Thursday, October 22, 2009

Kudos to CN, TF educational leaders...and Charles Basile!

Our sincere thanks to Tinton Falls and Colts Neck school districts for helping NOPE to publicize our RALLY, Tuesday, October 27 at 730 p.m. at Colts Neck High, and recognizing the necessity of grassroots, taxpayer participation in trying to avert a civilian housing disaster at Weapons Station Earle that has the potential to devastate our (and other) school districts.

Through "kiddie mail" (i.e. kids backpacks), we were able to distribute some 1,800 flyers to families of children in Tinton Falls' K-thru-8 district, and thru an email distributed thru Colts Neck's "listserv" reached at least 1,000 more homes in Colts Neck Township. (And, of course, we could not have done it without the help of printing guru Charles Basile, whose company, The Wall Street Group, has proven vital to NOPE's print publicity campaign.)

We cannot stress enough the need for a packed house on Tuesday night as a symbol of community solidarity and outcry against the Department of Navy's plans for Laurelwood base housing and as a show of support to NOPE and our elected politicians, who have put in thousands of hours fighting for the better of our communities.

Please come out and show your support, and we remind readers that NOPE's upcoming rally and our entire mission is not a protest against those who dutifully defend our rights and serve our country at Weapons Station Earle itself (or attend our schools), but as a sign of discontent over a poor decision by the Department of Navy in Washington, D.C. to let civilians reside within the base's fence line. That said, we invite families now residing at Earle to attend on Tuesday night, to ensure that their kids' quality of education is not compromised down the road by bad leadership decisions.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Privatized military housing running amok

The Air Force Times reported earlier this month on how, yet again, military decision-makers misjudged soldiers' (apparently diminishing) interest in on-base housing. In this report, on-base housing occupancy for Air Force installations is running at a mere 83% of airmen, with families of civilian contractors bumping the rate to 88%. The Air Force, in this case, is saddled with filling homes and is considering opening some to basically anyone, including civilians. And, at the same time, leaders show no sign of slowing or revisiting the privatized military housing trend.

Although there are drastic differences between citations in this story and our particular beef with the Department of the Navy, it is important to note for visitors to our rally on Tuesday, October 27 (Colts Neck High, 730pm) that our case at Weapons Station Earle is not much different, from the perspective that each involved privatization...or turning over construction to outside, private developers and property managers; many have been good partners, but a few have ripped off U.S. taxpayers vis-a-vis the U.S. Military (see American Eagle Communities, toward the bottom of the Air Force Times story).

In our case with Earle, the Department of Navy is, in short, pushing the financial burden of a poorly construed 1980s privatized housing contract on the taxpayers of our communities in Tinton Falls, Colts Neck and broader Monmouth County. There was no justifiable, long-term need to build the 300 Laurelwood homes back in the late 1980s (when the DoN knew it was moving ships from their Earle homeport to other bases), and for about a decade now they've essentially been vacant (6-7 are occupied at present), and now it's evidently our communities' responsibility to make good for DoN missteps?!?!

So, rather than buying out the Laurelwood developer and saving everyone - including NWS Earle personnel and the DoN itself - a massive headache and averting a potential security disaster, the Department of Navy is steadfast about letting the developer open the homes to any willing renter on the open market, so long as the Navy can get out of a presumed $3.5-$4 million annual rent payment to Laurelwood Homes, LLC. Go figure.

We will not stand for this. See why at Colts Neck High, Tuesday, Oct. 27 at 730pm.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Text of Colts Neck Resolution in support of NOPE

In a mild oversight, we neglected to post Resolution 2009-133, adopted by Colts Neck Township Committee and signed by Administrator Robert Bowden on October 14, supporting Neighbors Opposed to Privatization at Earle.

NOPE clearly appreciates the support of Township Committee and their submission to U.S. Senators Menendez and Lautenberg, Congressmen Smith and Holt, Governor Corzine, the District 12 State team, the Monmouth County Freeholders, and Tinton Falls' Borough Council and Mayor.

Pardon the cutoff of Mr. Bowden's signature, but until this document is electronic posted to Colts Neck's website, the attached photo scan will do (just click on it to open).

Remember to attend our rally next Tuesday, October 27, 2009 at 730p - Colts Neck High.

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Reminder: NOPE Rally, Tuesday, Oct. 27 @ 730p - Colts Neck High

We are within the homestretch of preparations for NOPE's Oct. 27 rally at Colts Neck High, organizing the agenda and presentation for what we anticipate will be a well-attended event by the general public, emergency responders and our elected officials from the federal, state and local levels. Anyone wishing to volunteer to help us publicize the event should contact us at njNOPE@gmail.com, globalinfo1@verizon.net or billholobowski@verizon.net.

Already we have 100 lawn signs out at different spots in Colts Neck and Tinton Falls, and could use some volunteers to either go door-to-door or stand outside an area business to distribute the flyers promoting the rally. Otherwise, please share w/us an email address to which we can send our flyer and you can distribute via email to your neighbors, friends and family.

Also, here's the Asbury Park Press' confirmation of Colts Neck's hiring of Giuliani Partners as security consultants in its lawsuit vs. the Department of Navy.