The Hammonton Gazette 03/19/14 Edition | Page 6

Page 6 • Wednesday, March 19, 2014 • The Hammonton Gazette The Hammonton Gazette “The Paper of Record” Gabriel J. Donio, Publisher Gina rullo, Editor-in-Chief Dan russoman, Sports Editor Benny Mendez, Staff Artist Marysusan Hoffman, Paul J. Macrie iv Michael Hozik, Donna Brown, Joseph Bruno, lauren Bucci, lauren crescenzo, Brian Morris, Staff The Hammonton Gazette is located at 233 Bellevue Ave. to reach a staff member, call 704-1940 or fax at 704-1938. the mailing address is P.o. Box 1228, Hammonton, NJ 08037. eDitoriAls The Hammonton Gazette is published Wednesdays, by The Hammonton Gazette, Inc. Copyright © 2014. All rights reserved. ISSN 1093-6181 school taxes increase A couple of weeks ago, we explained that eventually, there would be a price to pay by taxpayers for all the spending, including spending on necessary local public projects. “Eventually” is here. Gone are the days of zero tax increases at the school district, as the district says declining revenues in tuition from Waterford coupled with the effects of a tough economy and, most importantly, the district’s own spending on renovations, new construction and budgetary line items from payroll to classroom supplies. All of these items cost money, and while the taxpayers are sure to cringe about the “sticker shock” associated with the tax increase, they should put the increase in context. The municipal and school governments have worked hard during the last decade – partially in incredibly difficult economic conditions – to maintain zero tax increases for local taxpayers. While there is a tendency for a “what have you done for me lately” approach toward government, those years of zero tax increases cannot be ignored simply because taxes have gone up this year on the school side, and the last couple years on the municipal side. Costs and prices go up, salary increases must be paid and when revenues remain flat, it becomes increasingly difficult not to increase taxes. In fact, during the years of the zero tax increases, there were people who questioned those zeroes, stating that a two- or three-cent increase might have been the more fiscally prudent method of taxing people each year, so that later, larger increases could have been avoided. Of course, the majority shouted that idea down, because who wants to pay more in taxes, right? In the era of zero tax increases, it may have been right to keep them level. Large ratables were built, benefitting the town and the school. Tuition was finally adjusted for Waterford and Folsom, and the school reaped the benefit of that adjustment (until this year in regard to Waterford, according to Hammonton Board of Education President Joseph Giralo) as well as the benefit of becoming a choice school district. With all of those factors in play, the district still found it necessary to raise taxes to pay for everything in its budget. With contract negotiations looming, it’s hard to tell if the union will see it as gamesmanship or a reason to negotiate with caution. Taxpayers will be watching these negotiations closely, so each side should do their best to come to a fair compromise. While some taxpayers may understand the increases have been few during the last decade, most still remain firmly in the “what have you done for me lately” camp. sustainable grant On March 13, Sustainable Jersey representatives announced Hammonton had been awarded a Sustainable Jersey Small Grant in the amount of $10,000. According to Councilman Daniel Bachalis, the town was one of eight throughout the entire state to receive a $10,000 grant. The grant will be used to help fund the town’s new Water Conservation Tax Credit/Rebate Program. The Gazette commends everyone involved with applying for and obtaining this grant funding. As we ha ve seen in recent years, protecting our natural resources is critical to maintaining a community. The Hammonton First-led administration has been in the forefront of promoting “green” initiatives. It was the first administration in town history to have an ad-hoc Green Committee, first appointed by Mayor John DiDonato. During the last eight years, the town’s dedication to the promotion of green initiatives has continued and broadened under Mayor Stephen DiDonato. It should be noted that this $10,000 grant is the latest received during the last eight years by the municipality, which has been run by an independent group during that time period. When Hammonton First took office in 2005, it had been said that a municipality run by a third party would have difficulty receiving grant funding. The latest grant, coupled with the grant funding the town has received in the last eight years for numerous projects, shows that fear was unfounded. Hammonton has been in the vanguard with green initiatives during the last eight years, and it is no coincidence that it is being rewarded for those green efforts, which include water conservation, agriculture and finding new methods of providing energy to the town. Many municipalities are talking about being “sustainable” – but Hammonton, with the help of funding through organizations like Sustainable Jersey, is actually working toward the goal. PersPective/UsDA