Letters
Privatization a bad idea for school system

We are very troubled to hear that the current leadership of the Woodbridge Board of Education is considering the privatization of some of the departments of the school district, such as food services and transportation.

While privatization may seem like a good idea on paper to those looking to save a few dollars, the overall costs to the town would be much greater. Many of the district’s support staff live in Woodbridge itself, and any privatization of these departments would put the jobs of our neighbors at severe risk. Even if the contract includes an agreement to hire current employees, it would most likely be for less pay and fewer benefits.

Additionally, for many parents, it is reassuring that the people working in our schools and interacting with our children are members of the community. With the safety of our children being more of a concern than ever, the level of trust that parents and students have built up over the years with our cafeteria workers and bus drivers is essential.

Privatization leaves too many questions about the people who would be hired to work in our schools, especially when the ultimate goal is a profit margin, and not the safety of our students.

Our schools can only be as good as the people who work in them. The Board of Education needs to work hard in fostering an environment in our schools where teachers, support staff and administrators can be most effective in educating our children. Privatization will only hurt morale and weaken our schools.

As we approach the upcoming budget vote, there will be given considerable thought to ways in which the district can control spending.

It is critical that the board dismisses any ideas they are considering that would cut costs at the expense of the people who work for the district, including privatization, forcing support staff to work part time, or reducing the health benefits provided to employees.

Jim Griffin

Fords

Kathy Joyce

Colonia

Victoria I. Romanienko

Woodbridge

Robyn Teri

Colonia

CEO salaries climb while workers lack benefits

The CEO of Yahoo earned $109.3 million in salary, stock options and perks last year. That is enough money to provide full health-care coverage for 53,000 uninsured Americans or to provide day care for more then 25,000 working mothers.

I’m not suggesting for one moment that the CEOs of America’s largest corporations should not be well compensated. If they are successful and if they return value to the shareholders, then compensation should be tied to their performance. But I do think there needs to be some sort of balance in our economy if we are to sustain the middle class long term, which, after all, are the consumers that buy the goods, services, products and concepts that provide the profits that allow the companies to pay their CEOs the dollars that they command today.

At a time when more and more working men and women are going without health care insurance, more than 47 million Americans are without health-care coverage in America today, and as more and more unions are being busted by abusive uses of bankruptcy laws and by outsourcing of American jobs. Isn’t it time for us to reflect upon the nature of the relationship between employers and employees in our country?

Yes, there are owners and there are employees. But make no mistake about the fact that it is the employees of America who produce the goods and services that generate the profits that make the wealthy richer. And if that middle class is further eroded or even destroyed, as may well be the case, our nation as a whole is at serious risk and we best take note of that fact.

Chip Gerrity

New Jersey International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers

Hightstown

Center’s director makes plea for blood donations

In recent years, New Jersey has had to ‘import” more than 50,000 units of whole blood annually because our population does not donate enough blood to cover the needs of New Jersey hospitals. Our state faces an immediate shortage for select blood types, and this will likely be the case for the coming winter as inclement weather — snowstorms — could force the cancellation of scheduled blood drives.

In working to recruit current blood donors to donate more, we need to build a new generation of blood donors, for the ultimate goal of all New Jersey-based blood services is to create a self-sufficient and self-sustaining blood supply for New Jersey. January is National Volunteer Blood Donor Month and a great time to start the new year off right with a blood donation that will help save lives.

Readers can donate through New Jersey Blood Services (NJBS). Interested readers and donors can call (800) 933-2566 or go online at www.nybloodcenter.org to locate drives convenient to their homes and workplaces. Donors must be 17 years old, weigh at least 110 pounds, and be in good health. Healthy donors can actually donate whole blood every 56 days, while residents age 76 and older can donate if they have a physician’s permission.

Since 1973, NJBS has been running blood drives in New Jersey. Blood is our only business. To supply blood products to the hospitals we serve, NJBS runs blood drives seven days a week. We also seek companies and organizations that want to hold blood drives in support of their community’s health. Interested parties can call (732) 220-7184 or (732) 220-7096. Help address our state’s blood supply shortage — donate today.

Maggie O’Shea

executive director

New Jersey Blood Services

New Brunswick