Not long ago, I spoke with a retired veteran in Belford who told me something that hit extremely hard. After a lifetime of service — after putting his life on the line for this country — he is being forced to sell his home and move to North Carolina to live with his daughter because he simply can’t afford to stay in New Jersey anymore.
His property taxes went up about $600 last year, and then about $700 this year. For someone on a fixed income, how is that even possible to keep up with? How can people like him afford to stay in the homes they’ve spent their entire lives working for?
It is heartbreaking and infuriating to watch a veteran who served this nation be pushed out of his community, out of his state, and out of the home he built a life in. Meanwhile, we see people from all around the world arrive here and receive near–carte blanche benefits, housing, and assistance — all funded by American taxpayers. The people who built this country, defended this country, and paid into this system for decades are being pushed aside, while others who have contributed nothing receive priority.
This is not fairness. This is not compassion. This is a system that has lost its moral compass and forgotten who it is supposed to serve.
