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PRESERVE SANDY HOOK
Date: 040219
From: http://www.ahherald.com/
GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY
OLD OAK TRAIL
By Joe Reynolds, joe@ahherald.com
Atlantic Highlands Herald, 19 February 2004
People have always felt a need to subdue and exploit our natural and
cultural resources. This frontier mentality was clearly seen during
the latter half of the 1800s (post-Civil War period), as most
Americans were busy trying to profit from our natural resources.
People looked at our waterways, vast virgin forests, and productive
mineral deposits to be utilized in whatever way any person who owned
the land desired. No regard was given to protecting land or at least
using it in a sustainable manner.
Then in March of 1872, the United States Congress and President
Ulysses S. Grant passed legislation to preserve and protect over 2
million acres from development, commercialism, and individual profit.
The land was called Yellowstone.
Yellowstone became the impetus for the Untied States government to
preserve land. In the early 1900s, President Theodore Roosevelt added
more than 130 million acres to our national parks. What a beautiful
and thrilling time this must have been.
At some point during the 1970s, however, the budget for the National
Park Service started shrinking. Less money was devoted to the care of
our national parks. Consequently, certain parks fell into disrepair.
Today, this great neglect is most evident at Fort Hancock, part of
Sandy Hook Gateway National Recreation Area. A majority of highly
historic buildings within Fort Hancock have holes in the ceiling and
walls, animal feces all about, water damage, falling boards, and
general filth. This is no way to preserve our cultural history.
Yet, the United States government and the National Park Service no
longer wish to take responsibility for the repair of our national
parks. They have washed their hands clean.
Our government leaders in Washington DC have decided that they should
not be held responsible for past carelessness and should not be liable
for restoring our historic national landmarks. Instead, under the
appearance of historic preservation, they plan to commercialize our
public lands and let private individuals conduct the restoration. In
return, private individuals may profit from the sub rental agreements.
The National Parks System at Sandy Hook wants to award a single,
long-term 60-year lease to a private company. The individual lease
would empower Wassel Reality (a.k.a. Sandy Hook Partners LLC) to
develop Fort Hancock into a commercial, for profit rental area with
retail/commercial uses, such as high-priced restaurants and corporate
training center. Like most profit driven growth, the developer is
unsympathetic to the associated impacts from traffic, noise, and
litter onto the natural environment and to neighboring communities
including Sea Bright and Highlands. This is not why our National Park
System was created!
When you ask people from the National Park System why the federal
government is not renovating Fort Hancock, the familiar answer they
offer is that the government is unwilling at this time to foot the
approximately $75 million to rehabilitate the 30 or so buildings that
need to be immediately patched up. They declare that there is no money
in the federal budget to conduct such an extensive project. Yet, is
this true?
The Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW), a private, non-
partisan, non-profit organization founded in 1984, has argued for
decades that there is a tremendous amount of mismanagement and
inefficiency in the federal government. Reported on their website at
http://www.cagw.org/site/PageServer there is more than enough money to
cover the cost of repairing Fort Hancock.
CAGW illustrates effectively that the federal government mis-spends
millions of dollars of our tax money every year. For example, millions
of dollars will be spent in 2004 on advertising campaigns to market
recently passed bills to the public and to multi-billion dollar
corporations so they can help advertise their products overseas. In
addition, in 2003, the federal government spent a $125 million on an
advertising blitz aimed at getting children to become more active, but
having failed to produce results, the advertising firm recently
received an additional $68.4 million to spruce up it up.
Although these programs might be worthwhile, the issue is priorities.
Sandy Hook and our national parks are precious places that are worthy
of our tax dollars to restore, repair and refurbish. These places are
truly extraordinary and the crown jewels of America. Our national
parks contain some of the last remaining land that is not overly
developed or unduly commercial.
This is certainly true of Sandy Hook. It is located at the northern
tip of the popular Jersey Shore and overlooks New York City, which is
the largest urbanized piece of coast in the world.
Where is the leadership in Washington DC for someone to be the
catalyst that announces to everyone that our national parks are not
for sale?
Please urge your federal elected officials to show leadership. Push
the federal government to take responsibility to restore our national
parks. The money is there in Washington DC, but the importance and
attention is not.
Furthermore, press your federal elected officials to push for the
National Park Service to organize an independent group made up of
local citizens, public officials, and scholars to conduct a fair and
unbiased study to determine the best way to revive Fort Hancock that
is harmonious with the character of Sandy Hook.
Below are web site addresses to some federal political leaders for
you to contact:
Senator Jon Corzine, http://corzine.senate.gov/contact.cfm
Senator Frank Lautenberg, http://lautenberg.senate.gov/webform.html
Congressman Frank Pallone Jr., http://www.house.gov/pallone/
Congressman Rush Holt,
http://holt.house.gov/display2.cfm?id=1071&type=Home
For further information, please write to the local non-profit group
dedicated to preserving Sandy Hook from becoming commercial: Save
Sandy Hook can be reached at POB 265, Lincroft, NJ 07738.
* * *
Copyright (c) 1996- 2004 - Allan Dean - All Rights Reserved.
