Shore Beach Tag Fight Getting Intense

A couple weeks ago, two Jersey state senators introduced legislation that would forbid beach communities receiving hurricane relief from issuing beach tags. “It’s about asking taxpayers to pay twice for something they already paid for,” said one of them, Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D-Not the Shore). “It’s simply not fair.” After seething in anger for a couple weeks (calling the plan “clownish,” “moronic,” and “insensitive,” in the wake of Hurricane Sandy), shore officials have commenced their offensive against the bill. Cape May Deputy Mayor Anita van Heeswyk says that without the tags, beaches would either close (no money for lifeguards) or hike property taxes by 10 percent, which is technically forbidden by the state’s tax cap. So if van Heeswyk is right, the beaches would close no matter what. [Inquirer]

READ: Post opinion piece “Banning Beach Tags Is Insanity.”