Fund open spaces? He wants to pay for it? Isn't just taking private property for the public good more the style his ilk? Can't he find some endangered insect on the property to make it useless for anyone's use? Same results.

If it's broke, who fault is that? Jeff do you ever actually read what you write. All you want to do is TAX TAX TAX.....You must be a democRAT.

You and your merry men of nut-jobs (AKA The Sierra Club) need to shut up and go away.

Jeff wants the govt to take MORE of our $

Thanks for nothing Jeff!

I used to vote to approve funds for open spaces, green acres, farmland preservation, etc. No more. Too often the programs are abused by the well connected to enrich themselves. Read todays, 2/19, editorial in the APP. Manalapan councilman bought some land from a developer and now wants to collect 1.1 million $ to "preserve" it.
This happens all the time. This deal was patricianly egregious.

i'm pretty much tapped out when it comes to taxes. feds. state. county. local. fees. permits. fines. For the love of God - enough already.

I used to contribute to Greenpeace back in the day. Plus I've worked in the environmental consulting field the last 23 years. So I know what I'm talking about here. Their stupid excessively restrictive regulations made developers abandon cities and instead buy farmland to develop. Their cleanup standards are pie in the sky and divert billions to attorneys. They are job killers and are - in the end - ultimately destructive to a thriving society. Witness the current Obama administration and their wreckage they have wrought the last 4 years.

JW.....Amen, brother! You are 110% right. Hope we survive the next four.

Jeff you and your pals have borrowed billions at the expense of providing valuable services to the poor and middle class. Look around the state and see how much all of us are on the hook today for all of these open space deals. If the state promised you money, guess what?! Too bad. It's all gone and you are stuck with the bill.

I propose a dedicated TREE HUGGER TAX. Let them pay for it

So we can't rely on a ballot in November because the citizens might vote against it and defeat it?

Democracy doesn't work when it doesn't go some people's way, I guess, but certainly is perfect when it goes their way.

This is a sad commentary.

I hope he pays for publishing this column.

Does anyone else tire of the left wing leaniings of Princeton Patch? Where's the balance? It's tiring.

Tax the crap out of these developers who put up condos on any parcel of land (no matter how small) they can get their hands on.

This guy IS NOT A LOCAL VOICE...he is a paid lobbyist that the Princeton Patch allows free reign to publish his propaganda!

Open space is wasted space... what we really need is more roadways built to help alleviate the traffic nightmare that living in New Jersey can be. And for the love of god, end the affordable housing requirements that attract bad elements to good towns and add even more TRAFFIC.

This is a horrible idea. A water fee should cover the cost of supplying water. It is underhand and distortionary to use water fees to fund other projects, such as purchasing farmland. It's absurd to argue that there is a connection between preserving farmland and supplying water.

Preserving green space requires hard decisions and joined-up governance. Different counties and municipalities will have to work together to make a vision for the future that allows development without ever-increasing sprawl. Shaking the public down for $ to buy fields is the most superficial solution to a complex problem and I say that as somebody who values green spaces.

The constant postings by Sierra Club are only serving to sway people away from them. You would think Jeff would figure that out by now. They look like a bunch of lunatics to me now.

As much as a some here want to make this a partisan issue, it just isn't. Christie is funding the house buy back programs in towns like Sayreville to regain open space... Its not rocket science, when you develop on flood plains, that area will get flooded if you don't create a place for that water to go. For generations in NJ, well funded developers have greased the palms of politicians to build on open space... and with every major storm, we the taxpayers pay to fix and clean up the mess. So you can pony up a few pennies a year in taxes to preserve, or you can pony up a few bucks to fix the mess created by storms.
And frankly, reading some of these comments, just shows what is wrong in New Jersey and America... People can't see past the instant, and take no regard to the long term. The cost accounting effect on politics...

You can take this ICLEI, Agenda 21 bovine excrement and put it right up your collectivist communitarian you know what! See if that will sustain ya!

Minimum water bill in my town reflects a 4 person household usage. I live alone, so I am subsidizing larger households. When my water bill accurately reflects just my water usage I will then gladly help out funding for one spaces.

