WolfeNotes.com

Under the cities lies a heart made of ground
But the humans will give no love   ~~~  Horse with No name (America, 1972)

Saw this today, and thought it might be of interest: amazing infrastructure architecture underground.

It shows old storm water infrastructure, which discharges to Blacks Creek (photo at low tide) in Bordentown NJ:

Corner of Willow and Walnut Streets, Bordentown, NJ (12/5/14)

Blacks Creek

NJ Losing Jobs and Investment Due to Christie Ideology & Political Ambition

World’s first “eHighway” for electrified trucks to be trialled in California

[Update: 2/3/15 – here is a national story on what I’m driving at, focused on Christie’s kill of the ARC project:

• Blind to the Future    ~~~ end update]

While NJ can’t fix pot holes and suffers severe traffic congestion and unhealthy air quality, let’s take a look at just two innovative transportation programs being implemented by our west coast friends in California.

No wonder private sector investment and talented young people are locating there, instead of NJ.

NJ used to be the east coast version of California, in terms of leadership in education, environmental and technological policy and investments (instead of political stunts like this).

First, let’s take a look at public transit (hit title for link):

CalSTA and Caltrans Seek Public Input on Transit-Focused
Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Programs

The 2014-15 State Budget provides $832 million to the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund from Cap-and-Trade auction proceeds to support existing and pilot programs that will reduce GHG emissions and benefit disadvantaged communities. This expenditure plan will reduce emissions through several programs, including ones modernizing the state’s rail system (including both high-speed rail and public transit), encouraging sustainable community development with an emphasis on public transportation and affordable housing, restoring forests in both urban and rural settings, increasing energy, water, and agricultural efficiency and creating incentives for additional recycling.

Nothing like that in NJ –

Gov. Christie is a climate change policy denier. He diverted over $1 billion from NJ’s Clean Energy Fund to pay for corporate tax breaks. He ideologically opposes any new revenues and has made no real investments in infrastructure other than spending federal Sandy recovery funds like a drunken sailor. He  killed off shore wind, undermined expansion of solar, and blocked energy efficiency. And he tried to kill NJ’s zero emission vehicle program. He did kill the most critical NJ transit investment, the ARC rail tunnel to Manhattan, based on lies.

He opposes government planning of any kind, including transportation, air quality, climate change, Sandy recovery, or land use planning, killing NJ’s State Plan.

Christie has no professionals in his Cabinet with policy expertise, and thus has no ability to manage state government, no less design and implement innovative programs.

His “environmental justice’ and urban policy is one of total neglect, excerpt for the privatization of public schools.

But that sole “urban” policy is  driven by ideology and a cynical political motive to attack public employee unions, reward his Wall Street cronies with public educational funds, dismantle progressive public education, and provide anchors for private real estate investment to gentrify urban centers.

Second, let’s look at California’s “e-highway” program

Siemens was selected by California’s South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) to install the system because around 35,000 trucks grind through Carson every day to the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, the two busiest ports in the US. Traffic is expected to increase almost threefold by 2035, so authorities are looking for zero-emission solutions.

“Southern California’s air pollution is so severe that it needs, among other strategies, zero- and near-zero emission goods movement technologies to achieve clean air standards,” said Barry Wallerstein, SCAQMD’s executive officer.

NJ has similar severe air pollution problems, particularly from diesel emissions from Port Newark. We’ve written about that, see Star Ledger:

• Experts and Advocates: Pollution from Ports A High Cancer Risk to Urban NJ

But, instead of investing in real solutions to those problems and providing a minimum of justice and health protections for the people who live in the Newark area, Gov. Christie has pledged to provide “regulatory relief” to the business community and rollback and dismantle enforcement of DEP regulations.

