Reader is saddened by loss of parents’ home

For years I watched Long Branch destroy the oceanfront neighborhoods. They never paved the streets, repaired anything, and let abandoned buildings sit there and rot year after year. Then, after their neglect, they decide in their infinite wisdom that these areas are blighted. It didn’t matter that the homeowners put their hard-earned money, time and pride into the upkeep of these neighborhoods and the city did everything it could to destroy them.

My mom and dad lost their home two years ago, and it was torn down on the 24th anniversary of the day they bought it. My father picked up litter and mowed the lawn the city owned when the grass got too high, just so his neighborhood would look better. Long Branch never bothered to do anything unless they were called continually and reminded about the garbage cans overflowing on city property and the lawn maintenance of their city-owned property. Our house was two houses in from the ocean. Our home will be replaced with six townhomes on the property that only had one home. Talk about tax dollars.

Don’t think for a moment that any money offered comes even close to the value of those properties. Maybe the Atlanticville and other papers should have looked into this years ago when this was all started by those fabulous politicians (snakes) that represent Long Branch. Maybe the residents of Long Branch would have had somewhat of a fighting chance.

What Long Branch is doing is not what this country is about. This country was founded on working hard in order to own property, pay your taxes for services, and take care of it aesthetically. All the city wants is the tax dollars those townhomes will bring in.

It is sad what is happening there. Please don’t think it can’t happen in your neighborhood, because it can happen anywhere. If the government wants your property, it will find a way to get it. Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and the rest of the founding fathers are flip-flopping in their graves. Men and women have died for the freedoms this country has, yet the government of Long Branch doesn’t seem to care who or what it takes down in order to get what it wants — all the oceanfront property for the almighty tax dollar.

I hope they can sleep at night, because in life every dog has its day, and their day will come.

Carol Vega

Hewitt, Passaic County