CAPE MAY COUNTY

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Diunpsite Ranks

Vol. 16 No. 38 mi s»ow<x« c<xp ah >>f&«fVWd

September 23,1981

REAGANOMICS

The Crunch is Coming

THE TRAFFIC SIGNAL at the corner of Glennwood and New Jersey Aves., Wildwood, was downed Sat. when a float in the annual firemen’s parade became entangled in the overhead wires. Although it disrupted the parade for a short time, there were no injuries. ^ Chamber Opposes Bond COURT HOUSE — The Cape May C xm- referendum." the Chamber board, accorty Chamber of Commerce Board of Direc- ding to Robert Patterson Jr, executive lore are opposing the $350 million Water director of the Chamber, “cited the InfrSupply Bond Issue on the November ballot ' ingcment and takeover by state govern- — a question which has the support of a ment of local and private water supplies nonpartisan, statewide group of business, and distribution systems and erosion of industry, labor and civic leaders. local home rules as well as the vast exReferring to the question as the $350 pense and debt incurred for future generamillion “water pipeline bond (Page 21 Please) MU A ‘Should be OK’

Cutbacks in fedeal funds as part of the so-called Reaganomics program will begin to be felt in Gape May County along with the rest of the nation starting the first of next month (the beginning of the new fiscal year). And news this week from the Social Security Office in Wildwood and the County Food Stamp office in Rio Grande provide the handwriting on the wall. As elsewhere in the federal budget paring, the process is aimed at cutting inflation and lowering interest rates thru reduced- government spending and tax cuts geared (o precipitate increased activity in the private business sector — the socalled supply side economics. The immediate effects will be felt by fixed (especially low-income and Food Stamp and Social Security recipients are among them. ’’MANY CLIENTS will see a difference in their food stamp allotments received next month," notes Sharon Pepper, Outreach coordinator with the County Food Stamp Office. The earned income deduction has been reduced from 20 to 18 i>er cent. This means that 82 per cent of a person’s gross earnings is counted in computing eligibility for food stamps. The amount of food stamps a family gets will depend on when they apply for food stamps, she explained. For instance if a family applies for food stamps on the 15th of a month, they will be entitled to one half of the month’s food stamps. After the first month, the family will receive the full month’s allotment, depending on the household's size and income. ANOTHER CHANGE is any household that does not contain someone 60 years or older or someone receiving SI or Social Security Disability must meet new gross income limits. This means that if a household's gross income is higher than allowed — regardless of the bills — the family wouldn’t be eligible for food stamps. The maximum allowable family gross income (making more than this, they won’t be eligible for food stamps): One person - $467 a month; Two - $617; Three - $766; Four - $916; Five $1,065; Six - $1,215; Seven - $1,364; Eight - $1,514; fpr each additional member add $150. "THE STATUTORY minimum benefit has been eliminated," Deltoh Brooks, Social Security manager in Wildwood pointed out. Under the law, the minimum benefit is eliminated for all people who become eligible for benefits after October 1981. For people now on the.Social Security benefit roles and for those who became eligible before November 1981, the minimum will be eliminated starting March 1962. Under the old benefit rates were figured from a person's earnings covered by Social Security. But no matter how low a person’s earnings, his or her monthly rate was based on a statutory minimum. UNDER THE NEW LAW. a person's benefit rate will still be figured from his o? her average earnings covered by Social Security, but there will be no lower limit. The rate actually payable will be just what the covered earnings provide based on the benefit formula. People receiving benefits affected by this new law will receive a notice telling them their new benefit rates, Brooks said, adding that another provision of the new law will protect those who are financially (Page 21 Please)

SWAINTON - The Cape May County Municipality Utilities Authority has apparently regained its state priority and the $12.5 million in federal funds that goes with it. The decision will enable the authority to construct the Cape May Region wastewater treatment plant, the composting facilities in the Seven Mile Beach/Middle Region and also design the Wildwoods/Lower and Seven Mile Beach/Middle wastewater treatment

facilities.

