It’s sometimes easy, especially during pandemic times, to live in a bubble – unaware of what is truly going on right around you. And while it’s easy to turn on the news and get an overall understanding of things, it’s sometimes harder to know what they are really like in your neck of the woods. That’s the purpose of Princeton Perspectives, to localize stories and share information that matters to you.

So, it’s only fitting that our November issue focuses on just that. In Where Does Princeton Stand? A Local Perspective on National Issues, we take a local look at some of the major stories covering the headlines and provide a deeper look at what they’re like in and around Princeton.

For starters, community events are starting to pick up everywhere. Sick of cancellations and with evidence that outdoor events are safe, major running events are on thing making a big comeback. Though there were some COVID-safety changes, the Boston Marathon ran in October and the New York marathon ran earlier this month. Both built up great excitement for the HiTops Princeton Half Marathon that ran on Sunday. Princeton Perspectives was there to meet the community and cheer on the runners, so we’re dedicating this month’s Pulse of Princeton to those excited to experience a great community event! Check out the compilation of photos in our video below.

Another big event that brought people out of their bubbles was the general elections earlier this month, the results of which led to major headlines about Democrats vs. Republicans and the ideologies of voters. Do Princeton Locals Lean Liberal or Conservative? It’s Not So Cut and Dry takes a closer look at Princeton-area voters and what they feel about some of the hot button issues facing our nation today. You may be a bit surprised what we found.

The delta variant threw our country for a loop in late summer and early fall, but are things getting better locally? Princeton Health Officer: The Current State of COVID Here provides the latest information on what our schools and community are facing. As 5 to 11-year olds began getting vaccinated last week, this information could see changes in the coming weeks.

This time of year is also when many businesses gear up for the holidays. National stories talk about labor shortages and supply delays, but what is it like in this area? In The Perfect Storm of Problems Creates Hurdles for Local Businesses and Consumers you’ll hear personal accounts from local business owners and workers, shedding light on what your friends and neighbors are experiencing.

I spoke earlier about the increased desire to have community events. Well, that interest is certainly apparent as it pertains to the arts. Princeton’s Appetite for Visual and Performing Arts is Strong explains the transformation area artists have gone through since the start of the pandemic, and what art enthusiasts want now. There certainly is a lot of art to be seen and heard!

And don’t forget to scroll down and check out this month’s Perspectives Revisited! Our story updates are timely and enlightening.

It was fun to be a part of the HiTops Princeton Half Marathon and introduce our magazine to many new readers. Honest, investigative and focused coverage of what matters to Princeton is what we post on Princeton Perspectives, and we hope you’ll help us spread word to the community as well. Anyone that doesn’t currently receive Princeton Perspectives in your inbox can click here to join our mailing list!

And stay tuned…next month we’re going to share stories that will help you have a meaningful countdown to the new year. Another year is almost gone, but it’s not over yet! Look forward to sharing with you on December 15^th!

On Friday, Jack Ciattarelli conceded in a very close race, and New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy eked out an official win over the Republican candidate. Similarly, the morning after election day, the Republicans in Princeton’s District 16 Senator and Assembly races had the lead, yet in the end, the winners were all Democrats. Though only 20% of Princeton’s registered voters went to the polls (plus 3,605 mail-ins), in all of these races Princeton overwhelmingly voted Democratic, helping Murphy, Zwicker, Frieman and Jaffer take office.

Most Princeton Districts, like 9 (in the former borough between 206 and Witherspoon) and 13 (in the Littlebrook neighborhood behind and next to the shopping center), voted strongly for Murphy, yet in Districts 1 (on the western side, off of the Great Road) and 4 (off Mercer Street and around the Institute area), Ciattarelli received 40- 50% of the votes. If you look at the voting statistics, 27% of Princeton votes went to Ciattarelli compared to the 18% of Princetonians that voted Republican Kim Guadagno for Governor in 2017. And that increase is from a Princeton voting base for this general election where only 9.5% of voters were registered Republicans. Does that mean a growing contingent of residents are now challenging the Democratic ideals?

