“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”