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Aug. 15-21
Robocalls
There is finally something we all agree on. The attorneys general of all 50 states, red and blue, are coming together to fight robocalls. In the past, federal and state regulations have failed to put a dent in their volume. The hope here is strength in numbers.
The new endeavor, the Anti-Robocall Litigation Task Force, has a different strategy. With all 50 states on board, the task force is letting telecom companies know they can face prosecution for allowing robocalls originating from overseas to reach their customers. Experts say the strategy just might work.
These calls are more than just a nuisance. The National Consumer Law Center and the Electronic Privacy Information Center say in 2021 alone 60 million Americans were scammed out of $29 billion by robocalls. Most such calls originated from outside the United States.
In 2021, one New Jersey company that produced septic system products made 45 million robocalls. That company was fined $1.6 million and dissolved.
Beach Fills
Without regular beach replenishments, the Jersey beaches would largely disappear. These beaches along the southern New Jersey coast are engineered and require ongoing nourishment. Without massive amounts of sand deposited on those beaches at regular intervals, a multi-billion dollar tourist industry would be destroyed. Coastal defenses protecting lives and property would also be greatly weakened.
The combined federal, state and local efforts to keep sand on the beaches is expensive and it’s only getting worse. According to the Stockton University Coastal Research Center, New Jersey is the most densely populated shoreline in the country. Only 31 of the 127 miles of coastline between Sandy Hook and Cape May Point are free of human development between the salt marshes and the ocean.
As much of Cape May County’s island resorts prepare for a 2022 and 2023 federal replenishment, opposition to the ongoing process increases. Environmental groups equate the effort with the toils of Sisyphus, the mythical Greek king compelled by Zeus to roll a huge boulder up a hill only to have it roll down again as it neared the top. They claim the replenishments are expensive, overused and ecologically devastating.
Four times since 1998, attempts to increase the New Jersey Shore Protection Fund have failed to pass in Trenton. In 2021, the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) published details on how the fund has been spent on beach fills, jetties, bulkheads and seawalls. Meanwhile the price tag continues to rise. The use of back passing efforts between hydraulic replenishments has become a growing burden on municipal budgets.
CDC Alters Guidelines
Some call it realism. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has adjusted its COVID-19 guidelines to reflect how people are actually behaving. The new guidelines eliminate the need to regularly test individuals who appear healthy. They place less emphasis on social distancing and quarantining. Most of all, the new strategy pivots away from placing burdens on schools, businesses and other organizations, instead shifting the focus on individuals making their own decisions. The CDC’s webpage, ‘How to Protect Yourself,’ has been significantly revised to reflect an approach of living with the virus.
These changes come as the country battles an omicron variant that is highly transmissible but much less lethal than earlier iterations of the virus. The Kaiser Family Foundation reports that 43% of parents with newly vaccine-eligible children under 5 years old will “definitely not” get them vaccinated.
There are some public health officials who fear tougher guidance will be harder to impose if there is another fall surge or a new, more lethal variant. For now, widespread immunity, either from vaccines or infection, has allowed a return to normalcy in practice. The new guidelines reflect that reality.
Happenings
Cape May ex-Mayor Chuck Lear has thrown his hat back in the ring, announcing he will run for a council seat in November.
A Virginia man was arrested for peering into homes between midnight and 2 am in Wildwood. He was identified based on eyewitness descriptions of his clothing and car.
Cape May approved a county award of a construction contract for the historic Franklin Street School which will be repurposed as a county library system branch. The low bid was $9.1 million.
Stone Harbor is debating changes to a salary ordinance it adopted only six months ago. The need to stay competitive and the creation of new positions were identified as the reason.
Middle Township will be seeking a new CFO again as the current occupant of the role has resigned less than one year after his appointment.
West Wildwood is looking to secure grant support for the costly ongoing modernization of its aging sewer system.
Cape May City approved a unique way for employees to reimburse the city for “overpayment of wages” in 2020. The overpayment stems from bonus checks given to six employees using funds from the affordable housing trust fund. At least one employee will pay back the city using accumulated paid leave.
The Cape May Point Science Center expects to start tours for local non-profit organizations this year as it continues to seek partners and financial support.
Upper Township debated the decision to upgrade an EV charging station at township hall.
Jerry Inderwies’ lawsuit against Fair Share Housing Center Executive Director Adam Gordon was dismissed by the court. This brings an end to litigation Inderwies filed against individuals he said defamed him over his role in the use of Affordable Housing funds for employee bonuses in 2020.
The City of Cape May is discussing a change to speed limits on all city controlled streets. The argument is that accidents at 20 miles per hour or lower have a significantly lower fatality rate.
West Wildwood is seeking a replacement for the truck it uses for winter plowing. Mayor Matthew Ksiazek said the current truck has serious problems. “The mechanic thinks its scrap,” he told the public. Severe backlogs have ruled out a new vehicle and the borough is actively seeking a used truck.
Some Whitesboro residents have expressed concern over Middle Township land sales that they say disproportionately impact their community.
Spout Off of the Week
North Cape May – It is very clear that our country is deeply divided and quite frankly, there is no end in sight. Democrats, Republicans both have their good and not so good sides. At election time, we go to the polls with the hope that some politician will do something good for our country. Once elected, they do what the party wants and not the voter. We are the losers. What’s happening today with both parties boggles the mind. The political ads on TV are disgraceful and the citizens are at each other’s throats with the hate generated by politicians. Something needs to change and very soon.
Read more spouts at spoutoff.capemaycountyherald.com.
