By Bill Connell.

I just finished a Speak Out piece on how I think the Board of Education’s messaging is disconnected from what it really should be focused on. The world yawned.  

However, when I harassed Assemblyman Joe Danielsen, everyone really enjoyed it. Well Joe didn’t, that’s for sure!!  I’m going to test his sense  of humor again with a piece called, “Shouldn’t Joe be doing something else?”  If Joe is sponsoring a bill,  I will ruminate on whether he should do it. 

I got a call from a Republican, possibly Libertarian, friend the other day. He was upset NJ.com reported Assemblyman Joe Danielsen is floating (no pun intended) the idea of banning one-use water bottles. We agreed water bottles are bad but my caller felt it was more government over reach and treating people like they are stupid and can’t make good choices.  

Joe has never struck me as an environmentalist. I thought this idea would come from Councilmember Potosnak, who I theorize is secretly working on breeding a chicken that eats plastic and turns it into compost so everyone can get one for their house. Just to get my friend really wound up, maybe we should not ban one-use bottles, but treat them like cigarettes. 

Since the days of the American Indian crying on the side of the road, people have been selfishly throwing garbage in public places, but one-use water bottles serve a purpose in natural disaster support. In my experience theater stages suck the moisture out of your body, the one-use bottle can be handy in keeping people hydrated and not get sick in fluid situations.  On the other hand, I have fisherman friends who get visibly upset over the damage water bottles and other pollution does to the oceans. Ironic, when their hobby is burning gas just to rip a fish out of the water by its mouth with a small piece of metal.

Should Joe be doing this, or maybe something else like controlling e-bikes?

The best example I can give you what concerns me is when I saw what looked like a middle school-age kid on an e-scooter, vaping and zooming down street with no helmet.   From what I can see, e-bikes and scooters should be classified like motorcycles and require helmets. There are public safety statistics coming out of Washington D.C., the city, that are being impacted by e-bikes and scooters. On one hand maybe we should let Darwin rule the day and not do anything, but as a decent person I can’t watch it and not say anything.  Maybe Joe should work on that instead.

Joe? 

Franklin Voices:  Please do not try to hijack my letter with shady comments .  I may be challenging them, but they are all hard working caring members of the community. Not only that ,they ran for the school  board and put their name on it, unlike you.  BC