Central Jersey Republicans stand united against affordable housing mandate
Monmouth, Ocean, and Middlesex legislators form united front in defense of municipalities as Democrats deem them racist.
Trenton - Lawmakers in the Assembly clashed over a number of bills yesterday, but nothing drew more sparks than Assembly Bill 4, legislation that would place mandates on municipalities to build affordable housing.
“We want people to stay and thrive in New Jersey,” said Assemblywoman Yvonne Lopez (D-Middlesex). Lopez, the bill’s main sponsor added that “having access to affordable housing is key to that goal.”
Assembly Republicans were not convinced as they fought to dispense with the Mt. Laurel Doctrine, a constitutional doctrine that requires municipalities to provide affordable housing.
“This bill, while well-meaning, would be devastating for many municipalities who have struggle with increasingly large [Council on Affordable Housing] quotas,” said Assemblyman Gerry Scharfenberger (R-Monmouth). “What started as a ruling to prohibit exclusionary zoning has morphed into a mandate to build housing with little concern for adverse impacts to the environment, infrastructure, transportation, or municipal budgets.”
Assemblyman Paul Kanitra (R-Monmouth/Ocean) took the the floor in his maiden speech to provide the facts and figures. “We’re talking about making housing more affordable for people living paycheck to paycheck, but yet these costs will end up being $16-17 thousand dollars per New Jersey household,” noted the former Point Beach Mayor.
”These are real costs that taxpayers at the local level continue to incur,” said Assemblyman Vicky Flynn (R-Monmouth) as she began to list the issues associated with municipal infrastructure. “Since Sandy, this is a constant issue that all our communities are dealing with because there’s a new flood line in yet, and yet its still flooding…but we’re going to continue to pace over properties so we can build to meet an affordable housing need.”
”That’s not what Justice Hall intended,” added the Bayshore Assemblywoman.
Assemblyman Clinton Calabrese (D-Bergen/Passaic) called Republicans the “Doomsday Party,” warning that “the sky is not going to fall” which elicited laughter from Speaker Craig Coughlin and his aide. “Let’s take a deep breath, okay,” he said in a quiet sarcasm.
Kanitra fired back at Calabrese.
”I’d like to address the smug and condescending comments made by my colleague across the aisle and refute his conjecture with real numbers and math,” he charged. “You build a $500,00 unit right? That’s probably worth about $5,000 a year in taxes. Let’s say the municipality gets a quarter of that - let’s call that $1,250….how long is it going to take to get to $500,000 from $1,250 a year?”
The day was not without a clash of identity politics, as a woman named Promise led the Chamber in the Black National Anthem. After recognizing Black History in the well of the Chamber, one member yelled “Black Power!” with a raised fist.
Assemblywoman Shavonda Sumter (D-Bergen/Passaic) cited the use of “triggering words such as having roaches and having access to exterminators in public housing units and not having that on the private side.” Clad in a Black History Month commemorative sash and Louis Vuitton scarf, the Assemblywoman stood to “re-emphasize the needs for fair, affordable, equitable, safe, quality housing spaces for all.
”Not for some, but for all,” she closed.
District 12’s Assemblymen, whose constituency stretches from Middlesex down to Burlington county, slammed the bill in a fiery statement.
“Mandating municipalities build high-density housing projects, but refusing to address the school funding failures or infrastructure limitations will burden taxpayers who will be left to foot the bill to accommodate the influx of new residents,” said Assemblyman Robert Clifton. He was joined by his colleague, Alex Sauickie, who echoed his frustration.
“Building thousands of units in a town before considering the environmental impacts, public transportation availability, public safety staffing, or public school funding is completely irresponsible,” Sauickie said.
Missing from the debate were Assembly newcomers and surprise victors Margie Donlon and Luanne Peterpaul (D-Monmouth) as well as controversial Rabbi Avi Schnall (D-Monmouth/Ocean), the latter of whom campaigned on promising expanding transportation and infrastructure projects to Lakewood. Donlon and Peterpaul ran behind Senator Vin Gopal’s platform.
All three voted in the affirmative, later prompting a rebuke from Councilman Brian Thomas of Neptune City which is in Donlon and Peterpaul’s District.
“It’s a push for overdevelopment, plain and simple. Overdevelopment paid on the backs of our residents which will wreak further havoc on our school district,” said Councilman Thomas.
“I grew up dirt poor, in a single-mother home where we had to dig deep just to get by each day. But those in Trenton, with their silver spoons touched mouths, can spare me the ‘righteousness’ they’re attempting to sell to the public with this bill,” Thomas added.
“This is nothing more than a gift to their developer and builder donors all over New Jersey.”
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The State is already over populated. Once a garden state now becoming a "trash" state.
I never meet a citizen who understands how their own government talks about "green" and open space preservation while driving forced urbanization of semi-rural an suburban towns. From the Somerville circle to Princeton route 206 is becoming an alleyway of gargantuan "luxury" apartments. Thrown up over night, built cheaply, with bits of stone and wrought iron here and there, all of these monstrosities are the product of the "Affordable Housing" scam. Look at the donors to the Democrats and you will see developers, real estate lawyers, and construction unions. Thousands of apartments in the middle of nowhere- no jobs, no mass transit, hardly even any entertainment options.
And the best part? Very few of th epurported poor people of color ever end up getting a home in these developments. As it turns out, they prefer to live near their families, churches, friends- just like everyone else.
It's a rotten and destructive scam. They're having to offer two months free to get people to rent already. 22-28 hundred for a one bedroom and 25-34 for a two bedroom.