From Jessica Coomes in the Glucester County (NJ) Times:
The Obama administration will not distribute economic stimulus funds to shore communities for beach replenishment projects.
U.S. Rep. Frank LoBiondo, R-2nd Dist., who represents South Jersey's coast, said he is disappointed in the government's decision and argued that maintaining sandy beaches is crucial to his district's economic survival.
"If you don't have beaches, you don't have tourists, and if you don't have tourists, you don't have small businesses," LoBiondo said. . . .
The federal decision comes on the heels of the release of New Jersey Gov. Jon S. Corzine's budget proposal, which would slash state spending on beach replenishment by 25 percent.
"It's a double whammy. It should be funded both federally and in the state," said state Sen. Jeff Van Drew, a Democrat who represents Cape May and Cumberland counties and part of Atlantic County. "It's about the tourism industry, which in the state of New Jersey is the third-largest industry." . . .
"We are counting on continued beach replenishment," said Joe Kelly, president of the Greater Atlantic City Chamber. "This is something that should not go away. It is an economic issue to us. ... When you talk beach replenishment, you're talking an economic driver. ... Beaches are the cornerstone of travel and tourism in our marketplace."
2 comments:
What a crock! The pols are such liars. The media , oh well they never seem to dig deep enough to get the real story. The TRUTH is that not 1 dime has been in any President's budget for Beach replenishment projects since Ronald Reagan's 1st term. You'd think from all the whining going on Pres. Obama is being some kind of hard hearted beast. It's all Bullshit! The Obama admin. is simply following the good advice of the OMB and the President's Science advisors. The other part of the lie that is being spread by the "Sand Lobby", is that now they are being cut off from any Federal funding. They're counting here on the public's ignorance of how the budget process and funding process works, in DC. Congress not the President holds the purse strings. Congress will come up with what's called an Omnibus spending bill and send it on to the President. In it will be tons of Congressional pork and you can bet some of it will be for Army Corp. beach Projects in NJ and elsewhere. Ok, so why all the whining and wailing, right? It's all part of a very well coordinated attempt to change the funding situation and to grab part of the Stimulus for these stupid wasteful temporary Projects that Congress loves and the Scientist hate! It's an attempt to get these Projects back onto the Executive budget , which makes it much harder for Congress to cut them in the future. You see what's been happening is as the $$ has been running out and budgets tighten it becomes harder and harder to justify pissing tax dollars in the form of sand into the Ocean. Especially when the sand is going to eventually end up in front of the 2nd homes of the wealthy. All this in a time when many of these same Congress critter's constituents are losing their 1st homes , jobs , health Ins. and soon their sanity. It's obnoxious and immoral is what it it. Sand!! Sand!! Sand!! When do people start to count should be the media's real?? Don't expect that side of the story to ever get asked that's for sure. In the mean time Lobiondo and Pallone and the rest from both parties will just keep lying about this whole topic. No surprise here that's what they are professional liars.
I've read your entire post and checked out your blog.
I'm impressed that you feel so passionate about this subject.
I like your intensity.
I'm sure people will be debating beach replenishment for a long time to come.
Yet, as far as I can tell, at the beaches where I vacation the replenishment projects seem to work.
Hey, I'm not a scientist or enirvo person. I'm just basing this on my own observations over the years.
Best wishes. Enjoy the beach!
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