Let’s break it down even further to better understand how party affiliation aligns with political ideologies in Princeton. The famous college town has a reputation as being liberal, but Princeton Perspectives recently surveyed a diverse group of local residents about today’s hot button issues, and the results from more than 100 respondents show the locals don’t always lean left. In fact, sometimes they lean more to the right.

LOCAL POLITICS

Starting with local politics, there has not been a Republican on the municipal ballot in the last two general elections. Yet when people were asked how they feel about Princeton’s Mayor and Council (all of whom are Democrats), the response was far from supportive. 33% of respondents claim the municipal representatives need Republicans amongst their ranks, so they can see things from multiple vantage points and 25% note the leaders pretend to listen to the community but end up doing what they want. Only 13% feel the local officials really listen to the community and utilize the feedback to affect their decisions. And a mere 5% think they are doing great.

When it comes to the local educational district, the feelings are a bit more mixed. 29% of those surveyed feel that Princeton Public School’s Board of Education (PPS BOE)/Superintendent should reassess their focus, that they are not meeting their family’s needs.

One stated, “the BOE and school administrations don’t reflect the student demographics at all” while another noted “there is so little viewpoint diversity now–everyone has to be a liberal of some stripe or you are a bigot.” There is also concern “the amount expended is outrageous and neighboring districts are rated just as highly without the high expenses per pupil.”

25% of respondents do support the issues PPS BOE and Superintendent are focused on but feel they should be prioritized differently.

“They are doing some things right, some things badly,” noted one.

Meanwhile, 23% that feel the priorities are right in line with their family’s needs.

COVID PROTOCOLS

When it comes to our schools, 43% of those surveyed favor school mask mandates as well as mandates in some other indoor areas, which tends to be a more liberal-leaning perspective. While 25% share that masks should be worn but never mandated.

“Mask-wearing should depend on the circumstances. In some circumstances it would be foolish to not wear a mask. In others it would be foolish to wear a mask. Educate people and let them decide,” one respondent anonymously states.

In a related issue, nearly half of those surveyed support vaccine mandates – a more democratic ideal – with 25% citing it should be up to the individual.

“I am pro vaccine, and whether they should be mandated depends upon the situation. I do not care to shame people who refuse to get vaccinated,” Kurt Tazelaar shared in his survey.

RACE AND SOCIOECONOMICS

Vaccinations aside, healthcare disparities became apparent when the pandemic struck. It was particularly noted that Black Americans were hit hard. Some feel strongly that is tied back to systemic racism while others feel there are other factors at play. And how does this translate beyond healthcare and with regards to other aspects of race in our society?

32% of those we surveyed feel racism is still systemic in the US and needs to be addressed and 23% feel racism has been improving over time but is still a major concern. Meanwhile, a comparable 28% feel racism has been exacerbated due to the current anti-racism agendas.

“All three: still systemic and needs to be addressed, but it has been improving over time, although it is exacerbated due to the current anti-racism agendas,” noted one person.

When it comes to deciding how to address racism towards Black and Brown communities more than one-quarter of those surveyed believe schools should teach empathy/upstanding but not focus on just race while 13% think the classes should focus on racial literacy. To affect those beyond high school, approximately 15% want diversity training in the workplace and to continue affirmative action – while a close 11% think affirmative action should stop, with a stronger focus on merit.

It appears only 5% of those surveyed feel that to address racism, our country needs to make reparations to Black descendants of slaves and a similar 5% want to eliminate all attributions to figures that owned slaves or were involved in Confederate causes.

The past year and a half of the pandemic has also highlighted that there are strong socioeconomic differences across America. When asked how to address the gap in this country, there were a variety of thoughts. More than 40% believe the gap can shrink if the US better monitors public/social services to help direct change and ensure they’re not abused, provide better job training for those on public support and increase the minimum wage. About one-quarter feel offering Medicare health coverage to all that want it and providing free college tuition/loan reimbursement will help those with tight or low incomes.

While some blame the top earners and think the US needs to “close the loopholes used by the top wealthiest” others think it also comes from those getting aid, stating “we need to make sure people stop abusing the system.” So, how does that happen?

