BGH, more than a rallying cry against the downward migration of pretentious dolts each summer, is a grassroots movement striving to unite the population of the greater Jersey Shore region as well as all other regions as a show of strength and solidarity in the face of continued exploitation, injustice, and disrespect from individuals within and outside of the Jersey Shore area.
Due to its unique geographic features, established infrastructure, proximity to several major urban centers, and, perhaps most importantly, highly advanced pork roll sandwich industry, the Jersey Shore is a mecca for millions of tourists and visitors each year, as well as the government institutions and private corporations which follow the vacationing masses in search of their share of the regions tourism revenue.
These government offices and corporate enterprises simultaneously sponsor both the marketing campaign attempting to lure ever larger numbers of visitors to the region as well as the silencing of any initiative which works to put people before profits.
It is this desire for tourism revenue at any cost that stifles and degrades the cultural, historical, and environmental heritage of the entire region. While it is shown that a prosperous tourism industry can be a lift to any community, it has also been shown how an exploitative tourism industry can significantly damage and disrupt local economy, property, and people. This type of exploitative tourism which pays no mind to the interests of the local population often results in unnecessary damage to local infrastructure and private property, rising taxes on residential properties, and it creates an environment which encourages the mentality that tourism is the lifeline of the region and its inhabitants, thus emboldening the jackass doing half the limit in the passing lane to complain even more about the apparent deficiencies of the place he nonetheless continues to visit year after year, and all to soak up the very same Jaeger Bombs he could be enjoying in the comfort of his own home.
While the money produced within the tourism industry could be a tremendous help to the local population, it is instead used to line the pockets of government officials, developers, and a handful of business operators. When they are done scavenging the landscape for cash, they leave the local population to deal with the wealth of unsold luxury condos built where a neighborhood once stood, worn and beaten roads which can only be repaved with additional taxes (if only politicians worked as hard as our highway taxes apparently do), polluted beaches and waterways, and an exodus of capital as the businesses and individuals who profited take their winnings and return to their homes.
The tourism industry, in tandem with the state and many local governments, works tirelessly to increase the size of their own wallets while describing their actions as something which directly benefits the local community, and that we should therefore be grateful for their luring of millions of visitors, regardless of the overburdened highway capacity (sidewalks now available for driving), the increases in taxation, the damage to the beaches, ocean, and rivers, and the attitude of certain tourists who share the mentality that they are doing locals an enormous service by spending the weekend - they throw in the abrupt right turn from the far left lane for free.
BGH fights to end the disinformation. While tourism need not be rejected outright, it is in our interests as a community and as a group of individuals who share the culture of the Jersey Shore to work for the same respect those who profit and those who visit expect and demand for themselves.
We work to stop the advancement of beach privatization, eminent domain abuse, the sentiment of entitlement held by particular visitors, and any institution which seeks to undermine or exploit local residents, businesses, or the environment or historical heritage of the Jersey Shore.
Through grassroots advertising, guerilla campaigning, and by harnessing the tremendous collective power of the local population, we can systematically break down the idea that profitability sculpts the community, subvert those who falsely claim to represent local interests, and bring every town and city of the Jersey Shore under the same flag.
Our clothing is our uniform, the street signs are our billboards, the back roads and boardwalks are our stomping grounds, and our distinctly Jersey attitude is our bond. These are our tools as we defend our right to be heard on the beaches, in the streets, and at every no left turn. The Jersey Shore is our home, our battlefield, and the very essence of what we fight for – respect it.