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The Herald and The Lantern

Wednesday. May 7.1980

$afety There are 16 municipalities in Cape May County As of 11 o'clock last Wednesday night. West Cape May became the only one todiave disbanded its entire police force because of budgetary reasons. The borough has the seventh highest population density in the county, and is larger m area than Wildwood; Wildwood Crest, Stone Harbor. West Wildwood and Cape May Point PUBLIC SAFETY IS A PRIMARY responsibility of government. West Cape May is without a police department this wees when last week it had a six-man force — raising a question which must be posed: If the borough cannot provide a basic service because of a fiscal difficulty, is it possible West Cape May is too poor to stand on its own and should not be a municipality? Tourism & Recreation Need Direction

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As man evolved through the eons of time, the amount of effort required for hieaningful accomplishment has decreased to the point where in the late 20th century, millions of people in scores of lands have time on their NIMh. Today, recreation is more than a pastime left to the whim of the individual. Now it is organized, planned, diverse and very big. Recreation is an industry But does it have direction? THE TOURISM ASPECT OK RECREATION is a multi-billion dollar industry in New Jersey alone; last year providing employment for over 150,000 people and accounting for some $4 billion in ousiness and tax revenues. On the national level, these figures were 6 million people and $115 billion. < By properly marketing the tremendous beauty and diversity of recreational offerings available in New Jersey (where there's much mofe than casinos) and in the United States, our state and federal government could go a long way toward stimulating a lethargic economy Through proper direction, tourism could help greatly to improve the tarnished imagd we seem to have in the eyes of many overseas IF OUR CITIZENS HAD AN OPPORTUNITY to rub elbows with vacationers from many lands more often, it would have many mutually beneficial effects, not the least of which would be the realization that we are all neighbors in the world community — and world economy.

Tourism has a lot to offer people As an industry it is part of the economic bridge between nations that historically has preceded understanding between people That bridge, built largely by the merchant and businessman, needs strengthening ant’ direction as only government — people working together — can accomplish.

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We Must Stop Dumping On the Environment by V. McMahon It's really loo bad people don't appreciate what a real piece of nature we have in Higbee Beach. Lower Township, where one can go for quiet recreation, fishing, use of the beach and picnics. To have it so littered and vandalized is a disgrace to mankind and it should not be. *. * 1 was one of a group of teenrfgcrs and oldsters who % - helped clean it of three or four truckloads of uncalled; / for litter a few years back. You name it. it was there ^Ulerwise — furniture, cans, bottles, beds, mattresses, It's a shame we must destroy our environment 6y making so many places a dump Perhaps a little more patrol work, and fines for vandalizing and littering would help This wouldn’t be ssking too much. Any and all litter costs the taxpayers extra tax dollars. ' Let's all pitch in to keep our environment live-able not littered.

V. McMahon Is a Villas resident.

Preparing for the Greying of America by Harrison Williams Jr. Month. In addition, a White House Conference on Aging As the fabric of our society changes — its collective has been scheduled for December 1961. 4

wealth, age and health — so must the vast array of programs and policies which are designed to meet the needs of that population. The ultimate law of supply and demand is reflected in our daily lives, and. of course, each change has its ramifications, whether it be due to a baby boom, zero population growth, or changes in the role of

women

Today, according to the experts, the change we face now is the greying of America. Senior citizens are the fastest growing segment of our population. The number of people aged 75 and over in the United States is expected to increase by 50 percent by the end of this century. Living on fixed incomes, these senior citizens will most likely be very concerned about the effects of inflation on their food and housing budgets, the need for affordable health care, and accessible public transportation in the years ahead. IN ORDER TO PREPARE FOR a future when the greater percentage of our population is over age 55, we must begin now to anticipate the changes this phenomenon will have on our society. As part of a nationwide effort to focus attention on the special needs and concerns of elderly residepts. President Carter has proclaimed May National Senior Citizens

This conference will be attended by some 1,800 delegates from all over the country who will be armed with Firsthand information about’the present and future needs of seniors from their home states. Thirty-five delegates will be sent from New Jersey to represent our state’s interests end to report on its particular needs. IN PREPARATION FOR THIS national conference, each County Office on Aging in our state will hold local forums to highlight the contributions of elderly persons in the community, study the implications of an aging society, and assess the local situation. People of all ages are invited to participate in the forums and express their views on Existing and proposed government policy affecting the lives of senior citizens. Participants in the county meeting will select delegates from their community to participate in state, regional and national conferences on aging. This net work of meetings will provide us with a clear profile of the senior citizen community in our own state and across the country. It will help us prepare for the future we know we must face.

Harrison A. ("Pete”) Williams is the senior U.S. Senator

from New Jersey.

Q. What are the Qualifications To Run for Twp. Committee?

A. None.

by N.J.T.A:

TRENTON - A recent New Jersey Supreme Court opinion declared unconstitutional a statutory requirement for two-year residency as a prerequisite for candidacy for commissioner in a Walsh Act municipality. The court’s decision illustrates the lack of uniform requiremriits for candidates for elected local governing bodies in the state's 567 municipalities and 21 counties. The state constitution requires that a candidate for governor be a resident of New Jersey for seven years. A candidate for state senator must be a resident of the state for faur years and of the district he represents for one year before he can run. Similarly, an assembly candidate must be a resident of the state for two years and of the assembly district for one year. CANDIDATE^ FOR MUNICIPAL governing body are subject to different residency requirements depending on the type of municipality or form of local government. New Jersey laws for the most numerous governmental forms - township committee and borough — have no qualifications for governing body candidacy. There are no residency requirements for freeholder other than residency within the county. The Walsh Act (1911) has a provision that a commissioner •shall have been a citizen and resident of the municipality for at least two years immediately preceding his election.’’ The Couneil-Managrr Law of 1923 also includes the same provision with a separate requirement added in 1955 for 90 days’ residency in municipalities with that form under 1,000 population. The town law requires a candidate to be a citizen of the United States and a resident of the town for at least one year. th« SOVEREIGN STATE of AFFAIRS

Statutory residency requirements of two, three and five years for local government have been declared unconstitutional in several U^. District Court of Appeals cases relating to other states — based on the principle of not being of compelling state interest. FEDERAL DISTRICT COURTS in other opinions have upheld residency requirements of six months and one year. The U.S. Supreme Court has never addressed the issue of a candidate’s time in residence as a qualification for public office. The New Jersey court’s decision regarding the Walsh Act form of government prompts the quesi.on — are residency requirements in.all other municipal laws unconstitutional, including special charter*? The legislature could avoid further litigation by passing a general law clarifying the matter. ANOTHER MAJOR QUESTION is whether New Jersey should have-a uniform requirement for all elected local, both municipal and county, governing body members to be a candidate for office. Prerequisites such as citizenship, voter registration and a minimum period of residency are basic consideration! 4 In respect to residency, consideration should be whether a minimum period of residency is desirable, and if it is, how long should it be? What specific time period is reasonable and desirable — three months, six months, one year? Reason for a residency requirement is to insure that a candidate has time to acquire understanding of the affairs of the municipality or county and its government. - This matter should be addressed by the Legislature without delay.

The New Jersey Taxpayers Association is a non partisan citiien research and educational organisation. BOYD