“Universal healthcare, universal childcare and some combination of higher taxes on the wealthy to be dedicated to education and job training along with an increase in the minimum wage,” shares one anonymous respondent. Another notes we need to “improve education from Kindergarten on up for everyone. Charter schools can help. Improve family structure. Talk realistically and honestly about the gap. Live within our means, including Federal, state and local governments.”

And one survey respondent believes there will always be an economic divide.

“Realize that the freest, most prosperous societies always have gaps.”

As long as gaps remain, 56% of those we surveyed feel people with higher incomes should be taxed at a higher rate, which is a more liberal school of thought. 29%, though, feel they should be taxed at the same rate as others. Many offer that it’s not so much a change in tax rate, but the US needs a better way to get people to actually pay and contribute more stateside.

“I don’t believe we should disincentivize people from making more money. Since the middle-ages, governments have wrestled with how to get people to pay their taxes while people try to avoid paying them. We should have incentives to keep the money in the US economy and keep contributing to charity, etc,” someone shared anonymously.

IMMIGRATION

What about using American tax money to support those who enter the country without legal documentation? Do they deserve to stay here?  The local residents we surveyed are more conservative when it comes to immigration. Only 2% feel everyone who comes to the US border should be let in and allowed to stay, regardless of legal status. 45% believe we can’t just let everyone in but do need a system that allows some that cross over illegally to stay, while a close 40% state they are firm about tightening the borders and no one should be let in unless they come in through legal means.

So how should we handle immigration? There are some who think it goes beyond immigration policy, as one anonymous respondent explains.

“We need better foreign policy to stabilize the world and help those fleeing violence, starvation, poverty and threat of death to remain in their countries safely.”

If an adult or child without legal papers has crossed the border and is living in the US about 1/3 third of people want the US to support them and offer a pathway to citizenship. Additionally, for children, 36% say that they should be allowed to stay in the US if they have a US relative or sponsor to support them. However, 28% feel adults should immediately be sent back at their own or their government’s expense and 18% feel that children found here without legal status should also be sent back.

“The children are a hard one. We can’t just send them across the border with no one to accept them on the other side. But they still need to be sent back,” someone shared in our survey. Another added, children should be “returned to their home country after their safety is ensured.”

For adults, however, many stated there should also be some provisions. For example, one anonymous respondent added adults should “be thoroughly vetted by the government, assisted on a short time limited basis” while another share they should “be detained until their noncriminal status is confirmed (ignoring that entering illegally is criminal) and there is a compelling reason to allow them to stay, e.g., targeted persecution, not simply, ‘I don’t feel safe’.”

CLIMATE CHANGE

Another national issue that many feel strongly about is climate change. While President Biden was recently meeting with world leaders to discuss the government’s role, the majority of those surveyed here in Princeton told Princeton Perspectives they believe climate change is destroying our world and needs to be addressed immediately. Developing more alternative sources of energy, gradually cutting back on our reliance on fossil fuels to become more reliant on other means of power and offering tax credits to those that cut their carbon footprint were the predominant ways people think things can improve.

“Government should become more involved in incentives to move from fossil fuels to renewable energy. There is no one solution, and we will need fossil fuels for the foreseeable future,” explains Dennis Scheil, who answered the survey. “But we need to set aggressive targets and do what we can to meet them. This is a global issue requiring global commitments. We know there will be other nations that ignore the climate issue, and we should use whatever means necessary to sanction these nations.”

China and India were mentioned in several responses as countries that need to be part of the global solution to affect change, yet even with their cooperation, a handful of respondents don’t believe the solutions on the table are very constructive.

MIDDLE EASTERN POLITICS

Speaking of countries in the eastern hemisphere, Israel is one that is largely supported by those we surveyed. Since the recent conflict between Israel and the Palestinians this past May, the region has received renewed attention. Yet, when asked how they feel with regards to Israel, an overwhelming majority of people still feel the country is an ally that should have our support. 41% stand by Israel but have concern about the government and how it treats Palestinians while 36% stand by Israel always.

