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Herald & Lantern 2 February *83

An Editorial Some Politicos Who Listened The adage "you can’t fight city hall" imR lies that'politicians can't he reasoned with, lot alwaytUrue. This neWspaper received a news release last week froth State Sen., James Hurley of Millville who represents all of Cape May County and much of Cumberland Countv He announced' he had sponsored a bill to give Cumberland County residents "first priority" for 250 new jobs expected when a new facility opens at Leesburg State Prison Reason for this preferential treatment, the news release said, was Cumberland County's unemployment rate, second highest in the state. , , We called Sen. Hurley's office and asked an aide which county had the highest unemployment rate m the state. She wasn’t sure. We were, but we let her check. It was Cape May County, of course. CAPE MAY COUNTY has 9,600 of its 37,100-member labor force unemployed; or 25.9 percent. Cumberland County has 10,300 of its 59,500 labor force unemployed, or 17.3 percent. Before one could say "Tootsie," Sen. Hurley called And before one could say “Dustin Hoffman,” he agreed that any preferential hiring should include the people of Cape May County. He promised to offer an amendment to that effect. Two other examples involved proposed pay hikes which public’officials rescinded after negative public reaction. Cape May County Freeholders decided against a proposed $3,000-a-year pay hike and Middle Township Committee backed off plans to increase the annual pay to Health Board members 10-fold, from $120 to $1,200. The three committee members just happen to serve on the Health Board AT LEAST THE freeholders, 5-0 Republican, announced their intention, took the flak, and then said,* ah, shucks, never mind Middle Township Committee, on the other hand, 2-1 Democratic ballyhooed the fact that it was freezing its salaries and those of other key officials, then tiptoed around to the back dootUo siphon off the indirect increase New committeeman Charles M Leusner distributed a page-long news release announcing the salary "freeze," lambasting the freeholders (who make the same $12,000 a year as the Middle Township Committee), but conveniently never mentioning the proposed Health Board hike The public was so outraged that the committee not only dropped the boost, which it called "a misunderstanding,” but eliminated Health Board pay altogether. The moral, folks, is to speak up. Some politicians do listen. v

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Why Should You Be Worried About Social Security’ I'm The Guy With The Problem!"

Letter From St. John A ‘Touching’ Tale By Jane Ann Cunningham When you want a new phone installed in Cape May County, New Jersey Bell asks what day would be convenient If you have a problem with your service, it is attended to quickly. It’s a different world here. A year ago we paid a substantial deposit to VITELCO (Virgin Islands Telephone Co.) to have a phone installed. After finally writing to the president of the company, the phone was installed in December. We were delighted! A new touch tone phone. No more struggling with the public phones in Creey Bay Park, which usually didn't work. We made phone calls and they actually got through. We kept leaving messages, but no one called back. FINALLY, we found out our phone didn't ring when calls were made to us. We tried calling the St. John VITELCO office — never an answer there. We tried St. Thomas repair service Monday, they said. Monday passed. Tuesday, called the repair office, no answer; Business office, busy; Executive office, no answer. We made daily calls for a week to every VITELCO number we could find. Once they answered, and after hearing our complaint, laughted, and hung up Sometimes we were put on hold for half an hour. Once they said Thursday Thursday passed FINALLY we reached someone who was willing to give us a hearing. The latest story is that because we have e touch-tone, our phone doesn’t ring because we have not been connected with the touch-tone center in St. Thomas. We are scheduled for a couple weeks from now. After a lot of complaining, they said it will be next Monday. I don't understand much about telephones. I don't think moiit of the people who work for VITELCO do either. Jane Ann Cunningham of Avalon is the former publisher of the Herald

Company's Coming Good News, Eagles By Joe Zelnik New Jersey potpourri (see last week s column, same place); THE llth ANNUAL New Jersey eagle survey held Jan. 7-8 sighted seven bald eagles and one golden eagle (no relation to the Cape May Motor Lodge), the same number sighted a year ago. Which suggests to me that those eagles must be leading dull IJyes. Apparently the state Endangered and Nongame Species Program agrees It will release 10 wild eagles this summer in the hope they’ll nest and breed. The eagles already here hope so too. r THE TRENDY TIMES (or something like that) reported this week that we taxpayers spent 14,420 on a feasibility study on putting a Jacuzzi tub in Gov Thomas Kean’s master bedroom. (He has a bad back and a 1 Jacuzzi at home.) No one has more sympathy for a bad back than I do. But why not give a heating pad a try? IT’S EvSTIMATED that 15 to 25 percent of you have tampered with your cable television equipment so as to receive the signal on some sets without paying. So, the state last week announced a tougher law against ripping off cable TV companies I’m checking reports that elec Iridty usage jn Cape May County dropped 67 percent as soon as the word got out Because of the startling response 7o my “Warming Drink" contest, we’ve extended the deadline to 5 p m Friday « The New Jersey Division of Motor Vehicles waras that if you have a 1973 or older Volkswagen Beatle. you could have a rusted out front end and suspension problem And your car could have troubles, too