Date: 040219
From: http://www.ahherald.com/
GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY
OLD OAK TRAIL
By Joe Reynolds, joe@ahherald.com
Atlantic Highlands Herald, 19 February 2004
People have always felt a need to subdue and exploit our natural and
cultural resources. This frontier mentality was clearly seen during
the latter half of the 1800s (post-Civil War period), as most
Americans were busy trying to profit from our natural resources.
People looked at our waterways, vast virgin forests, and productive
mineral deposits to be utilized in whatever way any person who owned
the land desired. No regard was given to protecting land or at least
using it in a sustainable manner.
Then in March of 1872, the United States Congress and President
Ulysses S. Grant passed legislation to preserve and protect over 2
million acres from development, commercialism, and individual profit.
The land was called Yellowstone.
Yellowstone became the impetus for the Untied States government to
preserve land. In the early 1900s, President Theodore Roosevelt added
more than 130 million acres to our national parks. What a beautiful
and thrilling time this must have been.
At some point during the 1970s, however, the budget for the National
Park Service started shrinking. Less money was devoted to the care of
our national parks. Consequently, certain parks fell into disrepair.
Today, this great neglect is most evident at Fort Hancock, part of
Sandy Hook Gateway National Recreation Area. A majority of highly
historic buildings within Fort Hancock have holes in the ceiling and
walls, animal feces all about, water damage, falling boards, and
general filth. This is no way to preserve our cultural history.
Yet, the United States government and the National Park Service no
longer wish to take responsibility for the repair of our national
parks. They have washed their hands clean.
Our government leaders in Washington DC have decided that they should
not be held responsible for past carelessness and should not be liable
for restoring our historic national landmarks. Instead, under the
appearance of historic preservation, they plan to commercialize our
public lands and let private individuals conduct the restoration. In
return, private individuals may profit from the sub rental agreements.
The National Parks System at Sandy Hook wants to award a single,
long-term 60-year lease to a private company. The individual lease
would empower Wassel Reality (a.k.a. Sandy Hook Partners LLC) to
develop Fort Hancock into a commercial, for profit rental area with
retail/commercial uses, such as high-priced restaurants and corporate
training center. Like most profit driven growth, the developer is
unsympathetic to the associated impacts from traffic, noise, and
litter onto the natural environment and to neighboring communities
including Sea Bright and Highlands. This is not why our National Park
System was created!
When you ask people from the National Park System why the federal
government is not renovating Fort Hancock, the familiar answer they
offer is that the government is unwilling at this time to foot the
approximately $75 million to rehabilitate the 30 or so buildings that
need to be immediately patched up. They declare that there is no money
in the federal budget to conduct such an extensive project. Yet, is
this true?
The Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW), a private, non-
partisan, non-profit organization founded in 1984, has argued for
decades that there is a tremendous amount of mismanagement and
inefficiency in the federal government. Reported on their website at
http://www.cagw.org/site/PageServer there is more than enough money to
cover the cost of repairing Fort Hancock.
CAGW illustrates effectively that the federal government mis-spends
millions of dollars of our tax money every year. For example, millions
of dollars will be spent in 2004 on advertising campaigns to market
recently passed bills to the public and to multi-billion dollar
corporations so they can help advertise their products overseas. In
addition, in 2003, the federal government spent a $125 million on an
advertising blitz aimed at getting children to become more active, but
having failed to produce results, the advertising firm recently
received an additional $68.4 million to spruce up it up.
Although these programs might be worthwhile, the issue is priorities.
Sandy Hook and our national parks are precious places that are worthy
of our tax dollars to restore, repair and refurbish. These places are
truly extraordinary and the crown jewels of America. Our national
parks contain some of the last remaining land that is not overly
developed or unduly commercial.
This is certainly true of Sandy Hook. It is located at the northern
tip of the popular Jersey Shore and overlooks New York City, which is
the largest urbanized piece of coast in the world.
Where is the leadership in Washington DC for someone to be the
catalyst that announces to everyone that our national parks are not
for sale?
Please urge your federal elected officials to show leadership. Push
the federal government to take responsibility to restore our national
parks. The money is there in Washington DC, but the importance and
attention is not.
Furthermore, press your federal elected officials to push for the
National Park Service to organize an independent group made up of
local citizens, public officials, and scholars to conduct a fair and
unbiased study to determine the best way to revive Fort Hancock that
is harmonious with the character of Sandy Hook.
Below are web site addresses to some federal political leaders for
you to contact:
Senator Jon Corzine, http://corzine.senate.gov/contact.cfm
Senator Frank Lautenberg, http://lautenberg.senate.gov/webform.html
Congressman Frank Pallone Jr., http://www.house.gov/pallone/
Congressman Rush Holt,
http://holt.house.gov/display2.cfm?id=1071&type=Home
For further information, please write to the local non-profit group
dedicated to preserving Sandy Hook from becoming commercial: Save
Sandy Hook can be reached at POB 265, Lincroft, NJ 07738.
* * *
Copyright (c) 1996- 2004 - Allan Dean - All Rights Reserved.