“It is our only Democratic ally in the region and should be treated like all of our Democratic allies in other regions, i.e., express our concerns, if any, and allow Israel to determine its policies,” an anonymous respondent expresses. “I believe that this question itself exposes the antisemitic underlying attitude in this, and other “liberal” towns. Will I be asked about France and their treatment of Moslems, Australia and the treatment of aborigines, need I go on?”

Only 5% of respondents have a more progressive viewpoint, feeling Israel is mistreating Palestinians and must be stopped at all costs. That coincides with 6% who support BDS (Boycott, Divest, Sanction) to pressure Israel to compromise and resolve things with the Palestinians and 8% who want the US to stop funding Israel’s defense/military systems. In the end, 41% feel the US needs to continue supporting Israel while pushing for a two-state solution.

While far-left liberals in Congress have pushed to pull support from Israel, it is clear from our results that the representative voices in our survey don’t agree. The responses to some of the hot button issues we asked about share more liberal perspectives, yet there are a lot of moderate and even conservative-leaning viewpoints as well.

As an ivy-league town, many Americans may consider Princeton liberal. And though the voters tend to lean heavily Democrat (58% of current voters are registered Democrats), we now know there is a lot of individuality here when it comes to ideology and the issues.

It’s no secret, businesses of all kinds are struggling with new realities. Office workers have gotten comfortable at home and don’t want to resume a commute back to the workplace. Small businesses can’t afford to pay hourly staff the rates they demand. Retailers are not only having troubling finding and keeping staff but are also encountering hurdles to get the inventory they need and want to sell. And restaurants are raising prices to cover the cost increases they incur purchasing food. Price increases, according to the US Department of Labor, are up 6.2% from one year ago.

Some of these problems existed before the pandemic, but most have been created by or exacerbated from it. These are issues you see all over the news as affecting businesses nationwide, and Princeton is not immune. Your local friends and neighbors are working to survive the current times.

LABOR SHORTAGES

When it comes to staffing, there seems to be a combination of fewer people applying, those applying not having the right qualifications for the job and a demand for higher pay.

You may recall Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC), established in March 2020 to provide those on unemployment with an additional weekly stipend. Its goal was to help people recover more of their lost wages. Those boosts, which paid entry-level workers what amounted to $20-$25 per hour, has become a complication for hiring managers today. Though the boost ended in September, the lifestyle changes and desire to earn more didn’t end with it. Now, local businesses are finding it very difficult to attract talent and compensate them at a rate they are willing to accept.

“These are the people that were getting paid $15, 16, 18/hr. Maybe as a society we’d been taking them for granted, but it was so fundamental for our economy and in sustaining our ability to operate,” explains Esther Tanez, President and Owner of E.S.T.I.R. Inc insurance agency.

When you add in benefits such as insurance, unemployment and days off, Tanez told Princeton Perspectives it is really hard to increase the hourly rate for entry-level employees and still make a profit. Also, many of those that are applying for the jobs are coming in with little-to-no experience while asking for more money.

“I think the workers are going to end up getting paid closer to $20, because eventually if they don’t budge, I’m going to have to figure it out,” Tanez acknowledges. “I’ll have less of a profit margin, which means that I, as a business owner, will not be buying, remodeling, etc. as much…it’s going to be a new norm.”

Another new norm is, without the workers, businesses are forced to adjust to operating with a slimmer staff.

“We’re down about 20% in staff,” shares McCaffrey’s Food Markets Store Manager Anthony Sanfilippo. “We went periods of weeks without even seeing applications. Then you get some applications, but they can’t fulfill what you need.”

McCaffrey’s has managed to get by thanks to their heavier reliance on fulltime employees. Most of their competitors lean more on hourly associates, and therefore the lack of people seeking out those roles is causing many to struggle.

“The largest percentage of the workforce are Baby Boomers (58-63). The way the stock market went up and with the virus, they’re likely stopping,” adds Sanfilippo. “I think you add everything together, people are looking for better work life balance and you have the perfect storm.”

