Attn FEMA: This is Ocean Grove–look at us as people, not as a “private non-profit” PG photo on Mt. Hermon Way. Click left to enlarge the point
By Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger
The Ocean Grove -FEMA Kabuki dance goes on. It’s like torture because so little real information is provided by the various parties. Why does FEMA reveal so little about how it makes these decisions? Why did FEMA approve us in 1992, but not now?
FEMA, in this situation, is like an onion—you can try to peel back the layers, but all it does is make us cry. Why is there such secrecy? A blackout on detailed information just creates a vacuum and causes people to believe that sinister forces are at play. Are they?
What did State Senator Jennifer Beck mean when she said that FEMA is “splitting hairs” by denying the Grove their boardwalk, while approving other beach towns around here? She seems to be the only public official thinking creatively about the situation. Just yesterday, in NJ.com, she said, “The Ocean Grove boardwalk has been recognized as public property since at least 1908 when a Monmouth County court ruling exempted it from taxation because it had been designated a public highway.” Wow!
What did the Governor mean when he said that he would get involved if we received a FEMA appeal denial? Is there some sort of secret blueprint to help the Grove, or is he just posturing for the voters? Since FEMA is a federal agency, perhaps the Gov has his eyes on some other source of financial help.
We tried to reach Sen. Beck, but so far we are waiting for her return call. We also tried to reach Mr. delCampo, but it seems we will have to wait until the community leadership meeting tomorrow night to hear the official CMA position. Of course, the CMA has to play politics as well—they must be careful how they navigate these waters.
Meanwhile, the citizens of Ocean Grove are learning a new dance step—it’s called “doing the sandy strip,” as they figure out how to maintain a beach-town lifestyle that revolved around their boardwalk, going back to the origins of the Grove over 140 years ago. They are baffled as to why they, taxpayers just like the ones in Belmar, Seaside, Asbury, Lavallette, Spring Lake, and Avon, are not able to rebuild their boardwalk with FEMA money.
Why are they being singled out? The Ocean Grove boardwalk provides the same services to OG citizens as do those in other towns, so why is FEMA allowing a regulatory technicality to prevent fair treatment for the folks from the Grove? The reason FEMA has given seems flimsy through the eyes of taxpayers. FEMA has focused like a laser on the Camp Meeting Association, calling them “private-non profit” like a robotic mantra, without turning their attention to the people of this town who are as deserving of help as anybody else at the Shore. Why should it make any difference that the boardwalk is privately owned? It is a public facility!
And as for the press, today’s Asbury Park Press provides a fluff piece to follow up on the denial, but they have made no effort to really dig into the situation. The big-time local press, other than NJ.com, hasn’t done any real investigative reporting on this issue—I guess this is not important enough, but this isn’t the first time that OG has made news which could have a ripple effect all the way to Washington. It happened during the 1979 battle over who would run this town. That one went up to the front door of the Supreme Court. Then the gay-Methodist controversy over discrimination at the Ocean Pavilion in 2007 also had national implications. And most recently, we had the battle over the Neptune High School (church vs state) graduation in the Great Auditorium. Maybe this time, Congress might want to see if individuals in FEMA have an ax to grind when it comes to the small-town American place called Ocean Grove.
Meanwhile Grovers, keep dancing—here’s some beach music:
THE EMBERS