Neptune goes all out to clean up the Shark River area after Sandy, but they made believe that they had no responsibility to provide help at the OG oceanfront. If they are going to deny services to OG, than how about a tax rebate for us?  Blogfinger photo Nov. 2012. ©

OG volunteers clean up after Sandy. No sign of Neptune DPW at the beachfront. They made believe that it wasn’t their job by saying that the land was owned by the CMA. But what about the needs of the people of Ocean Grove?

Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger

The relationship between the Township of Neptune and the Town of Ocean Grove has always been unnatural.   Ocean Grove is culturally, historically, demographically, and physically much different than the rest of the Township.    It is a strange and strained partnership, but Neptuners make believe that it is a good fit.

The decision to attach the town of Ocean Grove to Neptune Township was a bizarre  and archaic example of legislative  patronage, but Neptune makes believe that the historic error continues to make sense and they have refused to allow Grovers to seek a path on their own.  Even the wall in East Berlin eventually came down.

We pay property taxes to Neptune Township. They make believe that we are like the rest of the Township in terms of services paid for, but that’s not true.

We have few school-age children that use the schools compared to the rest of Neptune, but  Neptune makes believe that we are the same.

Neptune charges property tax to us for our leased land. They  make believe that we own our land. In reality the CMA claims to own  the land and collects lease charges from us. The Township should bill the CMA for the land tax, or, some arrangement should be made to turn over the land ownership to the homeowners.

Neptune won’t fix our sidewalks because they make believe that the CMA owns the sidewalks. That may be technically true, but the rest of Neptune gets their sidewalks fixed, and the CMA won’t fix our sidewalks. The Township and the CMA make believe that it is our responsibility, but why is that?  We don’t own the sidewalks.  In what towns do property-tax paying citizens fix their own sidewalks?

Neptune makes believe that we own the trees along the streets, but we do not. OG trees are in deplorable condition and pose risks to those who live, drive  and walk nearby. Does the Township allow trees along the streets in other parts of town to become unhealthy, ugly, and dangerous messes?  Neptune makes believe that the citizens should pay for tree maintenance.

Neptune is responsible for  some parks in OG, but they make believe that somebody else should maintain them.  For example, Firemen’s Park is a disgrace. They sure do a nice job with the park by the Shark River.

Neptune makes believe that Ocean Grove has representative government, but the Township Committee clearly has Neptune proper  as its priority.  Neptune makes believe that they are not exploiting our town for money  (ie the so called “cash cow” syndrome) but they are constantly looking for ways to find ratables in the Grove even if their decisions adversely impact our historic preservation and our quality of life.

Neptune makes believe that it supports the Grove’s special designation as a National and State historic site, but they consistently look for ways to defy the Master Plan and zoning ordinances that are supposed to look after the “historic district.” An example is the way that they defy RSIS rules.  Now they are working on a way to water down the HPC guidelines. They make believe that it is about fire safety.

Now they want to turn our North End into a big commercial zone that will hurt the Town of Ocean Grove.  They make believe that the project is good for the Grove.

Neptune makes believe that its first responsibility in OG is to the tax paying citizens who live there, but in reality, they act like we are invisible.  Just visit a Committee meeting to see how our neighbors are treated.  Instead, Neptune’s actual priorities are first the CMA, second developers and merchants, and third the Home Groaners Ass.

Neptune went all out to clean up and rebuild the Shark River area after Sandy, but they made believe that cleaning and fixing the ocean front was somebody else’s job. So an army of volunteers had to do it, and the CMA had to struggle to raise huge funds and to deal with FEMA. Neptune reluctantly participated later by supplying some bonds until FEMA came through.   The Township used  tax money after Sandy to fix other parts of town while denying us services and they make believe that this discrepancy doesn’t exist.

And now, as $800,000 has rolled in from FEMA for phase 3 post Sandy, the Township wants to build an unwanted bulkhead at Shark River instead of using the money to finally re-do the OG Boardwalk north of the Pavilion. They are favoring the marina area while making believe that the remaining OG Boardwalk repairs are unimportant.

So, we have  the Land of  Make Believe in Neptune, and we the people make believe that there is nothing we can do.

HARRY NILSSON  from the Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II music for Showboat.  The song is “Make Believe.”

“Others find peace of mind in pretending,
Couldn’t you? Couldn’t I? Couldn’t we?”