New Jersey
We can do better for our aging veterans in New Jersey. We have to invest in their care
3-minute read
As I walked into a local diner on a recent July morning, I encountered a trio of gentlemen in their 70s conversing about years gone by, expensive medical appointments, and the cost of a scrambled egg. One of the gentlemen was wearing a U.S. Army Veteran hat, and he reminded me of many of the battered but proud soldiers I have encountered in the Philadelphia VA who are often by themselves or homeless on the streets of cities in New Jersey. I wondered how they were navigating the inflated economic situation in our state with the high cost of living, ridiculous medical bills and rent and mortgage payments that are among the highest in the nation.
The answer is that they often aren’t. As a nation, a disproportionate 13% percent of our homeless population is made up of Veterans. In New Jersey, our veterans are decreasing in number at a rate of -2.4% per year, with less than half remaining by 2048. Suicide rates continue to increase as many veterans feel ineffective in life and a burden on others. In addition, the aging population is experiencing rising rates of disease and mortality in Vietnam- and Cold War-era populations who sacrificed despite the unpopular reception that they received at home.
To address these needs, the Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee was successful after 15 years in moving legislation forward on a state level that will assist disabled veterans with the high property taxes they face by increasing the deductions over the next four years to $2,500 by 2028. This is the first proposal of its kind to advance since last century and doesn’t apply to disabled veterans renting property, living in a community setting or those that were discharged in other than honorable circumstances. Other limitations include continued inflation and the fact that it is only a proposal, not a law. If we must wait another 20 years for revision and improvement to this policy or other supportive measures, most of our Vietnam era heroes may be gone.
The Social Security benefits all Americans receive and heavily rely on in their golden years is an excellent example of a policy that considers Cost of Living Allowances, or COLAs, by the state to ensure equity. Conversely, Veterans’ Compensation COLA of 2024 adjusts the rates for Veterans in each state equally but not equitably. For instance, in New Jersey, the average monthly rent or mortgage payment is above $1,800; in North Dakota, it is around $800. A disabled veteran gets the same compensation from the government in both locations with the current scale despite the drastic differences in COLA. This equates to a $1,000 difference monthly while only looking at housing expenses, which could easily result in a Veteran becoming unhoused or unable to support children or grandchildren in their pursuits. New Jersey legislators must push for a policy to adapt Veteran’s disability benefits to match the high tax rates and COLA. Opposition to increases in veteran disability compensation in New Jersey includes a segment of society that feels that the compensation deters the community from working later into life and potentially suffering stress and depression through inactivity. Until other veteran benefits programs like Vocational Rehabilitation are accessible and property tax reductions are enacted, disability compensation is the most feasible solution to avoid veteran poverty. Rep. Andy Kim of the 3rd District said, “We owe it to our veterans to find ways to fill in the gaps in their benefits and deliver the support they have earned,” to which I respectfully respond, “Deeds Not Words.” We should get more familiar with our local legislators when supporting veteran legislation, knowing the devasting outcomes of homelessness, mental health issues and worse that can develop through isolation and struggles at home.
Another example of a New Jersey politician who seems to understand this concept is Assemblyman Brian Bergen, who delivered a package of bills for New Jersey veterans in 2021 to acknowledge the sacrifice of Veterans as they return home. Unfortunately, they appear to have received opposition based on political affiliations alone. These stagnated proposals include state tuition for qualifying veterans, business grants, proportional tax assistance, and relocation assistance for veterans interested in moving to our great state. Ultimately, New Jersey needs to harness the strengths of our service member leaders to benefit our communities versus ostracizing them or forcing them to seek financial refuge elsewhere.
The inability to bypass ideological differences in Trenton reminds me of a song my grandparents introduced about respecting each other called “The Living Years.” In that song, Mike Rutherford (from Mike in the Mechanics) states, “Say it loud (say it loud), Say it clear (say it clear), You can listen as well as you hear, It’s too late (It’s too late), When we die (oh, when we die), To admit we don’t see eye to eye.”
Now is our time to learn from this poignant lesson and recognize and support our nation’s heroes during their remaining living years despite our other differences. As American voters, we must learn how to support local legislators who look past their party lines and listen to our aging veteran’s needs before it’s too late.
Ryan Holak, a veteran and a student in Baylor University’s masters in social work program, is a resident of Delran Township in Burlington County.
