I have now joined the ranks of those living on a fixed income, more or less.
It is always a challenge to do so in the state of New Jersey. My home will not be totally free and clear for another seven years and my car for another three years, etc. Nevertheless, I have managed to keep my energy costs down and to stay within my income. I am always on the lookout for big bargains at the supermarket and resist the temptation to buy things that are non-essential to the household. I am frugal out of necessity, just like many other residents of New Jersey.
My feathers get ruffled when I receive notice from the big monopoly cable company that as of Jan. 1, some of the rates for my services will increase. Since this is a corporate decision, calling the local cable company 800 number would be useless. I filed a complaint with the NJBPU asking why the cable companies can increase their fees without a public hearing. Complaints filed with the NJBPU always get the attention of corporate headquarters! It took a week for any response and another week for a succinct follow-up to my questions. The bottom line, as related to me, was they are not a public utility and as such do not have to hold public meetings when they wish to raise rates. Also, all rate increases are as a result of increased technology costs. I pressed the issue even further as to why I have to pay more for service protection when the quality of service remains so poor and has remained so poor for more than a decade. No response was forthcoming. The final response from the representative that I spoke with was, “the rates increase because we can!”
Of course I stopped off at the township building and learned that they are indeed a utility and any mention of a rate increase hearing is usually obscured in their paperwork.
Continuing my quest to keep my costs down, I subscribe to one of the two local refuse pick-up companies. I recently received my quarterly bill. In their list of charges, there is a fuel surcharge of $4. I called and asked why they continue with a surcharge when the cost of fuel is at least 30 percent lower. That also turned out to be an effort in futility. It seems that like the state of New Jersey, once a tax is enacted for a specific need, it remains even after the need has disappeared. This extra $4 just adds to their profit. To that I whole-heartedly object and I hope that every resident of the township will feel the same way. By the way, the other refuse pick-up company is doing the same thing!
Shamong Township is really a wonderful place to live. I describe it to people as a place with no sidewalks, few streetlights, few stop signs, one traffic light and no local police. The biggest traffic problems come from the deer crossing the road followed by the wild turkeys. The township has the most efficient road kill cleanup system with the numerous turkey buzzards and hawks. The responses I get are usually shock because New Jersey is equated with the northern part of the state with all of its congestion. I would sure hate to leave paradise, but I am starting to understand why so many others have, indeed, fled the state.
Carol Richards