NJ environmental groups compounded that problem by raiding and essentially dismantling the NJ diesel  emissions control and retrofit program by stealing $17 million for the Open Space program, see:

A Look At An Amazing Propaganda Campaign

Source: USEPA

Let’s start with a few basic facts:

• According to US EPA and NJ DEP water quality monitoring data, NJ’s streams, rivers, lakes, bays, and groundwater currently do not meet water quality standards set under the federal Clean Water and Safe Drinking Water Acts to assure that all waters are fishable and swimmable and safe to drink;
• there are a multitude of pollution sources that cause these pollution problems;
• there must be deep reductions in current pollution if NJ is to achieve clean water goals;
• there are a set of State regulatory programs designed to protect and restore water quality by limiting pollution discharge that either are not being aggressively implemented, rolled back, not adequately funded, or not enforced

These water pollution problems, their causes, and the regulatory programs designed to reduce pollution were recently discussed in a NJ Spotlight opinion piece by Dan Van Abs, as well as my critique of that analysis.

With that in mind, consider that the core claim of the Keep It Green Coalition’s support for the opens space funding ballot question recently approved by voters was that open space improves water quality and protects clean water.

Yet with very few exceptions (e.g. NY/NJ Baykeeper, some watershed groups), land trust & conservation member groups of the Keep It Green Coalition do virtually no work  – NONE – on the clean water and safe drinking water issues and programs outlined in the NJ Spotlight piece and expanded upon in my critique. 

Instead of actually working on clean water issues , KIG spent over $700,000 promoting this pack of lies:

On November 4, 2014 Vote YES on Public Question 2 to ensure dedicated state funds are available to protect New Jersey’s clean drinking water, open spaces, farmland and historic sites, as well as to improve water quality and clean up polluted sites.

Let’s be clear about some basics:

1) Open space preservation is merely the legal change in ownership in land.

A forest owned by NJ Audubon, or the State of NJ , or a developer provides the same ecological and water quality services.

The legal ownership of the land does not alter current conditions; e.g. the groundwater recharge,  infiltration of rainwater, pollution runoff,  drainage, wetlands characteristics, stream vegetation, or pollution filtration of the land.

I trained in environmental science and regional planning, so I understand the value of open space in PREVENTING POTENTIAL FUTURE NEW SOURCES OF POLLUTION via land development.

But preventing future potential pollution sources does nothing to reduce current pollution and will do nothing to restore water quality and make our waters fishable, swimmable, and safe to drink. Nothing at all.

And with NJ’s willing seller approach to land acquisition, we get the 100 acre parcel preserved across the street from the corporate office park or housing development. So even FUTURE benefits are often wiped out by the failure to plan and regulate on a regional basis.

2) And the lies get worse.

Exactly the opposite of what KIG claims, they are not only not protecting water quality, they are making current problems worse because the KIG ballot question slashed current funding for water resource protection programs that actually protect drinking water, improve water quality, and cleanup polluted sites.

The actual way water pollution is reduced and water quality protected and restored is via a) regulatory standards and permit limits on pollution discharge sources; b) mandates to reduce pollution loadings from current pollution sources; c) mandates to install pollution control technology treatment requirements; d) requirements to cleanup pollution sources like toxic waste sites and underground storage tanks, and e) restoration field work: things like installation of best management practices, construction of CSO controls, stream buffer restoration projects, or retrofit of storm water infrastructure.

Those DEP programs actually limit and reduce current pollution discharged to our waters.

Those DEP programs require water quality monitoring networks to collect data; scientists, engineers, and planners to analyze that data and set water quality standards and permit limits; inspectors to monitor and enforce compliance with standards and permit limits; and experts to design and install field restoration projects.

Those programs and professionals cost money.

But KIG just slashed about $45 million from DEP water resource programs and the funding source that supports the salaries of 266 DEP staffers who actually protect water quality and drinking water.

And all for the change in ownership of land (and fund their own organization’s budgets).

So, let’s recap:

1)  currently water quality is poor and programs to protect water quality are being rolled back and defunded;

2) so called environmental groups that do no work on clean water justify spending $100 million of public money on open space on the basis of protecting clean water;

3) the open space program does nothing to protect current water quality;  and

4) the open space program diverts funds from programs that actually protect water quality.

