skeletons in your closet, Mr. Parker?

Resident Resents

Have you seen that possum lately? —Ed. Note

Ed, about “Christie Bleeds Trenton.” Why is it only property owners who have to pay an increase in taxes? It should be equally spread among all the people in Trenton. People struggle to buy a home and just get taxed, taxed, taxed, taxed. I am not only leaving Trenton; I am leaving this whole darn state.

C. Ya

How about a tax on the homeless? Let’s really spread the pain. —Ed. Note

Ed, we finally have a governor that is going to do it. This guy is getting rid of so many jobs that I hope the state falls apart. I hope that there are massive riots, that there are so many robberies going on, people sticking guns in people’s faces. I hope they put so much pressure on these politicians that they have to let the money come back. I can’t believe what they are doing to people. People should stop paying taxes. They can’t put all of us in jail. But people are scared to death to fight. They are going to tax us until we die. County workers that I know — whole crews are going to be let go. Who determines who goes and who stays? It should not be the governor and should not be the politicians. I hate him, I hate him with a passion.

Anne Archy

Whoa. Take a deep breath and count to 10. Try to think of happy things. Bunnies, maybe. —Ed. Note

Ed, I would like to know why it is that when I moved from Trenton to Hamilton Township and tried to enroll my children in elementary school I was told that my children, and everyone in school in Trenton, were two years behind the Hamilton Township students. Can someone please explain this, Chris Christie or Doug Palmer?

Transfer

Perhaps the question should also be addressed to Mr. Lofton. —Ed. Note

Ed, I am a citizen of Florence, N.J. We are getting sick and tired of all the increases in taxes. I know we have a high cost of living right now. Here I found out that in Florence we have a fire inspector who basically works part-time who earns more than $100,000 a year. Why doesn’t our mayor do something about this? The township had a woodchipper, one of the township employees threw a bicycle in it, and now they can’t even use the woodchipper. They need to cut back on some of these employees to save us money rather than tax us more.

Ridden Outta Town

At least cut back on employees who throw bicycles in woodchippers. That’s gotta be a fireable offense. —Ed. Note

Ed, I am a state worker. I would like to know how Chris Christie thinks cutting employment in all state departments will boost the economy. Most of these little Mom and Pop businesses rely on their income from working people who venture out at lunch time. I have already begun to pack my lunch due to the furlough days; so have many of my co-workers. Now that tuition will rise, and many of us are one income to a household, we will hold on to our purses just a little tighter. The sad thing is that he will send most people to unemployment and possibly welfare, which will put a strain on our oversized budget. Mr. Christie came in with a hatchet, hurting the less fortunate and the poor, they are the ones who will suffer. This guy is not for the people of New Jersey. I would like to see where he will relocate to when he puts this state in dire conditions. Hopefully everyone is paying attention and will put a end to this insanity.

Next Stop

So he should let the state continue to spend beyond its means to keep the economy stimulated. Where in your plan does the budget get balanced? —Ed. Note

Ed, why is our children’s education being cut? I am angry with Mr. Christie’s action toward the education cuts. I might have to quit my job because of these cuts. After-school programs are a single parent’s necessity, along with the summer programs. If he continues with these cuts, there will definitely be higher unemployment in Trenton. This is the capital of New Jersey, and to tell you the truth this is the worst county I’ve ever seen.

Slashed

Guess you’ve never had a full tour of Kentucky. —Ed. Note

Ed, Palmer said Christie’s plan is a catastrophy. Palmer should know, because it was on his watch that the mass exodus from Trenton began, businesses closed up, gangs and crime rose to record highs, and the school system crumbled. So I guess that makes him an expert on catastrophy.

Tough Timer

And this is shaping up to be the mother of all Trenton catastrophes. Hope our next big-gutted mayor has the appetite for it. —Ed. Note

Ed, Christie said before the election that he would reinstate rebate checks. Now that he is in office Christie has proposed a bill that will eliminate income tax rebate checks soon. What does that say? That politicians lie.

