To the Editor:
If Hoboken and Jersey City can do it, why can’t we? Bayonne is less than 10 miles outside of New York, yet most of my friends and colleagues in the city have never heard of it. Years ago, the same could have been said for many other towns just across the river, which are experiencing significant strides in investment, quality of living, and opportunity.
As I’ve said before, Bayonne is primed for a change. It’s possible for us to have the same increases in standard of living as our neighbors just to the north, but that can only happen if our leaders encourage it. This starts with incentives for the educated / high income earners to move here. It’s not difficult to bring them to Bayonne, they also want the same things that are important to us – affordable housing, reliable public transportation, quality dining options, and cultural leisure activities. For the most part, this is what Bayonne has to offer.
Instead, we have issues that hold us back yet are easily fixed. For one, we have a lack of garbage cans which can sometimes lead to unnecessary litter throughout the streets. Drug use and teen violence is a problem – I witnessed a fight outside my own home not too long ago. And we have a $15 million budget deficit, which, thanks to shortsightedness will almost certainly lead to more tax increases. It’s possible we’ll be told of a more creative solution that fills the gap with additional business revenue, but it sounds unlikely.
People in our state are wondering when we will start making the smart decisions that will create a more positive future. I think this is possible and I think there is no better time. If you agree, please join the new Bayonne Republican Party on the first Monday of every month at 7:00 at Hendrickson’s Corner (31st and Broadway) to discuss ways we can create a better future for Bayonne.
Whether you are Republican or Democrat, the problems we face transcend party lines. We are all invested in our community and in building a more positive future. Come say hello and get involved!
Ryan J. Walker