Belgard will guard Shore home values

As a Sandy flood victim and a member of Stop FEMA Now, I’m quite familiar with all the problems with the National Flood Insurance Program, lowball claims payments by insurors and the resulting slow recovery of our region. Congress can fix FEMA, and the November 4th election of a new member of the House of Representatives in our Third District (list of towns below) offers a great opportunity to get it done.

After scrutinizing the candidates’ track records and their positions on the key issues, I’ve concluded that the best choice is Aimee Belgard.

Even if you weren’t directly impacted by Sandy, you will be soon. FEMA is expanding flood zones to get more flood insurance customers to bail it out of its multi-billion-dollar debt from decades of mismanagement. That little pond or brook down the road might put your house in such a zone. Neighborhoods built near long-gone cranberry bogs are considered flood zones by those FEMA bureaucrats in Washington.

Many towns in our region have property tax bases (ratables) millions of dollars lower because of Sandy damage. Your tax rate will go up, if it hasn’t already. Your property value will go down if $10,000 a year in flood insurance is required by FEMA.

Aimee Belgard will work on behalf of middle-class residents. Her opponent will work for the insurance companies, as he always has. He recently bought a condo so he can claim to be a resident in the district, and he’s spending a few of his millions to buy the election.

The choice is clear. Examine all the issues, not just your property value, and you will come to the same conclusion as I have. I’m voting for Aimee Belgard.

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Third Congressional District:

Ocean County: Barnegat, Barnegat Light, Beach Haven, Beachwood, Berkeley Township, Eagleswood Township, Harvey Cedars, Island Heights, Lacey Township, Lavallette, Little Egg Harbor Township, Long Beach Township, Ocean Gate, Ocean Township, Pine Beach, Seaside Heights, Seaside Park, Ship Bottom, South Toms River, Stafford Township, Surf City, Toms River Township, Tuckerton

Burlington County: Bass River Township, Beverly, Bordentown City, Bordentown Township, Burlington Township (part), Cinnaminson Township, Delanco Township, Delran Township, Eastampton Township, Edgewater Park Township, Evesham Township, Fieldsboro Hainesport Township, Lumberton Township, Medford Lakes, Medford Township, Moorestown Township, Mount Holly Township, Mount Laurel Township, New Hanover Township, North Hanover Township, Pemberton Borough, Pemberton Township, Riverside Township, Shamong Township (part), Southampton Township, Tabernacle Township, Westampton Township, Willingboro Township, Woodland Township, Wrightstown