There is something pathetic about the current New Jersey political scene as we consider both the last minute race to pass "pork barrel" legislation by the state Assembly and Senate and the Middletown school strike and jail sentences. Both scenarios illustrate rank and file civic shortcomings displaying selfish vested interests which put us all to shame when placing them in the context of tragic suffering detailed by the World Trade Center attack.
It’s obvious that losing politicians usually find it useful to set the stage for the next election and the potential defeat of the current winners by creating substantial debts with view to manipulating campaign material for the next election. Our new Governor-elect Jim McGreevey’s plea for austerity in partisan spending will continue to be ignored as deficits and budget shortfalls mount regardless of the financial consequences to tomorrow’s taxpayers.
It appears one of the singular major points involved in the Middletown school controversy centers around the question of co-payments connected with health benefits. The question which should arise is how are the costs for continuing the current health benefits schedules going to be maintained without eventually raising school taxes? Or do teachers favor reductions in school services to pay for their health benefits?
It was dramatic and emotional to view strikers being ordered to jail in defiance of judicial decrees and finally released, but then "no one is above the law." Should special dispensations be offered to school teachers releasing them from obeying such civic obligations?
Exactly what do these two orchestrated political events have in common? It could be stated that the drive to satisfy one’s personal vested interests have been separated from considering the general good and welfare of the citizenry at large.
One could ponder as to what the thoughts are of those persons who lost loved ones when terrorists exercised their own particular brand of "vested interests."
Herbert Resnick
Marlboro