Good News for Oakland

On Thursday, Representative Bill Pascrell and Representative Scott Garrett attended the ribbon cutting ceremony of the completed flood gates at the Pompton Lakes Dam. Here's The Record's summary of the project:

Exactly 23 years ago to the day, the rampaging Ramapo River was forcing Oakland residents from their homes and sweeping away their belongings. But on Thursday, the river was as well-behaved as human tinkering could make it.

That's because a three-phase $21.6 million project on the waterway dividing Wayne and Pompton Lakes was finally complete. Two steel floodgates at the Pompton Lakes Dam, valued at a total of $1 million, now allow much more water to gush from the waterway's stretch in Oakland into lower-lying Passaic County communities.

This is a good thing for the residents along the Ramapo, and a good example of the positive impact federal dollars can have on a local community.

The Army Corps project was funded with $19.6 million in federal money and $2 million from the state.

It also is, as Garrett acknowledged, what bi-partisanship should look like.

Garrett agreed that "this project is the product of bipartisan cooperation, and it goes to show you what good work can be done when we focus on solving problems."

Now if we can get him to take that attitude from the dam on the banks of the Ramapo back to Congress by the Potomac, we might be in business. Garrett is one of the most partisan members of the House, so I won't hold out hope. It serves our nation and our communities best when we have influence, as opposed to what we have now, and being able to work with the other side helps build the ability to get things done. On this day, Garrett has seen the benefits of cooperation and maybe, just maybe, he can figure out that we move forward as a nation when the parties work together.