A few weeks ago I wrote about staying in New Jersey feeling like a bad relationship. The love is real. The memories are real. But the bills keep coming and the promises from Trenton keep not arriving. And most people keep saying just one more year.
Here is the part of that story I did not get to. For a lot of New Jersey residents, the “just one more year” conversation does not end with a decision to leave. It ends with retirement — and the sudden realization that the math that was already hard just got impossible.
The friends who are no longer here
I think about this a lot because I see it in my own life. Friends and relatives I grew up with — people who are approaching retirement or are already there — are gone. Not gone as in passed away. Gone as in New Jersey made them leave. Financially bullied out of the state they built their lives in.
Off the top of my head I can place friends and family in western Pennsylvania, Illinois, Arizona, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Hawaii — and of course Florida, always Florida. A few landed in Delaware, close enough to drive back for a long weekend. Most are not that lucky. When you move to Scottsdale or Nashville or Maui, Sunday dinner with the grandkids is no longer twelve minutes down the road. It is a flight.
Thank goodness for social media. It is the only reason we stay connected.
These were not people who wanted to leave. They coached Little League. They served on school boards and rescue squads. They wore badges and volunteered at firehouses. Stand-up citizens who would have gone on contributing to their communities for another twenty years. New Jersey pushed them out anyway.
SEE ALSO: Staying in NJ is starting to feel like a bad relationship
Photo by Zac Gudakov on Unsplash
When paying off your house becomes a rude awakening
For many of them the realization came at the worst possible moment — the moment they should have been celebrating. Paying off your house is supposed to be the reward of a well-lived life. Decades of mortgage payments finally done. You own it. Free and clear.
Except in New Jersey, that moment of triumph comes with a brutal clarity. The property tax bill that was quietly folded into your monthly mortgage payment is now sitting on your kitchen table all by itself. No mortgage to soften the blow. Just a number. A big one.
The average New Jersey property tax bill tops $9,800 a year statewide. In Bergen, Morris and Essex counties it pushes well past $12,000. That is the bill you get for owning something you already paid for. Pay it or face consequences. It is not quite Tony Soprano showing up at your door — but the message is not entirely different. Pay up, or we make things very difficult for you.
Social Security was not designed to absorb that number. Most pension checks were not either. (For those who worked hard and were fortunate to receive them.) For many residents who paid into their 401k…it sadly just does not cut it here.
The Stay NJ promise that isn’t
What makes it sting even more is that relief was supposed to be coming. Governor Sherrill’s proposed budget cuts the Stay NJ property tax relief program — $500 million gone. That program was supposed to cut property tax bills nearly in half for eligible homeowners over 65. People built their retirement plans around it. Stayed in their houses because of it.
Now it may not happen. And for retirees sitting on a house worth four times what they paid for it, the calculation is shifting fast. Cash out. Head south. Let someone else argue with the tax assessor.
What Trenton owes this generation
The people facing this decision did not fail New Jersey. They showed up for decades. They raised families here, served their communities, paid their taxes, and stayed through every rate hike, toll increase and broken promise of reform.
They deserve better than a retirement that forces them to choose between financial survival and the only home they have ever known.
New Jersey is still worth loving. The Shore, the food, the neighborhoods, the culture — none of that has changed. What has changed is the price the state charges for the privilege of staying.
For a generation that gave everything they had, that price has finally gotten too high.
LOOK: Here’s where people in every state are moving to most
Gallery Credit: Amanda Silvestri
I will admit it. I have way too many notifications turned on.
It is an occupational hazard. As a talk show host and content provider for NJ 101.5, I need to stay on top of local news, national news, weather alerts for towns I visited three years ago — and yes, Ring and Nextdoor. Both of them. All notifications. All the time.
They wake me up in the middle of the night and I let them, because of FOMO. It is a terrible affliction and I am not proud of it.
Ring, Nextdoor and the anxiety they call features
But I am seriously considering turning them off. Because just about every alert that comes through turns out to be nothing. The guy in sunglasses and a Giants hoodie walking down the street. The strange car parked in front of someone’s house. The rotten egg smell nobody can identify. The contractors who showed up wanting to pave the driveway, fix the roof, and install new windows all in one visit.
And the granddaddy of them all: “Was that a gunshot, a car backfiring, or fireworks at 11pm?”