Reversal of Fortune

He had the guts to lie (see above). —Ed. Note

Ed, isn’t it great to have a governor with guts? Maybe if we quit having mayors with no guts then this would be a better state to live in.

Gutter

To that end, we’ll be measuring the guts of all the Trenton mayoral candidates. We need a tailor to host the event. —Ed. Note

Ed, I am calling about Mayor Jack Ball being out of control in Ewing. The Lower Moody Field needs repairs, and he went and tore down the Upper Moody Field, where the kids were to play baseball, to build a football field. But he doesn’t have money to build a football field. He has basically ruined Babe Ruth, Legion and high school games. We have no fields to play on. I wish somebody would check into this. If this guy is running for re-election, forget about it.

Buster

He killed baseball? Talk about demonizing a guy. Geez! —Ed. Note

Ed, once again, Mr. L.A. Parker has gone off on his racially motivated tantrum here against Roethlisberger. I pointed this out to you the last time he did it when he was talking about Charlie Sheen. You gotta put a stop to him. It is not black and white, it is about a man who did what he did. Race should not be a factor.

Color Blind

Like it or not, race is still a major factor in this world, regardless of whether you agree with L.A.’s take on it. —Ed. Note

Ed, the man they are talking about in BackTalk who cleans up along the ramps is a janitor at Klockner School. He also can be seen up and down the main streets in Hamilton Township. He says it is because instead of going to a gym this is the way he likes to get his exercise. He is a very nice man, very quiet. I agree with you, he does need to be recognized, but no one will step forward and do it. You can see him sometimes from 4 to 6 a.m., cleaning up trash from the ramp area.

Recognize

We’ll give him recognition, whether he wants it or not. Way to go, Mr. Clean! —Ed. Note

Ed, I am calling about the article about American Standard and the Trane Co. A lot of people was dying in there of cancer, that is absolutely true. There is something there in those machines. If they know it is there they should do something about it. It has been going on for years. The new company that bought the site is worse than either one of the two before. They are working people like they own them or something, acting like a slave company. You can’t do this. They are working people and paying worse than nothing. There is a lot going on there that needs to be spoke about.

Speaker

We’ve heard this sad story from enough BackTalkers that there’s gotta be something there. —Ed. Note

Ed, I read in the paper that the first thing Manny Segura said he would do when he was appointed mayor would be to order a forensic audit of the city’s finances. He got my vote right there. While he is at it he should also order a forensic audit of Union Local 2286 to see where all those millions went.

Manny

Before he can investigate all that money he has to spend a bunch of money to get elected. That spiffy billboard is a good start. —Ed. Note

Ed, since the St. Patrick’s Day Parade is celebrating its 25th year, I would just like to remember a couple of people from the past who helped make the parade possible, Billy Briggs and Bill Sweeney. Without them the parade would not have gotten off the ground.

Origins

Here’s to Bill and Billy! —Ed. Note

Ed, this is Mary from the Tender Hearts, (609) 850-3517. I was just wondering if any of your readers could help me. I am trying to find an Amelia Earhart-style hat for a young girl who will be playing Amelia Earhart in a play. Please call me. Also, we need candy and many other things for the Easter baskets we will be handing out again this year.

Mary

You help so many people, the least BackTalkers can do is find you a hat. Get this woman a hat, people! —Ed. Note

Ed, I am writing in regards to the articles about prostitution in South Trenton. I feel as though Muschal and Martinez should focus their efforts on the bigger issues of South Trenton, such as slumlords, gangs and drugs. I’m not saying that this prostitution issue is not a priority, but if you’re worried about the quality of life of the residents of South Trenton, then they should focus on the bigger issues. You can’t put all your efforts in prostitution in the bars, but need to focus on the bigger picture as a whole. I’m a resident of South Trenton for over 20 years, and I’m tired of living next to trashy renters who don’t give a --- about anything. George and Juan need to wake up and focus on the real issues of South Trenton.

