HOPATCONG DISTRICT 11 GENEROUSLY GIVES HOPATCONG PROPERTY RIGHTS TO THE STATE OF NJ FOR SUSSEX COUNTY DISTRICT 5 POLITICAL KUDOS

Do you ever wonder why our elected and appointed officials in Hopatcong do the most outrageous things and our Sussex County Republicans give them full support?  This is because Hopatcong is the big property gift givers to the State Highlands Act.  And Sussex County Politicians know that they can handicap the prosperity of Hopatcong with little political consequences because they have taken advantage of US Congressional voting districts.  Our Hopatcong politicians who participate in the State give-away programs have their Political aspirations realized with future County Political positions.  You Hopatcong taxpayer have little voting clout in protesting the unconstitutional NJ Highlands Act that our Sussex County Politicians are glad handing with the State of New Jersey for future grants and state project funding.  They are more than happy to place these properties in Sussex County under the state’s control because these municipalities are in a different US Congressional voting district.  That’s right Hopatcong is in a different district than the County seat of Newton.  Newton is in District 5 and Hopatcong is in District 11.  Most of Sussex County is in US Congressional District 5 and a small part of Sussex County is in District 11.  What municipalities are in District 11 Sussex County?  They are 5 municipalities: Byram Township, Hopatcong, Ogdensburg, Sparta Township, Stanhope.  All of these municipalities have large tracts of land in the Highlands Preservation area which has robbed them of future business development and very little in state compensation for giving up these property rights.    

Why is this District thing so important to know?  Because Sussex County is making PLUM POLITICAL Deals with the State of New Jersey with District 11 properties but getting REWARDED by the state with state grants PROJECTS FOR DISTRICT 5.  If you don’t like the Sussex County Deals Hopatcong is playing with the State of New Jersey, you will have to make your case or plea with a representative who represents most of Morris County.  And Morris County is not involved in robbing its residents of their property rights with the NJ Highlands Act so it is not a big issue for you district 11 US Representative.  Meanwhile, your Mayor, Municipal Attorney and Council Members have been rubbing elbows with district 5 area Republican State reps and getting big pats on the back for bringing home the State political beacon with Byram’s Hopatcong’s, Stanhope’s Highlands Act preservation participation.  Hopatcong’s politicians are not only getting big political brownie points with the Sussex County state legislatures and they are also making plum Highlands Act deals with GLOBAL BUISNESS INVESTORS who have purchased these preservation properties for their Real Estate asset portfolios.  They are properties were the purchase price has been devalued and they are paying almost nothing in Municipal property taxes because they own farmland properties.  The state of NJ does not require them to be a productive farm to receive these agricultural tax exemptions.  So, savvy former Wall Street stock brokerage and hedge firm leaders have become investors in State preservation properties.  They are buying up this land for future speculation.  The future speculation is that resources (natural commodities) on these properties will be in demand by the State.  Water Demand is the future commodity of the State Highlands Act.  Hopatcong’s officials (our Mayor and Council members) essentially handed over our water access rights to Private and State negotiation control with little state financial compensation to the people of Hopatcong.    In the near future the state will be making an offer to large private landholders of these properties for access to these water resources with our State tax dollars.  Remember the deal the former Mayor of Sussex received from the DOT for his strip of land?  Now think of the lucrative state funded possibilities this may present to a global investor.   Our Municipal Attorney was once on the board of the NJ Highlands Commission and he is also the attorney who represents the largest Landholder of Hopatcong - the global reinsurance investment company and that entity owns most of the farmland in Hopatcong and has most of their properties in the Highlands Preservation plan. 

What is so terrible about this Investment group making a killing on the State of New Jersey’s water demand futures is - they have strong political influence over our Municipal politicians and Municipal attorney.  Our politicians are being endorsed by them and in turn they have given them free PR on our Hopatcong Borough 2014 Recycling Planner Calendar.  Our Mayor sees Hudson Farms as part of our Recreational Department (see back of Calendar on Recreation Information).  Do you like the glossy Calendar we received?  Well May is really free Global Investor Public Relations Month because, the property called Hudson Farms is tax record listed as IAT Reinsurance Ltd.  Who is IAT?  Here is their own definition IAT Reinsurance Company, Ltd. is a Class 3 Bermuda domiciled reinsurer. IAT Reinsurance Company, Ltd. is rated A- by A.M. Best. Reinsurance underwriting operations are Conducted out of Rolling Meadows, IL. Our Mission is to protect and grow our capital base.

Yes they are protecting and growing its capital base with Sussex County farmland properties.  Hudson Farms – IAT owns 1,074 acres of Hopatcong’s farmland and pays $3,721 in County and Municipal taxes for the private uses of this farmland investment property which isn’t farming.  

 So everyone  let’s make some corrections to our nice glossy Calendar and the caption for May should read May’s March for Making Millionaires Month where the taxpayers of Hopatcong take a hike for tax refunds on behalf of the selfless volunteer support they give to their community groups.   This is also when the big Politicos connected to these properties give a big BEAR HUG (look it up) to Hopatcong, Sussex County and the State of New Jersey. And our Municipal Politicians get to meet their Big Daddy in the flesh.  Here is an additional photo you can add to your calendar for the month of May. 

What picture would you like to add to the Month of May to our calendar?