Hey diddle diddle, water tax and tittle
The cow jumped over the moon
The little liberal laughed
To see such graft
And the sierra club is run by a loon

Is this guy an idiot? Following hurricane Sandy.... now is NOT the time to be taxing and taking away money from those of us who pay the bills!

enough with us having to fund another program...we pay enough for water usage. Ask the high falootin' to kick in to a program that in the end only will benefit them.

Open spaces don't make money, casinos do. Therefore, let's steer taxpayer dollars to casinos and forget about preserving anything. We're all going to retire on those Revel profits!

Amazing you can get dozens of posts whining about this, but no one rose a finger to caution against throwing more taxpayer money at a failed concept in the making, an AC Casino with no customer base or demand for its services.

Open space = conspiracy scam. Jeff Tittel = tree huger liberal for just another tax. And so I am an outdoors man environmentalist that no longer receives e mails from the Sierra Club...must have been something truthful, rational, and common sense reasonable I said? Talk about a fringe radical! As a child I was a member of the Nation Wild Life Federation and thank God I did not evolve into such a &$%*&. Sorry for the rant, but just had a nice glass of home made wine from the home grown grapes I grew and WATERED last year. Hey Jeff want to come over for a nice glass of ( our? ) socialistic community, share the wealth, community garden wine?

Our Gov is controlled by the casinos lobby ?? What ever has happened to the Money from Casinos thar WAS to support Seniors?? HA HA gone to the black hole of GOV!! Before CC took office I was getting $1200.00 a year Senior rebate on my taxes, NOW ?? Who Knows !! Last year I go slightly over $200.00 That you CC and AC Casinos. Seniors that vote for CC deserve to get less !

Keep taxing everything that walks (and doesn't) and you'll have all the open space you want. People are moving out of this state in droves primarily because of our high tax rate and you want to increase those open spaces at the taxpayers' expense?!? My suggestion...if it's such an important issue to you....YOU fund it. I've got my own charities to which I contribute. Please do not presume to spend my money on your personal pet projects.

What happens when the money runs out? They keep coming to us for more and more money, what happens when we have no more to give? It's not like our incomes are going up, yet you take more and more, what happens when it runs out?

Mr. Tittel, Just how out of touch with reality are you? Do you realize how difficult life is for so many people in New Jersey who are barely getting by. Unemployment is not down and this is one of the highest taxes States in the nation. Maybe you should postpone your ballot initiative until people are able to regain just some of what they have lost during the past few years.

I for one question the waste of paper involved in your referendum and don't think the taxpayers of NJ should be required to pick up the tab for the ink and paper you will be wasting.

Your proposal is beyond insulting to those of us not in that one percent. This State has a good track record of passing reasonable bond issues but Mr. Tittle, this just is not the time to ask for one more penny. Maybe we should ask you just how much you are kicking in to help those hurt by Sandy and the many more who have been hurt by this failing economy and who have lost their homes and all of their possessions.

Sorry for the typos but I haven't been this angry in months. The third line above should read: .... one of the highest TAXED States in the nation.

You can take the boy out of Princeton but you can't take Princeton out of the boy. THE One Percenter Haven for NJ.

The continued use of this media outlet to vent the Sierras club sometimes misguided use of its only 16,000 members state wide that I would guess not a 3 percent are actually active . At the cost of peoples homes and livelihoods, But to now use this groups Agendas to try and dicate what we should pay for in Taxes to fund such idea's is just arrogant and a misuses of his column and standings in the Sierra club . By the way you can his ideas of the current Sandy situations here http://newjersey.sierraclub.org/njs_sierran/Sierran_13A.pdf In a whole the Sierra Club has been a great group when keeping to the basic idea of cleaning the enviroment and protecting it , But to use the Displacement and loss of Homes and Properity and to further support it with out a Clear plan other than to exploit the Storm for its own agendas should be noted . Also every calendar and event pages on there website are missing one important thing , The Jersey Shore I would like to see this clubs leadership actually use its resources to Clean these areas. Put the boots to the ground and organize events to clean the coastlines . Not sit around discussing how to buy more land there not willing to clean and manage now . Sailors for Sandy on FB would be open to any members that are willing to get there hands dirty . No politics just a honest willingness to clean up from the current storm .