These apps do not give me peace of mind. They give me anxiety!
SEE ALSO: Financial anxiety is crushing NJ residents
Photo by Konstantin Shmatov on Unsplash
The top 10 alerts guaranteed to flood your New Jersey feed
“Was that gunshots or fireworks?” The undisputed champion. Loud bang at night, instant neighborhood panic. Thunderstorms, construction, a truck with a bad muffler — all submitted as possible gunfire. Never gets resolved.
Suspicious person walking down the street “White van driving slowly.” “Someone looking at houses.” In New Jersey this category also includes door-to-door solicitors offering to check your utility bill, inspect your roof, and repave your driveway simultaneously.
Pets, poop and the ongoing war Barking dogs. Lost cats. The eternal fury of the un-scooped lawn. Runs 365 days a year and generates more passion than most political debates.
Parking drama “Someone parked in front of my house.” Not blocking the driveway. Not illegally parked. Just in front of the house. In New Jersey this is a declaration of war.
Package theft and petty crime The actually useful one. Porch pirates, car break-ins, garage thefts with real Ring footage and real descriptions. About one in ten posts here is genuinely worth your attention.
“Did anyone else hear that?” Helicopters. Sirens. Internet going down for four minutes. All submitted as neighborhood emergencies requiring community response.
Teens being teenagers “A group of teenagers walking around.” “Kids on bikes after dark.” “Someone rang my doorbell and ran.” Almost always harmless. Always posted as suspicious.
Smells, trash and mystery odors The rotten egg smell. Construction dust. A neighbor burning something. In denser NJ towns this category gets surprisingly heated.
Door-to-door scams and solicitors Actually one of the more legitimate categories. Fake utility workers, solar salespeople, roofing crews appearing out of nowhere. Worth reading and worth sharing.
Overreaction posts about overreaction posts The meta-complaint. People posting about people who post too much. Duplicate alerts about the same non-event. The feed eating itself.
Photo by Hamish Duncan on Unsplash
I keep thinking about what we did before these apps. We just wondered. We heard a noise and went back to sleep. We did not know about the white van and we were fine.
I am turning off the notifications. Both apps. All of them.
And I am going back to sleep.
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Gallery Credit: Erin Vogt
Glen Rock Police Chief retires after 40 years of service
Dean Ackermann, Glen Rock Police Chief retires, Tuesday, March 31, 2026, after 40 years of service to the borough.
GLEN ROCK − Police Chief Dean Ackermann headed off to retirement on March 31 after serving 40 years in the department.
A “final walk-out ceremony” was held at the Glen Rock Police Headquarters on Tuesday to honor the career of Ackermann.
“I can’t believe it has been 40 years. I left the place better than I found it and I left it in the hands of a great leader who is going to take the department to new heights,” said Ackermann
About 100 people from the community came to see Ackermann’s farewell which included many current and former police officers along with the family and friends of the retired police chief.
Ackermann took the podium on the warm spring afternoon and first thanked his wife for being by his side throughout his career. He thanked the Glen Rock police department for their support to him and thanked everyone who showed up to the walkout.
Ackermann was named the chief of police in 2016, having prior positions of detective and sergeant. He joined local law enforcement in 1986. Prior to his time with the Glen Rock Police Department, Ackermann worked as a New Jersey Transit Police officer, assigned to look over towns Newark, East Orange and Hoboken.
Tuesday’s ceremony was also a passing of the torch moment in Glen Rock as Ackermann introduced the new police chief, Michael Trover. Ackermann presented Trover with the chief police badge, which he said would be his last act as the Glen Rock police chief.
Trover has been a member of the Glen Rock police department for 20 years and served as captain at the department. He was officially sworn in as chief on March 25.
Like many North Jersey towns, major crime was low in Glen Rock during the years of Ackermann’s tenure as police chief. New Jersey crime statistics, which localized in 2020, show no murders and rapes were reported in the last six years in Glen Rock. From that time frame, only three robberies were reported, all in 2022.
The Glen Rock PBA presented Ackermann with a plaque as they wished him good luck on his retirement.
“We want to wish you the very best. I know Glen Rock and the surrounding communities are indebted to you for all that you have done for all the residents,” said Assemblywoman Lisa Swain at the ceremony.
The ceremony finished with Ackermann taking photos with his family and the generations of those who worked in the Glen Rock police department.
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