Why stop at Turnpike? Why not sell off whole state?

It appears to me, that, like most households in New Jersey and elsewhere, the state is over borrowed and in need of extra cash. Our top elected lawmaker, a Wall Street guru, has divined that New Jersey should sell its resources, the N.J. Turnpike, Garden State Parkway and state Lottery. This, he contends, will get the necessary cash infusion that we so desperately need; this on top of the 1 percent sales tax increase that he also divined would get us out of our pension problem. He erred. Now, you may say, to err is human, to forgive, divine.

Well, I turned the other cheek and forgave him. So, he went forth and became a union junkie. He now makes everything easier for the unions and more difficult for management - i.e., us, the taxpayers. Just think, the private sector pays the taxes that pay the public sector's salaries, benefits and renewable expenses and the private sector, for its multitude of generosity, gets nothing in return but higher taxes and a loss of infrastructure (i.e., the N.J. Turnpike, Garden State Parkway and N.J. State Lottery), all moneymakers for the state. Why doesn't he suggest just raising the tolls on the roads and forget about selling them? Selling them does nothing in the long term, only in the short term. Surely, our financial Wall Street guru knows this.

Here's a novel approach: why don't we sell all of New Jersey? Sell Northern New Jersey to New York State, Central New Jersey to Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey (below Camden) to Delaware or whoever. Can you imagine how much money this will generate allowing us to pay off all of those pesky bills that have built up over the years? As a bonus, we will get rid of Trenton and the double dippers. I, personally, like this idea the best; does anyone have a better one?

Bruce Papkin

Edison