Washington Leaders Must Protect Social Security During Debt Ceiling Debate

As Republicans and Democrats in Washington D.C. continue to bicker over the federal budget and the associated debt ceiling, I would like to encourage leaders in both parties to take no action that could harm the Social Security and Medicare benefits on which our seniors depend.

For more than four decades as an Ocean County Freeholder and now Commissioner, I have been a staunch advocate for our senior citizens.

Ocean County has one of the largest senior citizen populations in New Jersey and I have spent my public service career ensuring that our older residents receive all of the benefits they deserve.

Seniors are the heart of our county’s economy. But more importantly, they have earned a comfortable and fulfilling retirement. I have worked hard to keep our county government and our cost of living affordable.

Now the federal government needs to do its part and ensure Social Security not only continues, but keeps up with inflation.

I have recently spoken to a number of our residents who are concerned that the political posturing surrounding the ongoing debt ceiling debate could target Social Security. As a representative of our senior communities, I call on the Biden Administration and the leaders of both the House and Senate to consider no action that could in any way threaten Social Security benefits.

I feel that when a debate becomes so derisive, with both sides of the aisle posturing for headlines and support, our top-level elected officials sometime forget the fear that can trickle down to our residents.

It is a safe assumption that many people following the debt ceiling debate do not fully understands the long-term implications of raising or not raising the ceiling. They only want to know how the final decision will impact them. Will they pay more in taxes and interest? Will their benefits suffer?

Our elected federal officials, from the White House and Congress, need to step up and reassure our senior citizens that Social Security will be protected.

Among our many Ocean County seniors is one of the state’s largest populations of veterans. These brave men and women served in wars including World War II, Korea and Vietnam.

Our veterans also need reassurance that the political wrangling in Washington D.C. sidesteps both Social Security and the critical VA benefits our heroes depend on.

Now is the time for the President and leaders of both houses to stop looking for headlines and instead look out for the interests of all citizens. Our national leaders were elected to serve all of the people, not just their respective political parties.

Joseph H. Vicari Director, Board of Commissioners

usage during the particularly cold days around Christmas last year. The warnings for more of this in the near future are clear and are coming from multiple sources.

But back to PJM for now. The report projects that PJM will lose 40,000 megawatts of capacity by 2030. At best, 30,000 megawatts will be replaced by solar, wind and other types of power – a loss of 25%. At worst, only half that will be replaced, meaning 37.5% of available power will be lost. PJM’s reserve margin, meaning spare capacity compared to peak demand, will fall from 26% to 15% or lower, according to the report.

In May, a US Senate committee held a hearing on the issue. A member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission told the committee, “I’m afraid to say it, but I think the United States is heading towards a catastrophic situation. The problem is not the addition of wind and solar, it’s the subtraction of dispatchable resources like coal and gas.”

“Dispatchable” means they can be readily cranked up when demand is high, unlike solar and wind which only create energy while the sun is out and the wind is blowing.

Also in May, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) issued a report finding that two-thirds of North America may have power shortages this summer during extreme heat. NERC’s director of reliability assessment said, “The system is closer to the edge. More needs to be done.”

Not all of the expanding energy gap is directly related to government policy. Some new energy projects have been delayed by other factors such as supply-chain issues and other market problems.

But government policy is certainly a big factor. New federal regulations require coal and gas power plants to cut carbon emissions by an incredible 90% between 2035 and 2040. The government says plants should do this using “carbon capture” technology, which is very expensive and not well supported scientifically at this point. The effect is to force large investments with uncertain results, likely to cause even more reliable plants to shut down.

In our state, the governor has been praised for setting a goal of 100% clean energy by 2035.

Both remind me of the old saying, “If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”

That hotel chain with the ads saying “we’ll leave the light on for you” may have to find a new tag line.

Alex Sauickie is a life-long Jackson resident who represents his home town and 13 other towns in the State Assembly.

Allentoff

Plane

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(OASS), a volunteer group dedicated to conducting sunset patrols along the coastline throughout the summer.

More than a decade ago, Guinness World Records recognized Cox as the first woman to fly an airplane with her feet. Cox has consistently proven that even the sky poses no limits for her.

At first glance, it may appear counterintuitive that Cox would choose to fly a 1940s vintage ERCO Ercoupe airplane. However, Cox and her husband, Patrick Chamberlain, credit the ERCO developers with an early iteration of technology that continues to facilitate flying for individuals with disabilities.

The beginning of Cox’s association with the Ocean County group unfolded when she encountered others who owned the same type of aircraft that she initially piloted.

Gene Bunt serves as a member of EAA Chapter 898 and is also one of the OASS pilots. As luck would have it, Bunt’s additional position as the director of the Ercoupe Owners Club proved advantageous when Cox found herself in need of local assistance.

“I have known Jessica for many years through the Ercoupe Owners Club,” acknowledged Bunt. “She attends many of our events and conferences.”

On March 18, 2022, Cox and her husband flew to the east coast and safely touched down at JFK International Airport. The couple’s usual sense of joy after a successful flight was short-lived when a jet turned sharply next to them, nearly flipping their plane.

“It might not have been an intentional act, but it was definitely a negligent one,” Chamberlain shared. “Jessica’s plane looked like a New York City taxicab. It’s bright yellow, white and has black checker marks. There’s no way they didn’t see it.”

Cox and Chamberlain had fortunately left the plane for a quick break. However, they came back to huge concerns regarding harm to the aircraft. Given his familiarity with their type of plane and their location, Bunt seemed like the obvious person to reach out to for help.

The call achieved an immediate response as if a family member was in need. Bunt arranged for a mechanic who worked on his personal aircraft to come out to check the extent of the damage. Meanwhile, the interaction over the course of a few days led to some interesting conversations.

Cox and Chamberlain told Bunt about a project they were considering even before the incident that brought them together. The couple had decided to explore alternatives for replacing the aircraft. The 1946 ERCO was not really designed to last as long as it had, and there were other issues.

“Jessica has to sit in basically a crunch,” said Chamberlain. “So, she’s sitting crisscross with one foot on the yoke and the other foot on the