Another dead whale washed up at the Jersey Shore this weekend, Save Jerseyans. The juvenile humpback drifted onto Long Branch’s Takanassee Beach which lies in the battleground 11th Legislative District represented (if we can call it that?) by state Senator Vin Gopal.
Public opinion is taking a hard turn AGAINST offshore wind. We know that’s true because senior Democrat legislative leaders have suddenly voiced concerns after months of silence as Phil Murphy moved full-steam ahead with plans to industrialize the Jersey Shore’s territorial waters.
Who’s digging in? Curiously enough?
Vin Gopal, arguably Election 2023’s most vulnerable incumbent. He even dismissed critics of offshore wind projects as “conspiracy theorists,” a massive and politically unwise “fuck you” to a large percentage of his own constituents. An interesting move for a veteran Trenton pol? You bet. Gopal made the comments on a recent edition of News12’s Power and Politics with Alex Zdan:
A dead whale washes up in Long Branch, home of @vingopal, and yet he still dismisses ANY POSSIBLE tie between sonar mapping + dead mammals. Here, he calls advocates and others “conspiracy theorists.” Non-expert, self-righteousness won’t help. Indep research + moratorium now!! pic.twitter.com/kTWgd3ogtz
— Steve Dnistrian (@sdnistrian) August 14, 2023
Gopal’s obviously wrong.
The federal government has not only acknowledged an increased risk to marine life, but they recently advertised a grant to study the problem citing “knowledge gaps.” Is there a good faith reason to approve such a massive project while simultaneously admitting you don’t know what the impact will be? Questioning THAT makes someone a “conspiracy theorist”?
“A dead whale washes up in Long Branch, home of @vingopal, and yet he still dismisses ANY POSSIBLE tie between sonar mapping + dead mammals,” tweeted Gopal’s opponent, Republican Steve Dnistrian. “Here, he calls advocates and others “conspiracy theorists.” Non-expert, self-righteousness won’t help. Indep research + moratorium now!!”