Beer, Wine Bill Makes No Sense (EDITOR'S NOTE: Legislation proposing special permits to allow New Jersey restaurants to serve beer and wine by the glass has divided Cape May Countians. Following letter opposing the permits comes from the Cape May County Licensed Beverage Association and will be included in a Cape May County Chamber of Commerce mailing to poll its members. Letter In favor of the permits from tne Cape May County Garden State Restaurant Association will appear on this page next week.) By Lynda Scanlon There is a major legislative issue before us that we feel will have a devastating effect on Cape May County. We are asking your support in trying to defeat Senate bill S-1863 and Assembly bill A-1969. Both bills provide for special permits to allow certain restaurants to serve beer and wine by the glass. Going back some yeart the so-called "brown bag” statute was signed in|o law permitting unlicens'‘d restaurants to allow their patrons to bring in beer and wine for consumption with their meals, No proprietor can charge any admission fee or covert corkage or service charge or advertise inside or outside the premises. ANY PERSON violating any provision of the act is a disorderly person, and the court, in addition to such sentence as may be imposed for the disorderly person violation, may by its judgement bar any owner or operator violating this act from permitting or allowing consumption of wine or malt alcoholic beverages in his premises as authorized by this act. This statute is part of Chapter 244 and not under the ABC Statutes, therefore, it is not enforced by the ABC Department, but rather by the local police. Many municipalities throughout the state did not approve of "brown bagging" and adopted ordinances tc pn> hibit it. Since the "brown bag" statute was enacted, countless unlicensed restaurants from all parts of the state have defied the law by public advertisment such as BYOB welcoming the public to bring in their own beer and wine. The advertising is, of course, illegal. WHEN CERTAIN unlicensed restaurant owners were habitually requested by the proper authorities to cease the advertising, they sought to eliminate the entire problem by organizing and getting sponsorship for a beer and wine permit. Hence, there is now an organization known as the Garden State Restaurant Association whose primary aim is to get this legislation enacted and as soon as possible. We respectfully request you oppose passage of S-1863 and A-1969 which would permit the licensing of approximately 30,000 additional restaurants statewide to sell beer and wine. • CLEARLY, the bills would create a host of problems, not the least of which would be an increase in drinking by the underaged In addition, enforcement of alcoholic beverage control rules and regulations would be impossible considering the vast number of new licenses which would be issued. Furthermore, the bills ignore entirely the home rule concept, which presently authorizes the municipality to issue alcoholic beverage licenses. Under the bills, municipalities would have no voice or vote in determining whether or not n permit would be issued. The matter would be decided solely by the State Director of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Under present law, consumers wishing to do so may bring their own beer and wine when dining in an unlicensed restaurant Proponents of the bill claim customer conve nience as justification for these new permits. The real reason is the economy today is in such a depressed condition, they are looking to increase their receipts. They would be doing this at the expense of the licensed restaurant owner who has spent years building and paying off debts incurred in the establishment.of their businesses. MOREOVER, it makes no sense to increase the number of liquor outlets at this time when necessary and important steps are being taken by the legislature to reduce alcohol abuse and curtail alcohol-related motor vehicle accidents. In conclusion, we submit that passage of these bills would create numerous social and enforcement problems, eliminate home^le and have a. grossly unfair economic impact on present licensees who have secured their. licenses in the time-tested traditional manner. (Mrs. Scanlon, an owner of the Deauville Inn in Strathmere, is secretary of the Cape May County Licensed Beverage Association Our Readers Write Forced t6 Support By Linda A. Merrill I read where a man wanted a charitable deduction on his income tax return, because part of his tax money was going to pay someone’s heat subsidy. * I agree whole heartedly, but can go one better I believe every taxpayer should be permitted to claim one extra dependent on his tax.return. Wo feed, clothe, pay for doc tors and medicines, afHl pay rent for a person on welfare We limit the size of our families, so they can increase theirs. So, since I’m being forced to support someone out there, I think it’s only fair that I’m able to claim that person on my income tax return Charity begins at home. If more families would take care of their own. instead of running to the nearest Welfare Office, maybe I could take better care of my family. Linda Merrill writes from Villas.