Reply to Patrick and Mr. Tittel: Out of order since the Patch does not have a reply button for every post after an initial reply. So Patrick, I do get the point! There are many points contained in this article. I made mine with sarcasm. And yes, I have an agenda like yourself and all who comment here. Mr Tittel is using a 300 year disaster event as an environmental land grab. And yes, wants a special user tax on individuals for the consumption of water. First I have extensive gardens in which I “borrow” water, recycle it and return it. Local municipal open space tax of 1/2 penny per is already part of my taxation. This tax, which I was involved in the referendum creation and approval process, has become nothing more than a scam. Much property preserved is not preserved in its natural state, but instead used for active recreation fields and not passive. What is worse, and maybe something Mr Tittel should go after, is the abusive misuse of these monies. Manipulative wording of ordinance and statute allows for this money to be used to support the budget needs of the municipal buildings, grounds and recreation departments.

....... Maybe why there is no money left? More taxes come from the Ocean County purpose tax of 1 1/2 cents per, to support the Natural Lands Trust fund. Not sure but wasn't part of our NJ sales tax supposed to used for the purpose of open space? I could be wrong, but if so where did it all go? Oh, “decreasing” Hmm. Mr. Tittel lost me when “ and buy out flood prone property” He wishes to revert devastated barrier island and bayside properties which were allowed to be developed in the first place. There is a finite balance between development and it’s tax rateables and needed revenue, and that of preserved government owned open spaces removed from the tax roles, or the lesser taxes collected on raw unimproved land. Some owners may want to be bailed out while others will not. With that said, how will these areas become true open spaces? And I know Mr. Tittle is also speaking about not yet developed flood plain / zone properties

Then comes redevelopment ( in this case un-development ) which could allow the taking of properties and the violation of individual property rights. Individuals choose to live on or near the water and now know the consequences. Over development on these estuary flood zones was allowed many years ago and a disastrous result of that is the degradation of Barnegat Bay, another crusade of Mr Tittel.  “We cannot afford bonding anymore” and neither can property owners ( water users ) afford more taxes - principle bond payments as well as debt service equals taxes. “The water surcharge would be constitutionally dedicated so it could not be used for other purposes” really? ...and I believe in Santa. Another quote: “ if we dedicate $200 million from sales tax revenue for open space, it will be at the expense of other important social, environmental, and education programs” There is that fairy tale “dedicate” word again.

.....and finally....Sorry to be so long winded!.... on and on and on and too complex of an issue. So you see Patrick, I get the point but just don’t agree with it - point, counterpoint. Haven’t even touched on half the points in this article. And Patrick you need to look up the definition of “political”, there are several. And “agenda”, again we all have one like agenda 21 and Sustainable New Jersey. You may have guessed, I am a fiscal conservative constitutional Republican and an environmentalist too boot. Just a little more to the center who wishes to water his gardens, enjoy the rights of my pleasures without being over taxed and enjoy that glass of wine, home made and not taxed!

The original selling point for "green acres and open spaces" was land acquisition .But over the years politicians have used the money for pet projects.Bike lanes ,museums and refurbishing inner city parks are just a few examples.While these things seem nice to have they have siphoned money away from its more important purpose of preserving natural forests and fields and keeping farms from being part of urban sprawl.All of NJ politicians share the blame for this misappropriation .

Jeff Tittel should not be allowed to call himself a "local voice" on TR Patch. He doesn't live here:

http://php.app.com/mod4_10/results.php?county=%25&muniprop=%25&location_num=&location_st=&owner=Tittel&Submit=Search&classname=%25&descp=

Do you see a Jeff Tittel owning a home in Toms River?

Well, maybe he rents? OK, then he can go to hell if he's going to tell home owners what taxes to pay!

Hey Babs

whos gonna pay for this gift from Happy Gilmore and Gov Cheesesteak?
Towns that employed debris-removal contractors other than a state-hired Florida firm achieved savings that, when totaled, amount to millions of dollars of taxpayer money.

