New Jersey is no blueprint
for success under Christie
Gov. Chris Christie, in his keynote address at the Republican National Convention, stated that New Jersey should be used a blueprint for tackling the nation's biggest problems. These are examples of his "hard truths":
His effort to rein in N.J.'s budget - not accomplished.
Reduction of the highest property taxes in the country - not accomplished.
Reducing the unemployment rate, which stands at 9.8 percent, well above the national average of 8.1 percent - not accomplished.
Christie's idea of education reform amounts to teacher-union busting. He owes the state workers' pension fund big time, and New Jersey ranks among the five worst states for economic recovery.
Christie wants people to believe that New Jersey is moving forward and is a blueprint and a model for the rest of the country. Really, governor?
AL MANCINI
Minotola
Why didn't schools
find mold earlier?
Regarding the recent school closings for mold:
One must ask why. Negligence on the part of the schools to identify the problem during the summer? Knowing this has happened at other schools, it is complete stupidity that this was not looked for all summer.
Will school districts reimburse parents for the costs that they have to pay for day care, as it was the fault of the districts and not the parents that led to this problem? How about a rebate on our taxes for the schools' lack of preventive action?
For next year, here is a little sage advice that schools would give their students: Identify a problem early and solve it.
DAN BOYLE
Northfield
Obamacare adds tax
to some home sales
Do you plan to sell your house within the next year? Well I do, and I have heard some very disturbing news. Starting Jan. 1, 2013, there could be a 3.8 percent tax on the sale of your house.
The tax applies to investment income for people earning above a certain amount. In some cases that could apply to some home sales.
There are many factors that would determine whether you have to pay this tax, but I would suggest you call your Realtor or tax lawyer before putting your house on the market. This is part of President Barack Obama's health care package. How did real estate get into health care?
NANCY CASTRENZE
Egg Harbor City
Citizen activists helped
push desalination plant
Regarding the Sept. 10 editorial, "Cape May's desalination plant/Gamble paid off":
Your praise of Cape May's desalination solution to its water supply/quality challenge is apt, but it omits a key element - the role played by nonelected citizen activists. Among others, folks like Mike Shouvlin and Charlotte Todd took the time to become informed, then played to the strengths of the local body politic and patiently persisted in crafting a workable solution that was really no gamble at all.
The role of Cape May's citizen activists as agents of beneficial change may prove instructive to other communities. Neighboring Lower Township faces similar water supply/quality issues, yet a key appointed official recently declared that desal was not an option.
As Cape May has happily learned, citizen activists can overcome varied (and unfortunate) obstacles to help create a better community.
JOHN KIRBY TOMPKINS IV
North Cape May
Take back country
from the robber barons
Brothers Charles and David Koch own massive energy reserves, mostly in coal, and are among the richest men in the world. They had much to do with the financing of the tea party and organizing Republican governors to go after public-sector unions (Scott Walker in Wisconsin), and they have pledged $100 million to Mitt Romney's campaign. Is it any surprise that owners of huge coal reserves would offer up such huge amounts of money to a party that has vowed to deregulate just about everything - and to cut its taxes?
If you are in debt, it makes sense to me to go where the money is - the 1 percent - and have them share in reducing the deficit.
Government spending (along with World War II) helped lift the country out of the Great Depression. I don't recommend war, but should we not use the model of the New Deal to relieve the pain and suffering of the American people today? We lend help and support to much of the world. How about our own?
We hear so much about jobs, but how can we blame any one person for the lack of jobs? There has been a job drain overseas for the last 40 years. We all know where the jobs are: China, the Pacific Rim, Mexico, etc. Why are we not hearing of plans to bring these jobs back home?
And to add insult to injury, after the American worker is beat down, along comes what I call the "Walmart model" - low wages and conditions that make it impossible to get medical coverage, such as not getting enough hours to qualify.
Come on, America. Let's wake up and have the middle class reclaim our country. Let's take our country back from the robber barons of our time. Trade unions are not the enemy. Unions secure a living wage, medical benefits and fair and safe working conditions.
GENE MULLIGAN
Wildwood Crest
