I returned last night from an extended trip, which was required to see my first grandchild - a girl. The trip took us to Maryland, near Baltimore, where my son has his business and home, and from there, northeast to Toms River, N.J. An uncle who celebrated his 89th birthday was feted by the Dugan clan, with a neat little party. From there, we traveled north to Belford, N.J, to visit my wife's brothers who are both in their 70s.
We make it a point to increase face time with all the elder members of the clan.
I only report this trip because it is interesting to show the contrast between what exists in Cayuga County, Aurora and Ledyard, and what exists in the high density populations to our south. Having been raised in the Tri State area, I can report on the conditions found there reasonably well.
Auto travel in north Jersey, or Baltimore as well, is a chicken gamble: on local highways in Maryland and New Jersey, there are kamikaze drivers coming at you from all directions, and not afraid to lay on the horn.
On the state roads and interstates, you need to be able to sustain 70 miles an hour or more, or it will be bumper cars all over the medians. Horns do not seem to be a problem out there unless somebody has gas or needs a rest stop. The rest stops are with exceptions, contest areas for litter: who has the most? And the fast food franchises have taken over. Who eats Sbarros on a trip? And exiting rest stops in New Jersey is an experience in utter terror.
In Aurora, we have spillover from the trucking industry as tolls increase, but for the most part, a sedate traffic pattern in the village. Up in Ledyard, we have the occasional tractor or manure hauler. I have to laugh as I think about the consequences if one of those ran the highways in the Tri State. If you get hungry while in Auburn, you swing into the diners or Wegmans and eat local food.
Timing is everything, for traveling the roads in Tri State. Best to leave your car parked during rush hours. Save your blood pressure by avoiding gridlock.
Property taxes in Tri State rival the Chinese War Debt. In Cayuga County, we are gradually approaching that distinction, but for the present, things are as good as they can get. On a fixed income, I am a lot more comfortable than my cohorts in Jersey and Maryland are; however, we get to swallow outrageous gasoline prices because of the tax differentials. (By the way, has anyone thought about the reasons for the steep decline in prices now that the economy is tanking as opposed to the artificial ceiling imposed for the last few months?)
Air quality is another big issue. northern Jersey is a sinkhole of chemical processes, and breathing the ambient air is dangerous. When we travel the Jersey Turnpike, the windows are all tightly shut. However, the windows are more tightly shut when we follow a large tanker of liquid hum hum on its way to spread in a field. But the air that comes in through the AC unit will not hurt your lungs. Your eyes might water, but they dry quickly as you drive away in zero traffic.
Local governments have the difference of night and day (you are the one). You could probably take all the small town and village budgets in Cayuga County, set them up as a subsidiary and fit them into any of the good sized township budgets in New Jersey. And an eye would not blink. Local elections are fought tooth and nail, and the roads are festooned not only with cars but campaign posters for months prior to Election Day. Most incumbents turn over rather rapidly, because no one can satisfy the electorate on the usual issues: higher taxes. Citizens want more services, but have forgotten the cost associated with them. Infrastructure is seedy to dangerous, and no one has budgeted for them.
In Cayuga County, infrastructure is spread along the main east-west corridors. In the rest of the county, we have great roads and not much infrastructure. However, there has not been a tax revolt, yet.
Bottom line: Enjoy what we have, and remember those poor schleps in the south.
William Dugan is former supervisor for the town of Ledyard.
I only report this trip because it is interesting to show the contrast between what exists in Cayuga County, Aurora and Ledyard, and what exists in the high density populations to our south. Having been raised in the Tri State area, I can report on the conditions found there reasonably well.
Auto travel in north Jersey, or Baltimore as well, is a chicken gamble: on local highways in Maryland and New Jersey, there are kamikaze drivers coming at you from all directions, and not afraid to lay on the horn.
On the state roads and interstates, you need to be able to sustain 70 miles an hour or more, or it will be bumper cars all over the medians. Horns do not seem to be a problem out there unless somebody has gas or needs a rest stop. The rest stops are with exceptions, contest areas for litter: who has the most? And the fast food franchises have taken over. Who eats Sbarros on a trip? And exiting rest stops in New Jersey is an experience in utter terror.
In Aurora, we have spillover from the trucking industry as tolls increase, but for the most part, a sedate traffic pattern in the village. Up in Ledyard, we have the occasional tractor or manure hauler. I have to laugh as I think about the consequences if one of those ran the highways in the Tri State. If you get hungry while in Auburn, you swing into the diners or Wegmans and eat local food.
Timing is everything, for traveling the roads in Tri State. Best to leave your car parked during rush hours. Save your blood pressure by avoiding gridlock.
Property taxes in Tri State rival the Chinese War Debt. In Cayuga County, we are gradually approaching that distinction, but for the present, things are as good as they can get. On a fixed income, I am a lot more comfortable than my cohorts in Jersey and Maryland are; however, we get to swallow outrageous gasoline prices because of the tax differentials. (By the way, has anyone thought about the reasons for the steep decline in prices now that the economy is tanking as opposed to the artificial ceiling imposed for the last few months?)
Air quality is another big issue. northern Jersey is a sinkhole of chemical processes, and breathing the ambient air is dangerous. When we travel the Jersey Turnpike, the windows are all tightly shut. However, the windows are more tightly shut when we follow a large tanker of liquid hum hum on its way to spread in a field. But the air that comes in through the AC unit will not hurt your lungs. Your eyes might water, but they dry quickly as you drive away in zero traffic.
Local governments have the difference of night and day (you are the one). You could probably take all the small town and village budgets in Cayuga County, set them up as a subsidiary and fit them into any of the good sized township budgets in New Jersey. And an eye would not blink. Local elections are fought tooth and nail, and the roads are festooned not only with cars but campaign posters for months prior to Election Day. Most incumbents turn over rather rapidly, because no one can satisfy the electorate on the usual issues: higher taxes. Citizens want more services, but have forgotten the cost associated with them. Infrastructure is seedy to dangerous, and no one has budgeted for them.
In Cayuga County, infrastructure is spread along the main east-west corridors. In the rest of the county, we have great roads and not much infrastructure. However, there has not been a tax revolt, yet.
Bottom line: Enjoy what we have, and remember those poor schleps in the south.
William Dugan is former supervisor for the town of Ledyard.
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