SUPPLY VS. DEMAND

McCaffery’s is also experiencing difficulties stocking everyone’s favorite groceries. As a smaller supermarket group, they have been able to reach out to a variety of suppliers to try and stock the shelves, but there are still several products that aren’t available at all. That hasn’t stopped customers from wanting them. And supply vs. demand is causing prices to go up, especially with commodity-based products.

“The stuff you can get is expensive,” explains Sanfilippo. “Meat is going through the roof. And we aren’t raising our retails as much as our costs are going up, you just can’t.”

So, again, the profit margin gets tighter, and the business adjusts to a new norm.

Delay and delivery issues are also haunting many retail stores, most commonly when the products come from overseas. US-made products are proving to have fewer to no issues.

“For the most part, everything I ordered for my new store is US-based, so I haven’t had any delays,” shares Brooke Ciali, who recently opened Statements Boutique on Nassau Street. Many of her products come from South Carolina, New Jersey, Texas, and California. “If something is coming from China, it’s not shipping from there. The fashion houses are shipping from CA or NY, even if it’s made in China.”

Local shops who are part of larger chains are also faring better, because their parent offices order larger quantities, farther in advance and products are often stored for them in warehouses. On the other hand, manufacturers in countries like Vietnam and Indonesia experienced considerable factory shutdowns due to the delta variant. Their output got pushed behind, then things were further complicated by shipping delays, and some goods simply aren’t arriving.

“Anything coming through import – any kind of fur, certain types of exotic leathers – there’s such shortages for them to be shipping out, so they’re sitting there,” notes Lisa Brock, owner of Palmer Square’s ZOË. “I had a Golden Goose box sitting there for 2 months. A Nanushka box is now sitting there for a month, and it’s paid for. The cashflow is being disrupted and it’s now a shorter selling period for us. This perfect storm of everything that keeps evolving.”

When Brock noticed some of the issues brewing last winter/spring, she tried something new (and risky) and bought more than usual for her fall inventory – much more than she normally would. To her surprise and delight, the demand is there. Though the things she is able to stock are literally selling off the shelves.

“We used to be able to reorder things and companies had ATS (available-to-sell). They don’t have that anymore. In turn, that has helped my business because consumers are aware of it,” Brock explains. “A guy bought a Chloe bag for his wife recently but was contemplating the purchase. I said, you can wait, it could be here, but it could not, and I can’t get anymore. I think that’s why people have been more instinctive and jumping on them.”

For winter, Brock also ordered ahead, though there are still styles and items she won’t have because production was cut back at many places. It’s the shortages, in addition to delivery and production delays, that may affect a lot of seasonal holiday business.

One retailer, who asked not to be named, shared that all of her seasonal merchandise is lacking in quantities. For example, she normally purchases one item that arrives in lots of 500, yet when it arrived there was a package of 20, 10 of another and one had only 5. If you’re interested in purchasing holiday items, retailers say go get them now. One was told in October that her next shipment of Christmas/winter stuff won’t be arriving until February. To counter this, many stores are ordering non-seasonal things such as organic scarves, purses and jewelry – items that are more timeless.

Cars also have a timeless appeal, but it’s been hard to get your hands on one lately. Several people have shared they are on a waitlist for at least 6-10 weeks for a new car to arrive. This is happening with economy car companies on up to luxury vehicles.

“Like most global automobile manufacturers, Mercedes-Benz USA is experiencing challenges with the availability of semiconductor components due to the worldwide shortage. This circumstance has temporarily decreased the supply of all new vehicle brands in inventory for immediate delivery,” shares Robert Greces, owner of Mercedes-Benz of Princeton. But it appears things are starting to improve. “Our Dealership will deliver almost twice the number of new Mercedes-Benz this month as in September. We believe Mercedes-Benz is taking effective measures to normalize availability in the coming months.”

LAYERS OF ISSUES

In businesses like home improvement, all of the above issues are at play as one layers onto another and so on, creating a multitude of problems. Labor shortages, supply delays, computer chip availability and more all come together in this industry.

