At our regular, monthly Cape Issues meetings, we typically talk through a list of agenda items facing Cape May County. But what we most enjoy doing is meeting with people who are closely involved in the various issues we are working on. Our Jan. 8 meeting was one of the “most-enjoy” kind.
When we learned that Assemblyman Bob Andrzejczak was to be appointed to the New Jersey Senate position which Sen. Jeff Van Drew was vacating, we asked the “Senator Select” if he would be willing to meet with our group to discuss various topics. He came, and the hour and 15 minutes we talked was barely adequate to run through all the subjects.
One of the Cape Issues members told me afterward that his esteem for Bob grew through that meeting. I will add that the man we met with is competent and applied. He was not only up to speed on the issues, but offered heretofore unheard ideas for breaking through some of the logjams.
One of the stumbling blocks preventing Route 55 from being completed is the unwillingness of the power brokers in North Jersey to let go of money for projects in South Jersey. President Trump is touting a massive national infrastructure-improvement effort, and for us to receive some of that money, New Jersey has to present an agreed-upon plan. Congressman Frank LoBiondo has told us repeatedly, the federal government will not get behind anything if there is not agreement at the state level. Bob believes that if South Jersey will support the Gateway Tunnel program into New York City, he thinks we can get North Jersey to support Route 55 completion. Who knows if they will, but it is an idea.
Senate President Stephen M. Sweeney is working on plans to consolidate New Jersey’s public schools. We met with his staff in Trenton and were told that he is interested in creating a pilot program in two of New Jersey’s small counties, and for us to suggest legislation to advance that effort. This is of particular interest to Cape May County because of the $6-million school funding cuts in the offing. Through Bob’s initiative, we are already in contact with the New Jersey Office of Legislative Services and have begun working on this draft legislation.
Everyone agrees that our bridges are at the end of their useful life, and through the initiative of our freeholders, we are taking the needed steps to address this. What we learned at this meeting was that our county is in talks with the Delaware River and Bay Authority to take ownership of some or all of them. We can hope that with their firepower, we can accelerate the process.
A couple of the more intractable problems we discussed were our homelessness issue and the imbalance of tax revenue which heads to Trenton vs. the small amount which returns.
Cape Issues is a non-partisan, volunteer group of individuals who give of themselves for nothing in return other than the satisfaction of building our community. Given the group’s lively engagement with Sen. Andrzejczak, I know all felt rewarded for their ongoing efforts.
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P.S. – On Another Topic: The Government Shutdown
The wisdom of the shutdown aside, now that it is taking place, for Pres. Trump to give in now, will send a calamitous signal to our foes, China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, et al, that they just need to wait him out to get their way against the U.S.
