Pago 22 jj Housing Qrisis Facing Elderly, Handicapped

WASHINGTON DC. x flwusands of elderly and handicapped citizens in New Jersey arc faced each year with a bitter dilemma where to find affordable housing. Medical bills, skyrocketing housing costs, plus inflation have eaten away at their assets and they have watched as theft- lixed incomes and retirement nest egg dwindled away That vision of the •golden years” is not one that any of us would care to endure, yet that is exactly •what will face millions of Americans unless something is done today to meet their needs The elderly are the fastest growing segment of our population, and the number of people aged 75 or more is expected to lump by 50 percent belwcen now and the end of the century. For these people, decent affordable liousing will be at a premium During hearings which I held recently in New Jersey and Washington. DC I found out just howcurrent programs are addressing the needs of senior citizens. I found that many older Americans' continue to live in substandard housing and unsafe neighborhoods liecause they have rio other choice They often pay rents so excessive that little is left for food, clothing, or fuel. Yet even in the face of the housing crisis, (’ongness is now considering proposals which would cut back on our production of low income housing While I whole heartedly endorse vigouous effots to combat inflation, to bring prices under control and to promote more .prudent, federal spending. I cannot agree that the path to reach th<K>c goals lies through greater hardship for the poor and elderly. Tcannot agree that giving less to those w ho already make do with to little is the proper way for this country to solve its economic problems In fact, by failing to allow enough production to relieve a severe shortage in rental housing, cutbacks in federal housing programs will actually lead to inflationary rent increases for low income people. That is why I have in-

troduced legislation which would continue funding over the next three years for the Section 202 housing program which helps private. non-profit organizations provide housing for low income elderly and handicapped people Under this program, long-term direct loans are made to eligible sponsors to finance rental or cooperative housing facilities for persons over age 62. or handicapped. The measure would halt the steady decline our nation's housing program has experienced over the last four years by guaranteeing funding for up to 60,000 additional housing units between 1980 and 198:1 In addition. I authored legislation passed by Congress last year to establish supportive services at federally-assisted housing projects for the elderly. The program, known as congregate housing service, would help prevent many elderly penult'' from being forced unnecessarily into more expensive nursing home can* by providing meals and housekeeping assistance in their own residences This program, could actually result in savings for taxpayers of 60 lo 80 percent over the amount of taxdollars now spent on Medicare reimbursements for nursing homes. but the Administration has failed to request funding for the program in KY 1980 This week I w ill appear before a Senate Subcommittee on Appropriations to slate the case for the nation's elderly, and urge full funding of the congregate housing/ program next year. that older Americans can be helped lo maintain their independence and dignity. No less than anyone else, our elderly and handicapped citizens have the right to a safe, decent affordable place to live. This right bas been promised in law to all American for more than three decades. Through the recent hearings, and through legislation which I have introduced. I hope we can build the kind of record that will help bring the law s promise closer to fulfillment.

The Herald And The Lantern

Thursday. June 14,1979

Letters To The Editor Commissioner Opposes' Fishing Licence

To the Editor:

My purpose of writing to you is to enlist your support to oppose the issue of a Federal-State salt water fishing license. I am totally opposed to any form of state or federal recreational salt water

fishing license.

Much of the discussion about the need for a salt water fishing license on the state level can be referred to a study prepared by the Eagleton Foil, for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. Division of Fish. Game and Shellfisheries. In the summary of findings, the study concludes Jhat the State’s efforts to maintain and protect marine environment and resources have been inadequate and that fishermen are more negative than positive about resources used by salt water fishermen such as the conditions and availability of parking facilities near fishing areas, boat ramps and fishiW*piers.order to upgrade the “marine management program and •marine recreational facilities" used by fishermen. New Jerseyians, when polled, favored funding the marine programs through the issuance of salt water fishing license. I have no quarrel with the marine environment, however, in upgrading the •marine progf-am," it would benefit all users of marine resources not only

fishermen.

Alternative to the fishing license. 58 percent polled felt this program should be funded through sales lax revenues from fishing equipment and bait. 45 percent of those polled indicated the use of general revenue from the state legislature was a more equitable funding measure. This type of tax alternative reminds me of the old story of asking the condemned man if he wanted to hang from a new rope of an old

one J

The report also states that ‘eight of ten fishermen would continue to salt water fish even if a license was imposed." This means that 20 percent of the resident fishermen currently fishing in New Jersey, would stop fishing

in salt water. Ironically. Hr state would be the ultimate loser on this one. The license proponents dollar estimated to accomplish the marine program is J3 million, Assuming their figure of 2.7 million in salt water users is accurate, and that 20 percent of the users stop fishing, a total of approximately 2 million will still fish and purchase the

license.

According to the Eagleton Study, the $5.00 license fee suggested would generate $10 million. Why in the name of King Neptune would $10 million be needed to fund a $3 million

program?

The federal proposal for licensing marine recreational fishermen is also $5.00. A recreational pier or vessel license is $500.00. The penalty for engaging in recreational fishing without a license will be a fine in an amount equal to at least five times the fee for an individual i$25J»). and for operating a recreational fishing pier or vessel, the fine will be ten times the license fef of

$5,000.00.

