Say No To Ballot Question #1 — Continued
Why should you oppose Ballot Question #1? Because not only does the money pile debt on top of mountainous debt, but because the money is also abused by politicians to pay for things that have nothing to do with open space. Like astroturf fields, skating, parks, and parking garages. Steve Lonegan explains:
How is this money spent?
Instead of rural and suburban communities, the program spends millions on “recreation” programs in urban areas. Grants are weighted so that cities receive three dollars for every dollar spent in rural and suburban communities.
Is there anything “green” about building parking lots on the last remaining open space in North Bergen – or laying artificial turf over farmland in Burlington County?
These headlines tell the story:
Hoboken siphons $2M in state funds (Jersey Journal, 05/15/02)
Hoboken has shifted $2 million in Green Acres funding, earmarked for a stalled project, to three projects they can begin right away… About $1 million will go to rehabilitating the soccer field which was constructed about three years… About $250,000 will go to constructing a one-half-acre skating park… About $400,000 will go to creating the Jackson Street Garage Park.Hudson athletic fields to get synthetic turfs (Jersey Journal, 04/27/09)
The county received about $7 million in grants this month from New Jersey’s Green Acres Program… the cost of construction for a new dual use synthetic turf field for soccer and football, as well as the installation of a sports lighting system, permanent bleachers, fencing, landscaping and a restroom building…Green Acres helps to fund stadium in park (Herald News, 06/11/09)
“It seems like a conflict of the mission of Green Acres,” said Tony Lopez, who has lived across from the park for 23 years. “Park space in urban areas is scarce, and they’re taking 4 acres. I can’t describe it. It’s a tragedy.”Artificial turf risky for kids?
Critics also worry about impact on ecosystem (Record, 11/23/07)
The artificial turf is generally made with plastic fibers stitched onto a nylon mat to resemble blades of grass. Granules of chrome rubber, sometimes mixed with sand, are sprinkled on the field to make it spongier… The irony, environmentalists say, is that a number of these fake grass projects have been subsidized by the state’s Green Acres program — money intended for land preservation. In recent years, state officials have Green Acres funds for 13 artificial turf projects.Plans move ahead for turf field in Mt. Laurel (06/12/08)
Plans are moving forward to install a synthetic turf field at the Conrow Farm site on Mount Laurel Road, including lighting and parking. Under that program, up to 50 percent of acquisition costs are paid by the state and 25 percent each by the county and township.
And as Steve mentioned, like education dollars, this money isn’t distributed fairly. Urban areas take the bulk of the dollars – and then waste it on things like the aforementioned projects.
What happened to the $200 million they borrowed just two years ago?
Well, $47 million of it was cut out and earmarked for recreation projects like stadium parking lots, artificial turf, and skateboard ramps. Where did that money go?
Well it didn’t go to suburban and rural communities. That’s because of a funding formula that uses a bias in favor of urban areas. Under this formula, cities get three dollars for every dollar that goes to suburban and rural communities.
(Scan pages 3, 4, & 5 of the 2009 Green Acres Program Project Descriptions document.)
Take a look at the millions going to cities and urban counties. Note, by comparison, the paltry amounts going to rural and suburban communities.
(Scan pages 7 through 39 of the 2009 Green Acres Program Project Descriptions document.)
Notice something missing? There’s no mention of any money going to Sussex and Hunterdon Counties – two of New Jersey’s most rural counties.
Ask yourself: Is this program based on the considerations of open space, or is it based more on political considerations?
Be sure to send trenton a message this Election Day. Say “NO” to more spending and debt. Vote “NO” on Ballot Question #1! For more go to StopHigherTaxes.com.
October 20th, 2009 at 3:01 am
Green Acres is stated to go to Recreation and Natural purposes. Recreational areas in urban places is the vital to the health of those citizens, and healthcare costs to all of us as a result. When you have 25 or 30 team practices per week on a field because there are no other nearby fields, the thing would go to mud and disuse if not for some uses of artificial turf. Recreation areas in cities is also a key to cities’ revitalization plans and making them less tax-dependent on the rest of us to subsidize. So this 1/2 of Green Acres dollars lone isn’t enough to do that, but it helps the overall fiscal picture of New Jersey.
if you want to vote against something, there are 100 things that are a fiscal drag, a giveaway…. pensions, over-committed medicaid, developer giveaways that cost billions, and a million other things. But don’t stop the one program that actually saves us money on lots of costs (like multi-billion water filtration plants) and puts money in our pockets, like the hundreds of millions that fishermen put into the economy when the fish are healthy in clean water
October 23rd, 2009 at 12:13 pm
The bottom line is next year the state will be facing an $8B budget gap on top of the state’s overall ~$46B debt. If you think that’s the right time to add another $400M of debt to preserve more open space (again, which we already have plenty of), I’d respectfully say to you: please reconsider your vote.