Green Ghouls: Suburban NIMBY’s Seek COVID Pandemic Money To Purchase Land To Block Proposed Warehouse

Gov. Murphy Will Rue The Day If He Diverts COVID Funds To Open Space

Over 35,000 NJ Residents Died Of COVID

Gov. Murphy’s Office Tasked 11 Staff To Consider COVID Diversion

The selfishness of the “green” community knows no bounds.

Do I even have to mention that over 35,000 NJ residents have died of COVID, that there are growing risks of pandemic diseases, and that NJ’s public health system is severely underfunded and ill-prepared to respond?

I’ve often written about how groups I call the “Green Mafia” feed at the government trough and outright steal funds and lobby for their own selfish organizational pet projects, despite the larger public interest.

I previously thought that the diversion of hundreds of millions of dollars of DEP and State Parks funds to the open space program — from which they derive “stewardship” funding –  was as low as they could go (e.g. see Bergen Record story: “Budget Cuts Doom State Parks To Disrepair” (9/24/16).

I was wrong.

Today, NJ Spotlight casually (and somewhat favorably) reports that wealthy suburban residents of West Windsor are seeking to divert federal COVID money to purchase land to block a proposed new warehouse:

Seeking support from the State House 

To that end, Fox met last week with senior members of the administration of Gov. Phil Murphy in the hope that they would approve using $50 million of American Rescue Plan money — which the federal government distributed to states in 2021 to speed their recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic — to buy the land from its current owner, Atlantic Realty. 

It was her second meeting with Christine Sadovy, Murphy’s cabinet secretary, who requested the latest meeting and expanded the number of officials present to 11 from the previous three. The state officials sent no signals about whether they supported the idea of using the pandemic-recovery funds to buy the West Windsor parcel, Fox said, but their presence encouraged her to think that the proposal might survive. 

“This is clearly on her radar,” Fox said, referring to Sadovy. “Maybe we are actually being considered for the ARPA funds. If these folks are writing policy for the executive team, they might be the ones who are making decisions about where the money is going.” 

Don’t even think of going there. Just what is the matter with these people?

Gov. Murphy is rumored to have national political aspirations.

I can assure him that after some 35,774 NJ residents died of COVID, if he diverts federal COVID money to purchase open space he will rue the day.

No doubt this would give him a huge and well deserved black eye.

And there are far easier ways for the Murphy administration to kill this and many other proposed warehouse developments – just direct DEP to enforce NJ’ environmental laws!

See email below on how to do that:

Hi Micah – I’ve been somewhat following the warehouse debate and am repeatedly frustrated by the inability of the news coverage and local opposition to even mention the State government’s regulatory powers, especially DEP’s stormwater, Flood Hazard, wetlands and water quality management review and approval powers.

Today’s NJ Spotlight story explicitly mentioned (if only tangentially) DEP stormwater and flood hazard permits – yet you again emphasize solely the local land use (home rule) issue.

What gives?

You are old enough to remember McGreevey DEP Commissioner Campbell’s (failed) initiative to integrate the State Plan in DEP regulatory programs, known as “Big Map”. But Campbell did adopt “Category One” stream 300 foot buffer regulations that killed massive proposed corporate office parks (Berwind in Hopewell is a local example) and several huge housing developments.

Before that, Gov. Florio issued an Executive Order (on his last day in office) directing DEP to integrate the State Plan in DEP regulatory programs.

Even Gov. Whitman (no friend of DEP or regulation) had a “watershed initiative” to complement her million acre open space goal.

The media and local activists are giving Gov. Murphy and DEP a HUGE PASS.

Why is that, particularly in light of this history?

Wolfe

[End Note: Micah just sent me his complete statement. He was misquoted by Jon Hurdle, who edited out his statement criticizing DEP’s management of the flood rules. That is a constant pattern by Hurdle and it must be intentional. My apologies to Micah.

Also, it is clear from Micah’s full reply to Jon Hurdle, that the “bellwether” construct (meme? narrative? framing?) was Hurdle’s creation. Hurdle may have created that in his own deluded perception, or he could be just parroting what someone whispered in his ear. Because if West Windsor is a “bellwether” that means that Hurdle’s reportage is important or relevant, right?