BURLCO DEMS’ GREEN PLAN FAILS TO SHOW THE OTHER “GREEN”

Burlington County Freeholder Director Aubrey Fenton today took his Democrat opponents to task for “throwing together” a green energy plan that is “long on rhetoric, but overwhelmingly short” on numbers.

            “To use an old saying, ‘show me the money,’” said Fenton.  “My opponents are just regurgitating every energy-saving idea under the sun.  But what they are not doing is talking how much it will cost taxpayers, and most important how much it will save.  Not every energy savings idea actually saves money.”

            He said this was another case of Democrats Chris Brown of Evesham and Mary Anne Reinhart of Shamong trying to direct attention from the hefty increases in local property taxes in their own towns this year, where each sits on the local governing body.

            “As for their energy plan, this is another case of Brown and Reinhart proposing initiatives the County has already undertaken or is currently exploring,” Fenton said.  “Reinventing the wheel seems to be the hallmark of their campaign.”

            Green energy initiatives already enacted by the Republican freeholder board include:

• Construction and activation of a new gas-to-energy plant (last year) is projected to net $60 million in revenues over the next 20 years.             
• A new contract for the operation of the County’s composting facility will generate $7.4 million in savings over the next 10 years.
• The countywide recycling program saved municipalities $2.9 million in landfill tipping fees in 2007 alone.

            “For the record,” Fenton added, “our recycling program remains the only one in the state that is operated by the county at no additional cost to the towns.”

            He said he and his running mate, Freeholder Stacey Jordan, were still “putting the final touches” on their platform.  “Yes, it will include a green energy plan, and unlike our opponents, it will be real.”

            “For those who are keeping score, Freeholder Jordan and I are the ones who produced a county budget this year that cut both the county tax rate and the amount of tax dollars needed to run county government,” Fenton concluded.  “That too, was real.”