Point Pleasant Beach is offering $24 an hour to pick up trash and they can't find anyone to do it, so says Mayor Paul Kanitra on Facebook.

And what do they do with the trash? Send them back to New York? I knew guys that picked up lots of trash around closing time at the old Beach House and Ships Wheel, but I digress.

How far have we come as a state where we can't find someone to pick up trash in Point Pleasant Beach for $24 an hour? People are actually refusing the refuse!

My first job at Great Adventure was as a "lead" of "Operational Services". That was where I was given a crew and a dumpster and our job was to make sure all of the trash cans in the park were emptied. We worked in concert with the "Litter Citters" whose job it was to walk around the park with pan and brooms picking up whatever trash people were just throwing on the street.

My pay for doing this at the time was $2.65 per hour. Now, I see The Sahara Sam’s water park in West Berlin is offering $15 per hour to new hires for the season including lifeguards and other staff as young as 15 and 16. There’s also a bonus program for workers who stay until September.

Clementon Park Splash World, located 5 miles away, is struggling to open their park, is offering $18 per hour and a $500 sign-on bonus! How times have changed.

You see, back in the day, people weren't being paid by the state to sit home and collect excessive unemployment even though there were dozens of jobs available. Those who did collect unemployment has to prove that they were at least looking for a job. Now that doesn't happen in New Jersey.

How times have changed, only not for the better.
The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Steve Trevelise. Any opinions expressed are Steve's own. Steve Trevelise is on New Jersey 101.5 Monday-Thursday from 7pm-11pm. Follow him on Twitter @realstevetrev.

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