It's nice to see after all the years of council trying to come up with an ordinance to regulate taxis in town that we finally just let the taxi companies write it them selves. I don't see what this wasted time on this ordinance is going to do. We need an unlimited amount of taxis in a 1 square mile town? With Hightstown being located in the middle of East Windsor I guess it's easiest for them to just cruise Hightstown while waiting for a call in either the borough or township. Well I see how well this ordinance was handled, let's see how borough hall goes now

How about making sure they are legals and have valid drivers license?

Again they don't give a damn about the Hightstown residents and are catering to the taxis and ILLEGALS - why???? Please vote out all the incumbents as we need a new council. Thanks to Rob Thibault for voting against this.
When are they going to care about the town....and the rug mill, minute maid, enforcing codes/ordinances, public urination, spitting gum on the sidewalks, loitering in town, taxis driving all over the place with nowhere to go, boarding houses, loud parties and excessive alcohol consumption. Hey, someone wake up and help this town or it will be another town gone to hell.

Believing that if the taxbill is lost in the mail you will not be required to pay it is the same as thinking the taxi ordinance can please everyone. This ordinance is a prime example of why major issues are so hard to move forward in Hightstown.

Many can not understand why Hightstown operated for so long with two companies and 3 cabs now requires five companies and unlimited cabs. I got that. Others want the out of control cabs and companies to be held accountable. I have that .

Here is the REALITY. Hightstown by its location and design is the center of the Hightstown/East Windsor hub. We can not regulate vehicles which pass through as long as they do it legally. As service and food establishments, the types of businesses and religious centers within Hightstown have a strong need for a large amount of taxis.

What this ordinance revision will do, if the number of licensed cabs are limited, is establish enforcement and monitoring standards for both drivers and companies while allowing for businesses to continue to operate in this tough economy. Without this revision we can not perform the state mandated background checks on the drivers and owners of these cabs to control them.

Do you want more control or out of control concerning taxis? Show up tonight and tell the Council your concerns and try to help make the ordinance better for Hightstown

So what really needs to be determined, and tonight's vote will do just that. is just what is Hightstown's identity? We seem to be eternally wrestling with this. Are we a quaint, historic town with coffee shops, a farmers' market, paddle boats, a diner, and a post office? Or are we a bustling small city filled with an UNlimited number of taxis, boardinghouses where all can rent a room (if you just know the secret sign), speeding traffic with absolutely no interest in maintaining the integrity and pride Hightstown deserves. It is vital for our survival that we decide. We can't be both, that's for sure and that's very apparent. We can't be a busy historic town with a tragically understaffed police force that can enforce little with its small numbers. We can't be a quaint proud historic town if our residents have no interest in our past. This tug of war, was created with absolutely no thought given to the needs of both sides. Tonight's vote will lock us in. Council, you decide, our future is laying heavy on your shoulders.

Hey J.P. doesn't live in town or near enough that he has the taxis speeding up and down his street - I was behind one the other day and he was on a cell phone and not paying attention - why does the town side with ILLEGALS rather than UNITED STATES CITIZENS - would go to the meeting however used to and they are an example of how poorly this town is run -

Check out the article at NJ.com. In the article, the owner of Yellow Cards incites all of the people that are looking to limit the number of taxis as racists. Typical.
There is a reason why Hightstown/EW has so many taxis, it’s because so many residents are here illegally and cannot obtain driver’s licenses. It is as plain as that. In most instances it is not about income, otherwise the housing authority would have the largest number of clients. The more conducive Hightstown/EW is to living here illegally, the more illegal immigrants will choose to live here. Taxis, food pantries, second hand stores, subsidized day care facilities all make Hightstown the environment that it is: a town that can support more cabs per capita than any municipality in New Jersey.
Council and the Mayor don’t have the backbone to withstand the ‘r’ word. Having a restrictive taxi ordinance is not about being racist, it is the first step in acknowledging the town is floundering. If the elected officials don’t have the backbone to stand up on this issue, I hope the next generation of taxi clients will look to carry on the traditions of the community by buying flower baskets and organizing fairs, etc. b/c this generation only organizes themselves to call people racists.

Why don't we get a bus? A big bus to take everyone everywhere they need to go.
For free. Because if there is that much of a need for transportation, then we must meet the requirements for government subsidized busing, and then build housing, lots of it, the Mill.....what a great idea, tenements for all the poor people who can't drive cars. Sound ridiculous? Well it is. And unlimited taxis? Same nonsense. Put the taxpayers first, or turn us into Trenton. We're well on our way. It's your choice.

PS Where do you people live who think it's necessary for Hightstown to become the taxi capitol of NJ? Not here, I'm sure. Mayor and Council, stand up for the public. Bring back some sense of trust. Do what we want, just this one time. You know, you've heard it. Didn't you promise?

I read the article, GP. All the little companies have now joined together to become the yellow cabs. So why have a limit on taxi companies? If they all join into one, then there can be a million. This is the problem, absolutely no regulation. The number of taxis must be limited. 5 large companies, unlimited cabs, whoa, scary.

Is every other municipality in NJ, and other states, racist as well for limiting the number of taxis? It's boarder line racist that the taxi industry in Hightstown is cornered by one race. I think out of the 5 owner licenses at least one should be held for a woman or other ethnic group.

Especially because those cabs are not transporting lots of people. If there's such a need, the taxis would be crammed with people. Instead, most have no passengers. Before we open the flood gates in Hightstown (again), let's find out just what these companies are all about. Remember the last time Council and that illustrious past mayor had one of these "votes". Oops, too many questions, guess that makes me racist. oh well.

The have the nerve to call us racists. Look at front page of Trenton Times today. They come to a town ILLEGALLY - thanks to bob patten - and the town caters to them and hands them anything they want....who the hell do they think they are? I say we have an "occupy Hightstown" as there was an "occupy wall street" - no one listens to the CITIZENS anymore - the council is really bad and are afraid of their own shadows - all but Rob - I think we need a peaceful protest to this -

first word in above should read "they" - typo -