“Ovation” in the Ocean Grove Great Auditorium. A beautiful moment in our town. Paul Goldfinger photo 2015. Click once to see what I mean. PG
Simon is a frequent contributor to Blogfinger. He has commented on the Warrington situation and today regarding parking. Here is the second part of his two part comment posted today in reference to parking on the North End. But it is his sense of helplessness as a citizen that was poignantly expressed below:
“For the amount of taxes we all pay, give one parking spot for every home. This has also been said many times before with no results. We all state our opinion, go to all kinds of meeting, talk to everyone that is anyone, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY IT JUST SEEMS HOPELESS.”
Paul Goldfinger, Editor 2015. Blogfinger replies:
Simon. You have hit on a problem which has concerned me with respect to Blogfinger. We can complain all we want, for example about the North End, but if our elected officials pay no attention to our concerns, then how is our democracy to work?
Their department heads at the Neptune Twp. fortress may refuse to talk to a citizen, which has happened to me on more than one occasion including once with the Mayor. (2025)
Their Committee meetings are carefully choreographed to discourage interaction with citizens, and if you get up to speak at a meeting, they barely respond, if at all, to what you say, and they may actually get a cop to force you to sit down (ask Jack Bredin about that incident.)
There used to be a New Jersey ombudsmen, but no more. What to do? First do not stop complaining and exercising your right to free speech. A free press and free speech are essential to our American freedoms, and even if our voices are unheard by those in charge, we must keep on speaking.
Second, vote for somebody else at the next election and come out in force for important meetings. And if you feel that there is something amiss in local government, contact the State Attorney General’s Office. Make sure that you monitor the Township Committee for possible clues to corruption and signs of double standards.
But also we need a citizen organization in town with courage and forcefulness and which speaks for all of us in Ocean Grove. Note that not everyone in town is a homeowner. The OG Homeowners Association is an enabler for the Camp Meeting Association and for Neptune Township. They should have insisted that the entire NERP (North End Redevelopment Plan) be junked, instead of providing assistance in getting it done.
Who appointed the Ocean Grove Homegroaners Association to represent all the people of Ocean Grove? And when did their board poll their membership to get permission to make recommendations regarding the North End, and how many voted? After all, they only get a small percent of the membership to attend their meetings.
And Simon: It is not “hopeless.”
—-Paul @Blogfinger
GEORGE HEARN FROM LA CAGE AU FOLLES: “The Best of Times”
One more ‘constituency’ that has a huge influence in town are some developers. Variances get granted including flare, height and RSIS guidelines. Single family building lots get combined for semi commercial use Empty lots become temporary dump sites until citizens complain. Any discussion of influence has to include the developers.
We received a call from a Blogarian named Tim who is sympathetic to Simon’s plight. He likes the whole article and he says that another outlet for complaints where he has had some luck in the past is to call News 12 New Jersey at 732 346 3333.
He says that they are interested in New Jersey news situations and they might send reporters to the Grove.
I am a supporter of a group that successfully defeated a large apt complex in our neighborhood. It can be done. No, not the large complex going up on the corner of Jumping Brook and 66 (that’s another story), but another, even larger complex west of our homes. It can be done, requires someone willing to give their time, and money to the battle and a cadre of folks willing to go to meeting after meeting. It took us three years. I don’t know the details of your battle, but David has defeated the giant.
I think it’s a little harsh to suggest that the Homeowners Association is an “enabler” in this situation. After 15 years around here, I have watched controversies come and go, and have reached a conclusion about how things work. Basically there are five constituencies that influence what does and does not happen in “God’s Square Mile” – the Township, the HPC, the Homeowners, the CMA, and the Chamber of Commerce. Maybe the gay community (Ocean Grove United) could be a sixth constituency.
These groups cooperate and conflict on any issue based on their interests. The best you can say about the Township is that we pay a lot and get almost nothing. The streets are in disrepair, projects (e.g. drainage, school construction, the pool) are incompetently handled, the schools don’t work, there is crime. The HPC is an institution and a sacred cow, though sometimes they do something unpopular enough to create massive and vocal public resistance. I think the Homeowners have been one of the more effective organizations, as they were responsible for getting rid of the group housing that warehoused disabled here for so many years.
In the case of the North End, the CMA and Township have collaborated to force this project on the rest of us. Little can be done because of the redevelopment designation, from what I understand. The Township has no interest in resisting it because it creates ratables and there are insufficient votes in Ocean Grove to prevent it from happening. Their interests are in the western neighborhoods, not here.
If you think there would be support for a lawsuit to stop the project, then make a proposal and form an organization.