Speak Out!

“Our liberty cannot be guarded but by the freedom of the press, nor that be limited without danger of losing it.” Thomas Jefferson wrote those words in a letter to John Jay in 1786. Even though Jefferson had often been pilloried in the press while he was president, he always maintained his belief that a free press was vital to …

By Skip Schaeffer, Somerset. “E pluribus unum” is Latin for “out of many, one.”  It is the national motto of the United States and can be found on the Great Seal of the United States as well as some U.S. currency. Franklin Township Councilman Rajiv Prasad apparently has his own translation, though.  He interprets the national motto to mean “the …

By Bill Connell, Somerset. This letter is in response to Mark Grieco’s letter regarding his assertion that Pres. Trump’s actions were treason. Your letter made me realize I have stopped listening or trying to understand all together. That’s bad. To start, watching Trump’s public discourse is like that lemonade commercial with the kid playing T-ball. The kid hits a great …

Submitted by Franklin Township Task Force on Compressor Station 206 & NESE’s Steering Committee. Series Issue 6:  Williams-Transco’s NESE and Compressor Station 206:  Who Will Protect Us? The costs of continuing to build natural gas facilities and pipelines will be borne by all of us and future generations who will contend with health issues, impacts from severe weather events, potential …

Submitted by Franklin Township Task Force on Compressor Station 206 & NESE’s Steering Committee. Series Issue 5:  Approval of natural gas facilities and pipelines by FERC does not emphasize protecting us. We are all citizens of a town, state and country with the right to expect clean air and water. Private industries and some elected officials push for increased use …

Submitted by Franklin Township Task Force on Compressor Station 206 & NESE’s Steering Committee. Series Issue 4:  Construction threatens wildlife and habitats on land and in the bay. The fishing and tourism industry in/by the Raritan Bay should be protected for the people who depend on it, those who enjoy it, and the marine life that depends on us to …

Submitted by Franklin Township Task Force on Compressor Station 206 & NESE’s Steering Committee. This is the third in a series of opinion pieces about the proposed TRANSCO gas compressor station. Series Issue 3:  Sea level rise and extreme weather events are linked to increases in greenhouse gases.  Read below about associated costs to health & property. We have been …

Submitted by Franklin Township Task Force on Compressor Station 206 & NESE’s Steering Committee. Series Issue 2:  Compressor Stations release toxic chemicals into the air.  These are known to impact health. Compressor Station 206 is proposed to be a 32,000-horsepower gas-fired unit that will emit formaldehyde, benzene, ammonia, and other toxic chemicals.  Williams/Transco decided that they could not replace this …

By Mark Grieco, Somerset. Where the Soviet Union failed for decades with the threat of tanks and missiles, Trump accomplished in one week from the podium: the subordination of America to Russia. As someone that served in the US Infantry in Germany during the Cold War, I welcomed the collapse of the Soviet Union as the final triumph of America …

Submitted by Franklin Township Task Force on Compressor Station 206 & NESE’s Steering Committee. Health & safety of people, wildlife, vegetation, trees, air, & water – now and for decades to come – is at risk. If NESE’s Compressor Station 206 and pipeline in & by the Raritan Bay are constructed, we and future generations will be subjected to risks …