Dear Editor:
“How many times must the people organize in protest?” asks Audrey Zapp in a letter in last week’s Jersey City Reporter. The answer is until the developers and politicians realize that our parkland is not for sale.
Governor Whitman had the courage several years ago to say no to the golf course and yes to leaving the center section of the park as a natural area for passive recreation. Now we read that a committee set up to plan the layout of the perimeter of this section of the park is being again attacked by developers, this time lead by Jersey City Mayor Bret Schundler.
Governor Whitman, it’s time again to show us your courage. Get rid of the Liberty State Development Corporation, for as long as the developers are in charge, the “get rich/land grab schemes” will continue to be proposed.
This is an “urban” state park, but can’t the state manage it like they do other state parks? We don’t hear about developers proposing commercial waterparks at Island Beach State Park. At the shore they have built their commercial waterparks in the neighboring towns like Seaside Heights, on private property where the developers have to pay taxes like the rest of us.
It is time for the people to again organize in protest, empower yourselves, tell the developers and politicians that our state parkland is not for sale.
John Tichenor