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Bank Of America Investment As a freshman lawmaker, state Sen. Stephen Sweeney stared down Gov. James E. McGreevey over a planned Pennsylvania commuter tax two years ago. McGreevey blinked and the tax plan died.

The Highlands bill and its amendments are hitched to compromises that protect farmers' generating potential of the land. After what some have described as an uproar of opposition from farmers in the Highlands region, a series of proposed amendments to the Highlands bill were presented to the legislative committees considering the measure.

Investment Opportunity Now, with a Monday committee vote looming on the fate of McGreevey's controversial bill to preserve North Jersey's endangered Highlands region, the South Jersey Democrat again finds himself at the center of Trenton's political storm.

"If people want to pay extra for an energy efficient appliance, " Ms. Coon said, "they should, " without tax credits' influencing their decisions. Senator Pete V. Domenici, the New Mexico Republican who was a prime mover behind the bill, said its passage was critical to energy security. He called the bill a "package that will provide more predictability in our energy markets and reduce the price fluctuations and regulatory uncertainty that have confounded investments in recent years."

Banc Of America Investment A frequent critic of the plan, Sweeney sits on the Senate Environment Committee slated to vote Monday on the plan. The five-member panel is split on the measure, making him the potential swing vote for or against the Democratic proposal.

"Senator Lynch was one of the architect's of the state's wetlands act, and his suggestions on legislative strategy only demonstrate how important passage of the Highlands bill is for this administration, " said McGreevey spokesman Micah Rasmussen.

Banking Investment "Sweeney could be the person responsible for destroying the Highlands," said Jeff Tittel, director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. "He has the choice of protecting drinking water for 4 million people or allowing the water supply to be paved over."

Stop the mad rush to pass the Highlands bill! The people of the seven counties affected by the bill are the only people with the legitimacy to pass judgment on the issue. Every landowner should be notified by registered mail of this massive zoning change, then the issue should be fully vetted in regional meetings. It should then be put on the ballot in November, but only in the seven Highlands counties. Let's see what the people most affected, not the politicians in Trenton, want done.

Investment Solution Strategic By opting not to release the bill to the full Senate, the environment panel could stall Highlands preservation -- a move favored by Republican lawmakers whose districts cover the Highlands and who say the legislation forces communities to surrender local developmental control.

Would you be willing to pay an extra buck a year on your water bills if the money were used to buy and protect land in the Highlands You'd be getting a real bargain. The North Jersey District Water Supply Commission is considering an idea that would add a dollar a year to its customers' water bills. The money would go to paying off some $25 million to $30 million in bonds that would be used to buy unprotected Highlands land.

Investment Banking Services A Trenton insider privately said Sweeney's prominence in deliberations on the bill means he is feeling pressure from McGreevey, his strong constituency in builders' unions and the environmental community.

Bank Investment Earlier this week he said he does not support the bill in its current form; calls seeking comment Friday were not immediately returned.

Alternative Investment The plan has become a hot-button issue, with environmentalists and most lawmakers in support of preserving the 900,000-acre region spanning 90 municipalities.

Online Investment Services Tittel and other supporters contend the area is a statewide asset, part of a larger greenbelt stretching across the Northeast that loses 5,000 acres annually to development.

Accompany Essential Investment The Democratic plan calls for a mixture of open space preservation and land-use regulations to preserve the 900,000-acre region.

Investment Company "A lot of issues still have to be resolved. I intend to support this bill and will support it when it's right. But the bill is not right yet," said Sweeney, of West Deptford, who spoke after a recent rally, which was support of the bill.

Investment Management Solution He has pushed for 14 separate amendments to the legislation and concessions in return for his support.

Investment Management Services He added he is not opposed to the measure but wants to see a funding source dedicated by the Legislature. Sweeney also said he wants to ensure that an aggressive land grab in North Jersey does not harm conservation elsewhere in the state.

Guide Investment Stock A sponsor of the plan said this week he will not allow the full Legislature to vote on Highlands preservation until a funding source is earmarked for the estimated $260 million to $310 million cost.

Investment Manual Solution McGreevey's office said Friday that the administration has not yet identified a funding source but is working to shore up support for the plan.

Investment Stock "We are going to be working throughout the weekend on the final details of the effort. We believe the cost will be modest and it will be paid for," McGreevey spokesman Micah Rasmussen said.

Essential Investment Solution "We are explaining how important this is to the administration and how it will impact the state, why it's something that needs to be done and satisfying their concerns so we can do something."

Citicorp Investment Services According to the bill's sponsor, Assemblyman John McKeon, preserving the 130,000-acre core preservation area of the Highlands will total $250 to $300 million, while the council established to oversee the area will need $5 million and the cost of reimbursing towns for lost revenue will be another $5 million.

Fool Guide Investment Motley According to environmentalists, the region is home to 150 endangered or threatened species and sees almost 14 million tourists each year -- more than Yellowstone, Yosemite and Grand Canyon national parks combined. Builders contend splitting the Highlands into an area where development is prohibited and putting a regional council in charge of land use will stall home building.

Fidelity Investment Services By Terrence Dopp
The Express-Times - 5/8/2004

Topic: Highlands

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