This is an open letter to the Monmouth County Board of Freeholders. You have failed the seniors with your actions on fixed transportation, which is a service that has been provided for over 30 years. The funding by casino revenues has never been reviewed and updated. These revenues have continued to decline for five years. Last year, revenues declined by 40 percent, and this year it is headed for a similar decline. Competition from Parx Casino, Bensalem, Pa., has added competition, which makes our Atlantic City casinos less attractive.
Until you address this problem like Ocean County has, it will not be solved. Your answer is to do away with fixed transportation. This leaves us with SCAT. Freeholder John Curley appointed Kathy Lodato to address our original letter.
In my long conversation with Lodato, she displayed a lack of doing her homework on facts related to senior transportation. She stated that no other county has fixed transportation, which is wrong. She also stated that the freeholders did not set the budget, which is also wrong.
She stated that nutrition programs are a priority for seniors, but neglected to address quality-of-life issues. Since then, she has dictated that SCAT will only transport to ShopRite for all grocery shopping. Why was this decision made? Do other supermarkets know that ShopRite has an exclusive with SCAT?
Freeholders, you have caused these problems and hid behind nitpicking and silence. Two of you — Thomas Arnone and Serena DiMaso — are running for re-election. Why should seniors vote for you? It is a given that they cannot be silent.
Our town has also let us down. Howell Councilman Bob Walsh, our representative to the county on senior transportation, has let us down. He agreed with wiping the $32,000 that was allocated to senior transportation from next year’s budget. So, we cannot rely on our local representatives to guard seniors’ interests.
When will we receive answers to our questions? Although there have been telephone conversations, newspaper articles and editorials, and public meetings, there have been no answers of substance to this day. This reflects a blatant disregard for seniors. We need some degree of fixed transportation to add quality to our everyday living.
Harry Haggren
Howell