Only Orwell could imagine something like that.

[End note: our KIG friends never seem to mention these requirements, which I helped develop at DEP, that impose (at no cost to the taxpayer) protections on about 200,000 acres of the most environmentally sensitive high quality open space there is: riparian corridors. According to DEP:

Category One waters are protected from degradation through the implementation of a 300-foot buffer (on each side of the waterway) known as the Special Water Resource Protection Area in the State’s Stormwater Management rules (N.J.A.C. 7:8). Such waters are also protected through the implementation of the State’s Flood Hazard Control Act Regulations, which require a 300-foot riparian zone immediately adjacent to Category One waters and upstream waters within the same HUC14 sub-watershed. These buffers are often coincident with wetlands that are protected in permanent conservation restrictions through the NJDEP’s permitting program.  (@ page5)

“Stewardship” Becomes The Charter School of the Environmental Movement

weeds grow at restroom at Bulls Island SP – park is still closed.

Saturday was a glorious fall day, so the dog and I set out for our favorite walks in the woods along the Delaware River: Bulls Island, D&R Canal State Park, Washington Crossing State Park, & Baldpate Mountain (a Mercer County Park purchased in part with State Green Acres funds).

But even the tranquility of the woods could not get the Open Space disaster out of my mind, particularly State Parks Director Texel’s devastating words:

As the Director of the NJ State Park Service now coping with the reality that our entire Parks capital budget will be completely eliminated beginning July 1, 2015 as a result of the YES vote I can say this is the darkest day I have faced in my professional career. Worse than Superstorm Sandy.

As I walked, I saw multiple examples of the $400 million backlog in deferred State Parks maintenance.

I became even more agitated in recalling the testimony of NJ Audubon CEO Eric Stiles supporting the Open Space diversion – he was the only person to focus on the “stewardship” issue.

Consider Parks Director Texel’s words in direct contradiction to what Mr. Stiles testified to the Senate Environment Committee on December 12, 2013. Stiles said:

This strong measure makes me think about the birth of my fist daughter. It was a difficult birth, and after she came I thought the hard work was done.

When you buy land, you’ve done the easy part.

The hard part is taking care of that land through the stewardship. …..

This [Resolution] includes for the first time a provision for stewardship

If you buy the land and walk away, the water quality degrades, there’s no infrastructure for people to hike and fish. There not necessarily even safe. The wildlife,  the forests suffer.

When we look at the devastating impacts of hurricane Sandy and the emergency response the resilience, most of that is stewardship.

Its how do we invest in these areas to make them increasingly resilient? To help protect against floods. To make these safe and accessible.

So the one provision that we haven’t heard testimony about today, which we strongly support, are the stewardship funds.

All you need to do is that would you as a landowner buy a home with land, and walk away without making continued investments?

Its not different for the forests, the waterways, and the farms we are seeking to preserve.

Perhaps Mrs. Stiles might take exception to the “difficult birth” – given that she did all the work? Call the midwife!

But, getting back to the merits, I don’t see how it could be more clear.

Mr. Stiles is solely interested in stewardship of private lands under control of Audubon.

Mr. Stiles’ approach is similar to the proponents of Charter Schools. They seek to channel public funds to the private sector and don’t care about the public schools system or education of all the children. They don’t care that the private interests they serve effectively dismantle the public sphere and collective values. They benefit financially and politically from the competitive divide and conquer chaos they create in a community, as parents compete with each other and attack the “dysfunctional” public school system.

In fact, transferring public money to Wall Street, defunding and shrinking the public sector, and disempowering public employee unions is the strategic goal – the Charter School itself is just the trojan horse. Of course, those schools will help accelerate racist gentrification, as private Charter schools become the anchors of redevelopment schemes and real estate speculation.

[and if you don’t see the open space issue in terms of a huge transfer of wealth and taxpayer funds to private interests, just ask yourself: who owns land in NJ? Answer: corporations and the wealthy.]