I view* these proposed state and federal requirements as another example of overburdening taxation and bufeaucratic over-regulation by state and federal authorities on the already over taxed and over-regulated individual and businessmen. New Jersey residents are the 10th highest taxed state in the Nation, and the time is now to put a stop to it. Your support is urgently needed. I suggest you personally write your Congress. State legislature and County Officials opposing the license. Please call me if you need their names and address. For your review. I have enclosed a copy of a Resolution adopted by the Sea Isle City Board of Commissioners on May 22, 1979 at our Regular Meeting, opposing the salt water fishing license. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely.

Andrew J. Bednarek • Commissioner,

Sea Isle City

Says Catanoso Recall Growing

To the Editor: As a result of Anthony Catanoso s behavior at the Freeholder meeting on Tuesday night, last of May, people from all over the county have been requesting petitions to recall Catanoso. There are now about 500 .petitions in circulation throughout the county. When these are filled out we'll have more than enough! tofilefocthe recall of Freeholder Catanoso in the November election. Each petition has 23 places for signatures, when those out are filled in we'll have over |0.000 signatures. Catanoso's behavior at the meeting was such that the Ocean City paper denounced him in a

CAPS MAY country

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Our Thirteenth Year Serving Cape May County P.O. ton O 27lt Dune Drive Avalon. N.J. MM2 Phone M7.3312 M7-7M* Published Every Thursday By the Seawrave Corporation Dorrgll Kopp Editor and Publisher Bill Sharman Sport* Editor Kathleen Cox Schaeffer Reporter J.A. Cunningham Feature Writer Cheryl Crew* Feature Writer Peter Dunne Columnist Charles P. Lamey Columnist Cheryl Crews Graphics Contributor Gall Carlno Advertising Graphics Susan Carr Compositor News A Photos Monday—3 p.m. Advertising Monday—3 p.m. Classified Advertising Tuesday - Noon Subscriptions — $7.00 PER YEAR Nalthar participating advartisara nor tha publlahart of tha HERALD will bo rospontlblo or liablo for misinformation, misprints, typographical orrors, ate.. In any Itsuo. Tha adltor rasarvas tha right to adit any lottor or artlclat aubmlttod for publication.

blistering editorial this week. I attended the Tuesday night meeting and taped the proceedings of the entire meeting. Catanoso permitted John Vmvi. the Director of MU.A. to brazenly walk out of the meeting without answering questions from the public pertaining to the firing of Walter Taft. Catanoso exercised no leadership, insulted Ruth Usher and others and exercised absolutely no control over the meeting. All of this prompted the Editorial remarks in the Ocean City paper. The very next day people requested close to 200 more petitions. Sincerely, Franklin L. Halbruner Cold Spring

Union Control of Government? Would you like big labor controlling the Post Office Department? There are now two bills in Congress, one of which would permit postal employees to be unionized The other would permit all federal employees to join a union. The power of unions already almost insurmountable With a few words, a few powerful men can shut down all transportation, all shipping in and out of the country, and almost every industry. They already have more power than the President and Congress. Can we afford to have them control the vast legions of government employees? You need only to look at the shambles unions have made of Great Britain to forsee what a labor union dominated government could do here. For a free and workable economy, there must be a balance between unions, business and government If any factor becomes too powerful, the people suffer. The two laws in question would repeal parts of the Hatch Act that protect federal employees from being forced to join unions, and forced to play partisan politics to keep their jobs. The Hatch Act was passed to protect the public from being at the mercy of government employees who are politically motivated. Everyone in the country must deal with

federal agencies. Now we assume all are being treated equally by the employees of these agencies because they are prohitited from engaging in partisan politics. It does not take much imagination to consider what havoc could he caused by politically minded employees of I.R.S. Those they opposed could be audited and hounded Many federal agencies regulate » business, both small and large, and eager partisan employees could harrass them without restraint, while ignoring excesses of the big labor unions. The big labor union bosses \#ho are pushing for the repeal of these parts of the Hatch Act are not doing it to gain any benefits for the 2.800,000 federal employees. Their actions are primarily for the additional political power they would gain by gathering these workers into their control. Their funds and support have elected countless officials who are expected to vote as Big Labor wants Many of labor's demands are not in the best interest of the American people, and out legislators should be urged to consider carefully tlx; consequences of repealing these sections of the Hatch Act. Write your Senators and Congressmen if you *are concerned. J. A. Cunningham

Bomb In The Trunk

ORNAGE, N.J. —> National Burn Victim Foundation (NBVF) president Harry J. Gay nor expressed the non-profit service organization's concern about people transporting extra gasoline in automobiles Gaynor said that distributors and sales outlets “sold every gasoline container in sight" during the 1B73 gasoline shortage Now. faced with another critical

gasoline situation, Gaynor said the NBVF is fearful that motorists will again start to store gasoline in the trunk or os the back seats of automobiles. Another concern of the NBVF Is that many motorist* believe It is safe to carry extra gasoline in coaRMUB marked •explosion proof" These cdnfqfnm were not dfeijKd to be transported in care nor kept in confined areas, Gaynor warned.