In the early days of the pandemic, people were spending more time in their homes than ever before. “Pop-up” home offices had to emerge and spaces like kitchens and bathrooms were increasingly used. Enlightened to the flaws and improvements needed, homeowners started to have visions of change. But most people lived with those thoughts for several months, until they felt safe bringing designers, contractors and other home improvement professionals into their homes.

“It created this pent-up demand for all things related to home improvement. When we started to climb out of this, there was an unbelievable backlog of interest in kitchens, bathrooms, home offices, etc.” notes Lisa Tobias owner of Tobias Design.

Unless you were first on the list, your project quickly came to cost 25% more and take twice as long. If you were able to hire a designer and a contractor, businesses which have been stretched thin and are often also struggling with the labor shortages, you were one of the lucky ones. Then comes ordering your supplies. Cabinet makers, for example, have encountered multiple hurdles.

“The lumber industry just wasn’t producing. They weren’t cutting at the rate they used to. It started to create lumber supply issues. The market reacted and lumber went up 400% at one point,” details Tobias. “Then there were labor shortages on even transporting what lumber there was from the west coast to the rest of the country. So, there’s transport issues, there’s basic supply issues because you didn’t have people in the field cutting, you didn’t have people in the factories producing, and that’s just as it relates to lumber.”

Steel production had halted, appliances currently are taking 6-12 months to arrive, and the cost to ship containers has quadrupled. Then you hope there are enough people at the port to unload and process the containers, another shortage adding to the delays.

As a design company that works with a project from start to end, Tobias Design is finding the delays and shortages are really impeding project management and expectations. Once again, profit margins shrink because a design firm or contractor has agreed to a client’s timeline and price at the start of a project, and in the midst of the process, costs change. That again is something the businesses have to absorb.

HOW TO HELP BUSINESSES GET THROUGH

It can be incredibly frustrating as a consumer to not find what you need on the market shelf or to put another 10,000 miles on your old car because you can’t get your hands on a new one. Business owners want you to know, they feel your pain. They feel it in their pocketbooks as well as in the wrath from customers.

While most clients are trying to be understanding, some want what they want when they want it. And others still have their limits. To the best of their abilities, businesses are trying to have staff available to help you when needed and are thinking outside of the box to have products available to sell.

Interestingly, with a desire to sell whatever products they do have to offer, many Princeton stores have reported that they aren’t getting the same number of shoppers they used to. To that end, property owners and community leaders have tried to help.

“Through almost two years of compromised social interaction, EDENS leveraged the municipality’s long-standing and deep connection with Princeton Shopping Center through a steady cadence of on-site events and experiences to keep this location active and help drive foot traffic to our retail partners,” explains a spokesperson for EDENS, which owns and operates Princeton Shopping Center. “We partner with embedded organizations like Arts Council of Princeton, McCarter Theatre Center and Princeton Public Library to bring meaningful art, music and cultural programming to the Center’s courtyard—free and accessible—for the community to enjoy.”

The Princeton Merchants Association (PMA) is also gearing up for the 2021 Princeton Holiday Market Days, which aim to entice shoppers into local businesses for the chance to win great prizes. From Wednesday December 1^st through Sunday December 5^th shoppers can get their passport cards stamped at participating retailers while shopping amongst the winter chalet shops and town-wide storefronts. Completed passports are entered into a lottery to win baskets of prizes made up of local goods (which last year valued up to $750).

“Princeton has become a destination to walk around and eat, not walk around, shop and eat,” notes Tanez, who in addition to running her business is on the Board of PMA and organizes this seasonal event. “The retail stores really are at the mercy that hopefully someone will come in and shop. The goal for this event is to get people to walk into the stores and see the merchandise.”

Hopefully, when you do walk in, you will find what you’re looking for and it is not still in a container on a cargo ship out at sea. If that is the case, or if the store you enter has limited staff, requiring you to wait a bit longer for assistance, try to find patience. And when paying, if you find the prices at your favorite shops and restaurants are higher than you’d expected, make a mental note that the owner likely paid a premium for those goods and may hardly be making a profit at all. In the end, remember the pandemic we’ve been enduring and the efforts everyone is making to get through.