Even so called environmental progressive share those market values:

Open space is a good investment in our future: Urban parks catalyze redevelopment. (Jeff Tittel, NJ Sierra Club)

Audubon’s Stiles doesn’t care about the public sector: the DEP science, planning, and regulatory programs and professionals that protect water quality. He was willing to steal $30 million a year from them and force deep program cuts and/or layoffs.

[and if you don’t see the open space issue as an attack on government and regulation, just ask yourself: who seeks smaller government and less regulation? Answer: the same folks who own the land that receive the open space money diverted from DEP regulatory programs!]

Stiles doesn’t seem to care about the competition and divisiveness in the environmental community he created in his rob Peter to pay Paul scheme.

He doesn’t care about “stewardship” of public lands and parks and was willing to steal $32 million dedicated to State Parks capital improvements, including addressing a $400 million backlog of deferred maintenance.

All of that is now Director Texel’s problem, not Mr. Stiles’.

So, let’s take a look at “stewardship” of State Parks that Mr. Texel must now deal with:

playground at Bulls Island SP – not safe, not accessible. Does Mr. Stiles bring his kids here? I have.

D&R Canal SP – trail closed, bridge over Swan Creek closed indefinitely. Just one of scores of crumbling water infrastructure in the Park.

Washington Crossing SP – bridge out. The picnic tables, fireplaces, bathrooms are crumbling.

Washington Crossing SP – historic buildings crumbling.

Baldpate Mountain – historic outbuildings crumble. They are not safe or accessible.

D&R Canal, south of Duck Island. Full of tire, debris, and sediment. I had support of Park Superintendent to explore dredging – but it’s not going to happen now that capital budget is gone

KIG Open Space Campaign Built On Deception and Lies

The Shoes Begin To Drop

” the darkest day I have faced in my professional career”

Back on August 4, 2014, I warned: (see: Public Parks Funding Would Be Slashed To Pay for Open Space Program)

I find it almost incomprehensible that an issue of this magnitude could remain under the radar and not a matter of public debate.

The same day I urged that: (see: Initial Thoughts on the Open Space Vote):

KIG members should be asked the following questions by the press and their members and Foundation backers:

1) what are your plans for replacing the $32 million diverted from parks funding? Will you fight for that money to be restored in next year’s budget?

In an extraordinary move – unprecedented in my 30 year professional experience in NJ environmental affairs – yesterday, the Director of the State Parks Service publicly confirmed that warning.

Mark Texel wrote the following on KIG Facebook page on 11/5/14:

As the Director of the NJ State Park Service now coping with the reality that our entire Parks capital budget will be completely eliminated beginning July 1, 2015 as a result of the YES vote I can say this is the darkest day I have faced in my professional career. Worse than Superstorm Sandy. 440,000+ acres of preserved open space, 52 historic sites, 39 parks — used by 8 million visitors each year — all managed by my agency and now with no funding plan in place for stewardship beginning in just 7 months. This is not a bad reality TV show. This is New Jersey’s Inconvenient Truth hidden from voters throughout this campaign.

In addition to Mr. Texel’s correct observations about the devastating impacts on his State Parks capital budget, he failed to note that the financial problem caused by the open space diversion is even worse –

Texel also has a huge operating deficit as well because 18 parks management staff were funded by CBT and no longer are – that’s at least $1.8 million.

I hope the smug bastards at the Keep It Green Coalition (KIG) read that Texel quote over and over.

I hope they have nightmares about it.

I hope they are proud of the fact that they caused more harm to NJ’s state park system than Superstorm Sandy.

Heckofajob KIG! I’ve completely lost respect for everyone involved in this KIG sham.

The day AFTER the open space ballot question was approved by voters, the Star Ledger yesterday finally covered the substance – however superficially – of the debate on how the open space diversions would impact DEP environmental programs, see:

• NJ open space ballot question passes, but could it hurt environmental programs?

Had we had those stories before August, the Resolution would never have been approved by the Assembly.

