Are YOU from Jersey?

Having grown up in New Jersey (only NJ folks can rightfully call it Jersey), I’ve always relished my connection to the Garden State. It is a diverse state with beautiful beaches, intimate natural areas and many cultural centers. It is rich in US history and its contributions to agriculture have garnered the state its well-earned moniker as 'The Garden State.' 

As much as I loved New Jersey, I was not fond of the traffic, the burgeoning urban sprawl and the resultant lack of true community. For all of these reasons I moved to Vermont in 1988, both to attend the University of Vermont as well as permanently live here. While no state is without its faults, Vermont remains a great place to raise your children, connect with your community and explore our natural surroundings, yet not be totally isolated from the urban and cultural centers of Boston, New York and Montreal.

I still return to my homeland to visit my sister who lives close to where we grew up in Sussex County.  The kids love seeing the horse farms, the bakeries are second to none, and the people have not changed much. The Jersey stereotypes are humorous and annoying, yet largely accurate.   Many of them were fueled by Joe Piscapo’s recurring SNL  character Paulie Herman and his redundant question “Are you from Joisey?” There is big hair in NJ, plenty of shopping malls and many Guido’s wearing black leather year round. It was just recently that I realized only my Jersey friends and family still call me “Danny.” I wear my New Jersey heritage like a badge of honor, yet I love my Vermont and it is here that I now call home and have no plans to leave.

I was amused when reading the Burlington Free Press on June 21 with two articles, only a few pages apart. The first “New website looks to tout all that's good about NJ” highlighted the efforts of some courageous Jersians to dispel the long-held myths that have only been perpetuated with the recent shows of “Jersey Shore” and “Real Housewives of New Jersey.” The website Jersey Doesn’t Stink (http://jerseydoesntstink.com/) touts some welcoming badges like “Download our DIGITAL FIGHT KIT” and “WE’RE SICK OF THE CLICHES.” Of course there’s an accompanying Twitter page (@NJdoesntstink) and Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/JerseyDoesntStink). Mind you, I love New Jersey, but I won’t take up the fight. My personal opinion is you typically earn your reputation; Vermont is small and quirky, New Jersey is crowded and obnoxious. I am perfectly fine with both. While the stereotypes do not apply to everyone in the state, it would be tough to argue there is a not a well grounded reason for these perceptions (see Howard Dean 2004 Presidential campaign or New Jersey Turnpike).  

Following that article was a slightly contrarian view of life in New Jersey entitled “Shore wars: Who owns the beaches?” While the Jersey shore has long been touted as one of the gems of the Garden State, local residents often do all they can to restrict public access to 'their' beaches for the legitimate fear of overcrowding or pollution. It harks of the 'tragedy of the commons' when a multitude of people have access to and use a common good yet no one controls ownership or decisions regarding its long term care. Access to the beaches is largely dictated by the 'Public Trust doctrine' which dates back to ancient Roman law and seeks to provide for adequate public access and equitable land use. Very few landowners are even aware of the Public Trust doctrine nor its current legal ramifications. We face similar issues here in Vermont with access to and pollution of Lake Champlain. Tactics to limiting access along the Jersey shoreline include lack of local parking, ridiculous day use fees and no public bathhouses. While these issues are not unique to the Jersey Shore, it’s a shame to see a treasure like the Jersey Shore locked up for the select few at a time when every state needs to maximize its public access and tourist revenue.

The juxtaposition of these two articles was ironic; “We’re good people from a great state, don’t make fun of us” compared to “Stay away from our best places because we like to think we own them.” Before we here in Vermont beat our collective chests too loudly, Vermont is chock full of its own contradictions, such as “We are a green, progressive and welcoming state, yet keep those wind towers away and don't build anything next to my new oversized home.” The key issue in the upcoming Gubernatorial (love that word!) election will revolve around “Is Vermont good or bad for business?”

Every state has its own tension of reputation versus reality and immigrants versus residents. It’s difficult to fault the Jersey shore residents for seeking to limit beach access if it brings undesired consequences, much as Vermont wants to be welcoming to business and economic growth while remaining small, quaint and rural. I’m not sure New Jersey will lose its “Guido” reputation any time soon, much as Vermonters will often have to answer questions like “Is Vermont a state?” and “Do you have movie theaters there?” Ultimately I believe it boils down to each individual and how you treat your neighbors; that's where reputations are earned. My philosophy in life regardless of where I choose to live, is taken from John Gorka, a fellow New Jersian now living in Minnesota, from his aptly titled song, “I’m From New Jersey:”  

"I'm from New Jersey
I don't expect too much
If the world ended today
I would adjust."