To the Editor:

My dog is angry over the town officials’ proposal to cut down all the trees on Spruce Street. She said she heard people talking about it on her daily walk. They were told at a meeting only diseased trees would be removed. If they remove all the trees, how can I express my territorial imperative, she asked. I reminded her we don’t have a tree in front of our house. Wake up, she said, where were you when your neighbors asked the mayor about zoning changes and sudden increases in taxes? I was at that meeting, I said. They were concerned about old tear-downs and new building on the same site causing immediate real estate tax increases on adjacent homes. The mayor explained the town had no control over tax assessments. It’s coming from above, she said, pointing upward. Well what are you going to do, the dog asked, let the state destroy this beautiful village? Listen, I said, New Jerseyans have complained about constantly rising real estate taxes for half a century to no avail. No governor or legislator has been able to stop it. Maybe they don’t want to, the dog said.

Louis Slee

Spruce Street