Incomplete recent news coverage on an important issue that affects so many of us in South Jersey is taking a toll on local attitudes. Many people, including our own local elected representatives, tell us their impressions of what “the state wants” for Money Island without any factual basis. They make observations of other news events and form opinions that are not applicable here. It is plainly incorrect to assume that the public can extrapolate from past events to predict the future here at New Jersey’s second most productive seafood landing port and deep water transient vessel port. These same people express surprise when we talk about the recent government spending, new private and public construction permits issued, and sense of cooperation on the sustainability plan here at Money Island.

We conclude that public perception of what “the state wants” is a grossly misunderstood concept. We can help point out the distinction between the facts and the opinions not supported by facts. But we know that in today’s social environment, uninformed opinions can easily overpower facts.

Two months have passed since the East Point lighthouse takeover, and we see no media follow-up after initial reporting.* Other news organizations like NJ Spotlight News** have addressed the larger issue in earlier coverage, but not the follow-up on this specific story. Good journalism requires collecting information from both sides of every story. In the case of the NJDEP, KYW and Mike Dougherty either know or should know that only one person in the agency is authorized to speak with the press and he frequently chooses to not do so. That means that a reporter must seek other sources of credible comment and must know what questions to ask to reach the heart of the story. We have know for a long time that we cannot rely on NJDEP statements for our decision making. It appears that the relevant questions were not asked here.

In this case, there is no reason to doubt the state’s stated objective of taking over the lighthouse after the expiration of the lease. Clearly bad for us locals, but honest communication by the NJDEP. There is no reason for us to doubt that NJDEP is a screwed up agency with a history of corruption that can barely function under its own bureaucracy. We all agree that NJDEP “has been a nightmare to deal with”. This is not a political issue. We have had three state Senators, three Assemblymen, one US senator, two US Congressmen, a handful of local mayors, and several County Commissioners and many NJDEP officials visit us over three decades at Money Island under both Democratic and Republican government. All say the same thing: this is not a political issue.

Many comments we hear from the public now imply that the state wants people out of the Bayshore are unjustified and misleading. In our case at Money Island the state is pushing hard in the opposite direction for sustainable redevelopment. NJDEP has issued every reconstruction permit requested that was backed up with the appropriate spending. Over $3 million has been spent at Money Island so far and tens of millions are planned ahead. The problem, of course, is that most locals, including me, do not have that kind of money. If you are a multi-millionaire willing to spend eight figures on sustainability at the Bayshore, the NJDEP is pleased to work with you after you hire the right lawyers, engineers and consultants. Sad, but that is the reality.

*This KYW News article by Mike Dougherty was incomplete because the NJDEP delayed and then limited communication about the issue. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/new-jersey-takes-ownership-of-historic-lighthouse-as-historical-society-calls-out-red-tape-and-bureaucracy/ar-AA1qm0Ge

**This 2021 article in NJ Spotlight News by Andrew Lewis (author of “The Drowning of Money Island” emphasizes that the issue is money. https://www.njspotlightnews.org/2021/02/east-point-lighthouse-shuttered-historic-going-underwater-now-center-contract-dispute-dep-maurice-river-historical-society/