Feb. 1, 2008
For immediate release
For more information, contact Jerry Thompson: (609) 698-6900

Barnegat Chamber of Commerce Opposes Toll Hike
Launches Sign Campaign Urging Citizens to ‘Just Say No’

        The Barnegat Chamber of Commerce has endorsed a sign campaign that motivates concerned citizens to speak out against Governor Corzine’s proposed toll hike.
        Saying the toll hike would levy an unfair burden on area businesses and residents, the chamber board of directors voted unanimously at an executive board meeting Jan. 31 to have signs printed urging, “Just Say No” to the governor’s proposal.
        The chamber will make signs and posters available free to local businesses.
        The awareness campaign reminds citizens that they can express their viewpoint by writing to the governor and elected representatives and by attending public hearings, said Chamber President Jerry Thompson.
        “This has nothing to do with politics; it has to do with the unfair financial burden that the proposed toll hike would put on our local small businesses and the residents of all of Ocean County, not just Barnegat,” said Thompson.
        Representatives of the 160-member chamber call for an alternative to the governor’s plan that would pay down the state debt by raising fees on state toll roads by 50 percent every four years beginning in 2010.
        “It was a unanimous decision among our board that we have to come out against the toll hike plan,” said Thompson. “We know something has to be done, but it can’t be done inequitably, like the toll hike.”
        The potential cost increases of doing business could affect all levels of the area economy, chamber spokesmen point out. Businesses already face fuel surcharges that have recently been imposed by many vendors because gasoline prices are so high, Thompson said.
         “Businesses are already paying fuel surcharges for deliveries. Whether it’s flour to make pizza or the cost of paper for a small printer, everything has already gone up. The toll increase is just going to raise shipping expenses across the board. How are small businesses going to afford it?”
        Ocean County businesses and residents would be among the hardest hit in the state by the toll hike, according to published reports based on the number of Garden State Parkway users. “Our only alternative road is one lane in each direction without a turning lane – Route 9. We don’t have any alternative,” Thompson pointed out.
        The 12-inch-by 24-inch signs picture the symbol of a slash inside a circle overlaying the words “Toll Hike,” below the encouragement to “Just Say No.” The signs are designed to be posted outdoors. Window posters have also been printed.
        For more information on the sign campaign or to obtain signs, Barnegat Chamber of Commerce President Jerry Thompson can be contacted by calling (609) 698-6900.
        The chamber is also reminding the public to attend public hearings such as the Feb. 2 town meeting at 2 p.m. at the Ritacco Center on the campus of Toms River North High School, Toms River. “We hope people will turn out at the meeting and let the governor know the effect his proposal would have on our local area,” Thompson said.