Reply #190: We're under 30,000 now --- it was alway a well-thought of town --- [View All]

with a large middle-class population and quite a few wealthy ---

All over NJ, it is obvious that corporations have taken over our towns ---
there's a lot to feed on there!!

As the small businesses were forced out by high rents --- and many of these were businesses that had been here for a long time -- only the big corporate stores could afford to move in.

Quite some time ago they also introduced the "Downtown" organizations which "improved" those areas . . . cosmetically!!! They have a yearly budget of something close to $400,000... exactly how that is raised I'm not sure, but there is the idea around that the corps contribute to it. One way or another, I'm quite sure the taxpayer pays the bill.

Anyway, they took paint off old buildings -- painted them to look like "period pieces" of the 1930's --- raised parking fees substantially, meters and train station ---
put flower pots on the streets which are really ugly looking --- that kind of thing.

They all do a lot of "fairs" --- and "flea markets" and made up gimmicks that bring people and their kids into the town area where hopefully they will shop.

One good thing they do in the summers is Tuesday nights they have jazz bands and other
bands in town here and there --- but again . . . is it about music or shopping?

And once a year, all our state legislators go off on a train to Atlantic City -- financed by corporations and entertained by corps -- all day in the hands of corps!

Our Town Council --- and this was a rather slow-paced sleepy town until the mega-corps showed up --- tried to introduce parking decks not so long ago!!!
It was a two year battle against them -- huge retail space included and condos --- !!!
A mega, mega project --- and they spent about a million --- $1 million or more !!! ---
on studying it.

We finally defeated them thanks to many very conscientious citizens who stayed with it for two years --- and the Mayor quietly resigned after the battle. A Repug!!

We've also had great changes coming from the purchase of small houses being replaced with
big new houses!!! And land held by the town opened up to these mega-houses.

Keep an eye on it --- it happens very quickly!!!