The recent Census of Agriculture shows that there is tremendous potential for growth among the smaller producers that make up the middle of American agriculture, but they need our support to get there. That can mean a lot of different things. Some small and mid-sized farms and ranches are happy just the way they are, and simply need stability to help them keep afloat during tough times. Others want to grow and expand, but don’t know how to access support that meets their specific needs. Recognizing these challenges, we have launched a new package of education, credit, technical assistance, and marketing tools and resources geared specifically to small and midsized farmers and ranchers. One major challenge that can make or break an operation is access to capital, so USDA has recently updated some of our loan programs to make them more accessible and navigable for small and mid-sized farmers and ranchers. For example, our hoop house cost share program is now available in all 50 states, helping small and mid-sized farmers produce and sell more over an extended growing season. Soon, we’ll make an additional $15 million available to help farmers in persistent poverty areas in 19 states build hoop houses. Our new microloan program allows small and mid-sized farmers and ranchers to use a simplified application process to apply for up to $35,000 in loans. So far, we’ve helped more than 4,900 farmers and ranchers access capital through the program—to the tune of $97 million. One of many success stories that has come out of this program is that of a Native American beginning rancher in Washington State. He operates in a remote area where commercial lending is not easily accessible. Thanks to the microloan program, he was able to receive a loan to purchase cattle and was paired with a more seasoned mentor to provide council and support during his first years of ranching. We’ve also made some changes to the Farm Storage Facility Loan program to make it more accessible and better tailored to the needs of smaller producers. Fruit and vegetable farmers can now use the program to purchase wash and pack stations along with their cold storage equipment, improving food safety and efficiency on the farm. In addition, diversified producers like those selling Community Supported Agriculture shares are eligible for a waiver to the requirement they carry crop insurance or NAP coverage when they apply, if those products aren’t right for their business model. Equally important to the viability of an operation is access to markets. We’ve made some changes in this area, too, with the goal of helping small and mid-sized farms and ranches find and break into new markets. Market News, which provides real time price, volume, supply and demand information, has expanded to include data on grass-fed beef and local foods—valuable to folks engaged in those marketplaces. We’ve also hired seven new Farm to School regional coordinators to help farmers and ranchers tap into the growing potential in the school food market. In school year 2011-2012—before USDA had even established a formal Farm to School program—schools spent nearly $355 million on food grown by their local farmers and ranchers, and more than half of schools at the time planned to spend even more in the coming year. Opportunities for small and mid-sized farms span the meal tray. Fruits and vegetables, fluid milk and baked goods are among the most popular, but schools are interested in increasing purchases of meat, poultry and eggs as well. Our coordinators are on the ground helping farmers and ranchers do business directly with school customers, a move that supports both healthy foods in schools and a healthy farm economy. Our work to support these and other local and regional food systems at USDA continues to be coordinated and strengthened through our Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food initiative. These changes are just a start. We must do more to foster and protect the wide diversity of thriving farms and ranches across rural America. We will continue to ensure that our programs and policies meet the evolving needs of American agriculture, and will adjust policies and strengthen outreach to better reach small and mid-sized farmers and ranchers. With you, we will build an agricultural landscape where there is room and opportunity for all. tom vilsack secretary, UsDA Washington, D.c. The Hammonton Gazette welcomes letters to the editor that are no more than 800 words long. All letters must include the name of the author and an address and telephone number for verification. Letters should be mailed to The Hammonton Gazette, Editorial Page, P.O. Box 1228, Hammonton, NJ 08037. Letters also will be accepted via fax. The fax number is 704-1938.  Or by e-mail to [email protected]. Deadline for all submissions is 2 p.m. Monday. The Hammonton Gazette reserves the right to edit any submissions. The opinions expressed in letters, perspectives or in guest columns do not necessarily reflect those of The Hammonton Gazette.  The Gazette is not responsible for factual errors in letters, perspectives or in guest columns. The Gazette retains the right to refuse any submission or advertisement.