Engineers WASHINGTON - The U S. Army Corps of Engineers has dropped its plans to dismantle the Philadelphia District office. Congressman Bill Hughes announced last week, terming the decision a significant victory for the Delaware Valley region, which depends heavily on the Army Corps for maintenance of the ^Philadelphia port, and for navigation, flood coritrol and beach erosion projects in Delaware, South Jqreey and Pennsylvania. ■However, some reduction in work force appears imminent. "I’m very pleased that the Army Corps has taken Philadelphia off its hit list," said Hughes, who organized the Congressional opposition to the plan when it was first announced last April. “If this realignment had takfn place, it would have jeopardized the Philadelphia port, and presented

“The New Jersey Dept, of Environmental Protection has cancelled its September 23 public heading on the phase/undln/t proposal." MUA executive director-George Marinakis reported, "because it didn’t 1 give adequate legal notice. Since the fiscal year ends Sept. 30 and certain funds must be obligated prior to that date, we now expect that our pending grant projects will be funded at the originally anticipated 75-85 per cent level. (Page 21 Please) Stay, Cut serious economic problems for our

region."

THE ARMY CORPS had originally planned to disband the Philadelphia office and divide its functions between Baltimore and New York. Eastern Pennsylvania and Delaware would have been transferred entirely into the Baltimore District, while South-dlersey would have been split between Baltimore and New York. Philadelphia would have been downgraded to a field office, with only a small staff remaining to oversee operations and maintenance activities among existing federal projects Under the new plan, Hughes said the Army Corps intends to spread its required personnel cutbacks around the country, instead of concentrating them in specific (Page 21 Please)

MIDDLE TWP - The secluded property owned by Theodore Williams which formerly served as a chemical dumping ground here has been ranked as the 7th among 22 abandoned dump sites in New Jersey for priority cleanup The N J. Hazardous Waste News reports that while more than $100,000 has already been stfent removing 100 drums and 50 truckloads of chemical-laden topsoil from the land, another $1 to $3 million is seen necessary for'groundwater. decontamination. The State Dept, of Environmental Protection ranked the top 22 of 3bo inden tified dump Sites on the basis.of ground , water, surface watt/, air quality and the safety of nearby populations. Nine of thejpriority dump sites are in South Jersey, and are amoung those placed on hold pending resolution of the Reagan Administration withholding of fedei^jrSuperfund cleanup monjes

Docks vs. Condos

LOWER TWP - A proposal by former Congressman Charles Sandman io build condominiums on his Two Mile Inn pro perty off Ocean Dr here is under con sideratren by township.officials, with sortie supporting the plan and others op posed Sandman, a former towaship solicitor here, has made'his pitch for a change in the township's new zoning ordiinance to v permit condo coastniction on the grounds it would add a million dollar ratable, that without the needed money, he won't be * able to profitably meet the mortgage payments on the.reitaur^nt and employees would be out of wohk Among those' unhappy with the pro posal are Planning Board members who wonder if changing the Marine Business zone to allow for condos wouldn’t foster a trend which elsewhere in the county is resulting in a loss of marina facilities to owners of condos with boat slips. The question of spirit zoning has been raised also, and a compromise appears imminent.

Beach Commitment

OCEAN CITY - The state committed itself last week to Support a beach nourishment project here that will provide benches 173 ff. wide at a 10 ft. elevation from Morningside Rd to 21 St. and an additional 180 f(. to the main high water line. The city Couneil t has adopted a resolution to pay half the cost of the two phase project - estirtiated to cost $3,447,000 Approximately $1.4 million will have to b6 provided ip the city’s 1982 capital irtiprovement fund to finance the work Noise Law Studied

SEA ISLE CITY - Police and municipal officials from Wildwood and Ocean City are among those from several shore communities that have inquired how officials here are successfully enforcing a state statute that holds landfords responsible for noisy tenants. The City Commission decided last fall to enforce the Ifiw already on the books that says-a person is guiRy of a disorderly person offense if he knowingly conducts or maintains a place where people gather to engage in unlawful conduct 204 arrests were made in 1981 for noise violations — at which time the property owners were warned that a subsequent • incident would lead to a 1 fine and possible closing of the'rerital properties This summer 3 landlords were convicted under the statute fined $200 each, and ordered to evict their tenants Within the next mopth/at leas! a dozen more arc scheduled to appear in court on similar charge.

EXTRA COUPON SAVINGS IN THIS ISSUE!