Florida-based AshBritt Inc. charged towns $21.25 per cubic yard to gather roadside debris and bring it to a collection site within 15 miles. That was nearly double the $11.70 asking price of another Florida company, Bergeron, and other firms, records show

Patrick, again you state I miss the point, yet you fail at your shoe box opinion and debate to challenge the validity of my comments. You even seem to not read and comprehend my writing. Where did I say I collect water in rain barrels? " But, that is not the big picture... and frankly, the county shouldn't have to tax for it, but has to to quell development and the tax dollars that would bring in" So the County and municipalities should not tax (approved by referendum by those local voters/taxpayers) and the continual funding source it provides and that micro source, a part of the whole and the sum of its parts equaling macro? And " and frankly, the county shouldn't have to tax for it, but has to to quell development and the tax dollars that would bring in. How does undeveloped land bring in tax dollars except through recreation and tourism. Rateables do not come positively from unimproved lands. None if taken off the tax roles and little if privately owned and unimproved........

........Now were talking here of revenue streams through property taxation which support budgets to produce services for home owners and businesses. Government supports and is the result of development. And there is that darn sales tax generated through business for commercially developed land. You know, that tax used to purchase open space. So if you would like to try and take apart my comments and counter them feel free to do so, but I don't think you can. I am always interested in all perspectives. Municipal Open space tax, county tax, and a percentage (yes decreasing) of the sales tax if used appropriately should support the purchases of open space. A most important example of this is the preservation of land through Ocean County's Natural Lands Preservation Trust Fund. Talk about an accomplishment to protect our watershed and estuary plains through a "micro" dedicated tax and effort , you need to thank the OC Freeholders for that one. All accomplished with a responsible managed and dedicated purpose tax without the need for a tax on water usage.

Educate yourselves. Green acres supports much more than just literal open space read the statute. Parks are indeed open spaces. Why would residents of newark support land acquisition and not parks and ballfields for kids.

nj jarhead i dont think its teachers that scare you but simply all that fancy book learning.

barb you do realize the patch covers many local towns in this area. so much for your " he's just a foreigner from toms river" babble.oh and for the record the cell phone program was started by george bush.

Jeff , I have a better idea why don't you fund it out of your pocket or go down to Washington & tell them to stop sending our money to a foreign country .That will pay for open space all over & sandy damage.. If you haven't figured it we can afford any more taxes , surcharges .The utilities are getting ready for there hikes.....

Let's pay for what we've already bought first!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqoGORXAv2o

We already pay high water/sewage rates .Remember when it was paid for in your property tax? The towns found a way to tax us more by breaking out the water and then selling it off to private companies to "save" money" .Water and sewer fees for my small house are close to one thousand a year and you want an increase .Put a tax on screwing the taxpayers and the "green" activists and politicians would owe plenty !

Hmm...I can see where the next pass on to the taxpayer will be...the air that we breathe will be taxed in support of air quality....Yep, just keep screwing the people, taxing them more and more. Remember when TV and radio were free air waves...now we pay up the ****. Air is next folks...!*@*

Water is going to be the next overly charged overly taxed commodity,but first they had to make it illegal for citizens to access it for free.toms river has already done this,by forcing resident to connect to public water systems and not allowing them to use the well water they had used for a hundred years for household uses and in most cases made them cap their wells.then the water company started doubling the rates once you were hostage.just watch mad max to see our future,he who controls the water supply rules the world

What about using turf fields? Should a water use tax go to that or are we going to just bond it? Oh, wait we can use the remaining open space monies for turf fields? Is turf fields open space? You really think that we are going to get taxes for open space and then let developers build in it? Get out of here!

The problem is be's that you's be paying us teachers so much money! ahahahah

Right more money for open spaces. We can take the green and fill in the brown spots on the grass, with our money.
No thank you I will keep my money.
Tired of you waisting it....

"New Jersey’s three largest industries, pharmaceuticals, food processing, and tourism, are all water dependent and this fee would ensure they continue to have the water supply they need." OK let me get this right, an increase in costs for meds, food, and tourism (all tourism?) by way of a fee added to the already high cost of these three categories…the US census lists NJ as having 3,562,553 housing units and at $32 per, that equals only $114,001,696 in revenue. To get to $400 million, the surcharge would have to be $112.28 per housing unit…..no thanks.

@Teecher Foreva (his latest stupid anti-teacher alias): Your teacher hating screeds and rants are not funny or original, just stupid, inane and Neanderthalish. Oh wait, that's an insult to Neanderthals. You hate teachers, you are against learning and education because you worship at the altar of ignorance. According to you, teachers should be earning Walmart wages because you so despise teachers and education. You place no value on education.