Alarm Clock

You have a point. The average resident is more affected by unsafe streets and slummy neighborhoods than by some immigrant getting a $12 you-know-what in some dive bar. But hookers sure do make good headlines. —Ed. Note

Ed, I came through a light on Route 29 across from KatManDu. I was making a left. Two times this past month I was approached while sitting in my car at close to 9 p.m. at night by two men with a clipboard asking for donations for an organization that sounded like “Wing House.” They suggested a minimum donation of $20. It strikes me as odd that they were out there so late at night. The clip board looked the same each time. It looked like the same signatures on the board each time, too. It just did. I just wonder if this is legit.

Windows Up

Yeah, Wing House. You know, they take in the homeless and give them spicy chicken. —Ed. Note

Ed, I am a New Jersey resident. I just happen to be drivin’ down 295. Is the state going to do something to reimburse the motorists about all the mufflers and things fallin’ off from under the cars because they have to drive down these raggedy highways?

Mina Key

Nope. —Ed. Note

Ed, upper management at the airport got paid more than anybody. That’s another waste. The people that park the cars got overpaid. Highway construction on the Atlantic City expressway or some place at the Jersey shore got overpaid! Why is Chris Christie such a f---ing stupid governor!? He had better listen to the s--- I am screaming into the telephone every day!

Volume Dealer

What’s that? I can’t hear you. My ears are shot from the LAST TIME YOU SCREAMED INTO THE BACKTALK LINE! —Ed. Note

Ed, I am calling about the Trenton High School class of 1940 reunion. This should be our reunion year, 70 years, and I haven’t seen anything in the paper about it or received anything in the mail from them. Do any of your readers have any information about it? I would give you my name and phone number, but I wish to remain anonymous.

Class Act

You might be the lone survivor. But that’s still reason to celebrate! —Ed. Note

Ed, the other day I came upon a young man double parked and passed out behind the wheel of his car at 6:30 in the morning. My wife called 911 and the Trenton police dispatch, and after 11 rings they picked up. Five minutes later the fire engine responded, followed by the EMS and then an ambulance. Twenty-five minutes after the call the Trenton police showed up. No wonder the police station got robbed.

Alert System

Wow, you got a representative from each branch of the emergency services. Hope they aren’t sending you a bill. —Ed. Note

Ed, I see the American Association of Retired Persons is supporting Obama’s health care plan. As a senior, that is why I never joined, and never will join, because I think the AARP is nothing but a big joke that just takes seniors’ money. Seniors need to get out of AARP.

Flee the ’P

Talkin’ ’bout a revolution! —Ed. Note

Ed, I live in an apartment complex in Hamilton Township. My wife and I are working class people who go to work every morning. We have people that live near us who have Section 8 housing subsidies who are abusing the system. People are coming and going all the time, there is so much traffic because they have lots of company, and they seem to stay up all night long. Who can we contact to resolve this? We have talked to the management of the apartment complex and to City Hall. No one has done anything. We need help with this situation.

Sleepless Nights

If they’re loud enough, they’re disturbing the peace and you can call the cops. If you can prove they’re cheating the system, you might get someone to crack down. But if you’re just annoyed because you’re a hard worker and they’re having more fun than you, join the club. It’s a funny world. —Ed. Note

Ed, I am a Trenton resident. I was reading the Palmer to Palmer article in BackTalk. I believe that down in Trenton City Hall the corruption is really bad. Why isn’t Palmer in D.C.? Somethin’ ain’t right. I think it is corruption, especially this water bill thing, and the taxes going up. There is trouble in Trenton.

Bubbling Troubling

Trying to follow you here. Somethin’ ain’t right because he’s not in D.C.? You mean he’s such a skilled politician that he’d be in D.C. were it not for the greater opportunity to be corrupt here? —Ed. Note

Ed, reading BackTalk this morning I am amazed that the citizens are just starting to figure out that Trenton has a corruption problem. We have had a mayor here for 20 years; he is leaving it as a ghost town. I hope that somehow the new governor will investigate Trenton for the corruption. What happened to Trenton? Is it so perfect that a politician can stay here so long and nothing gets investigated. We cannot get this city together until we root out this corruption.

Root Root

The time for him to investigate was back when he was U.S. Attorney. We invited him to do so a few times. —Ed. Note