With respect to State Parks cuts, the Ledger story actually toned down the criticism by Sam Pesin of Friends of Liberty State Park – here’s what Sam told his members:

The Friends board heard this past weekend from trusted people who are very involved in the state park service that passage of ballot measure 2 will take major funds away from Liberty State Park and other state parks, mainly giving them for open space in suburban and rural areas.

Land trust organizations and other environmentalists who don’t care about state parks or urban areas pushed for this ballot measure to support their mission. The legislation setting up the ballot measure was very deceiving.

That Ledger article has now spawned a raging debate – which should have occurred MONTHS ago when the Resolution was being considered by the Legislature – and, as the facts become known and the lies are exposed, recriminations are starting against the Keep It Green (KIG) Coalition for their deceptive campaign built on flat out lies.

We have tried to get the facts out, so I felt the need to share this story widely.

This spring, we were given assurances by Jeff Tittel that he had an agreement with Assembly leadership that the Assembly would not post the Open Space Resolution, and therefore it was dead.

Given that assurance, I didn’t break a sweat documenting how bad the Senate diversion deal was.

But back on August 4, after the Assembly held their emergency session and approved the measure allowing the question to appear on the November ballot, I immediately began a series of posts here, to get the word out on what the diversion deal would actually do.

• Initial Thoughts on the Open Space Vote

For now, KIG members should be asked the following questions by the press and their members and Foundation backers:

1) what are your plans for replacing the $32 million diverted from parks funding? Will you fight for that money to be restored in next year’s budget?

2) now that you’ve not opposed Gov. Christie $1 billion plus in diversions and actively supported diversion of environmental funds for reasons not approved BY THE VOTERS (which is far worse than a diversion of legislatively appropriated money), how can you ever credibly oppose any future diversions of environmental funds?

3) now that you’ve accepted Gov. Christie’s austerity policy (no new revenues, no taxes, and no new debt) and refused to fight, to educate the public, and to conduct an open public campaign for the need for new revenues, how are you ever going to support funds for things like putting a price on carbon, gas tax, water tax, renewable energy, or financing multi-billion dollar water infrastructure deficits?

4) How can you look a kid from Newark, Jersey City, Paterson, Camden, et al in the eye while you skim off 20% of that money for “Stewardship” schemes that include commercial logging of state lands, and maybe 10% more for your own salaries?

Today is a day that lives in infamy – I am ashamed to be even remotely associated with any of this.

Here’s the rest of them:

• Conservationists Now Join Politicians In Raiding Environmental Funds, Defunding Regulatory Programs, and Attacking DEP as an Institution (8/3/14)
• Public Parks Funding Would Be Slashed To Pay for Open Space Program (8/4/14)
• Orwell Himself Could Not Have Written A Better Press Release (8/5/14)
• CHRISTIE’S TWO-FACES ON OPEN SPACES (9/3/14)
• Christie DEP Praised History Of Voter Approval of Open Space Ballot Questions, While Christie Denounced November Measure (9/3/14)
• Christie Contradictions Could Doom Open Space Ballot Vote (9/18/14)
• An Open Letter to Members of the NJ Conservation Community (10/1/14)
• JERSEY OPEN SPACE MEASURE CANNIBALIZES PARKS & ECO-PROGRAMS (10/6/14)
• Open Space Debate Finally Emerges (10/8/14)
• Head of NJ LCV Attacks DEP – Op-Ed Smears Critics of Open Space Diversion (10/9/14)
• Flying Blind on Open Space – And Lying About It (10/21/14)
• A New Cover Story on the Open Space Diversion of $100 Million Of Environmental Funds (10/22/14)
• Hopewell Is A Poster Child for Why Open Space Diversion is Fatally Flawed (10/23/14)
• Bergen Record Editorial: Vote “NO” on Open Space Ballot Question #2 (10/27/14)
• Do You Support Logging On State Forests and Preserved Lands? – Another Reason To Vote “NO” on Open Space Question #2 (10/28/14)
• Open Space Funding – Holy Grail? Or White Whale? (10/29/24)