Americans for Prosperity Battles COAH Mandates in New Jersey

For Immediate Release – Thursday, Feb. 26, 2009
Contact: Colette Campbell, (201) 487-8844

Americans for Prosperity Battles COAH Mandates in New Jersey

AFP to host taxpayer action seminars across the state, starting Mar. 11

TRENTON─ The New Jersey chapter of Americans for Prosperity (AFP-NJ) is launching a series of taxpayer action seminars throughout the state to educate citizens on the devastating economic effects of the Council on Affordable Housing’s heavy-handed social engineering mandates that will force 100,000 low income housing units into towns across New Jersey.

“COAH mandates will lead to increased crime, overcrowding schools, high density housing and lowered property values,” said Colette Campbell, state director of AFP-NJ. “These negative effects will eventually lead to increased property taxes on top of those already paid by New Jersey homeowners.”

Beginning on March 11th in Sparta, AFP-NJ’s initiative highlighting the devastating problems with the COAH mandates will spread throughout the state with citizen education, petitions, and presentations to local organizations.

“We understand that the COAH plan can only be stopped at the local level,” said Campbell. “Once residents are armed with the disturbing facts on COAH, public outrage will surge, pressuring the legislature and court to overturn the detrimental housing plot that has wreaked havoc in this state.”

Over 160 lawsuits have been filed locally by community members seeking relief, waivers, or more clear interpretations of the Council’s ambiguous rules. Attendees of taxpayer seminars will learn more about these lawsuits, and hear how COAH mandates have devastated once thriving communities.

“The communities broken by COAH mandates are a direct result of an activist Supreme Court in New Jersey," said Campbell. "The appointment of two new justices in this state is as an opportunity to end the court’s activism and allow the free market to determine the state’s housing need, not an arbitrary gavel.”

For more information and a complete schedule of seminars, visit www.americansforprosperity.org/new-jersey

Americans for Prosperity (AFP) is a nationwide organization of citizen leaders committed to advancing every individual’s right to economic freedom and opportunity. AFP believes reducing the size and scope of government is the best safeguard to ensuring individual productivity and prosperity for all Americans. AFP educates and engages citizens in support of restraining state and federal government growth, and returning government to its constitutional limits. For more information, visit www.americansforprosperity.org

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