Governor not working for the people of N.J.

By all reports New Jersey is in serious financial distress. Only two states are said to be operating at deficits, and New Jersey did not suffer the ravages of Katrina.

We have a $78 billion unfunded liability for employee and retiree health-care costs and a $26 billion unfunded liability for pension costs. (That's billion with a "B"). We have staggering debt and are no longer rated as a good place to start or operate a business. None of this appears to faze our governor.

Last year, after breaking his promise to call a constitutional convention on property tax reform, the governor usurped action on employee benefit costs from the special session appointed to deal with this problem. He personally negotiated a labor agreement with the state's major union, the Communications Workers of America (CWA).

In late winter he achieved a settlement of sorts which did win some minor concessions, including employee and retiree contributions for health insurance of 1.5 percent. (Not great, but certainly a start). Then, for unexplained reasons, he struck a deal with the teachers' union, the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) and continued free health insurance for NJEA retirees.

Despite the differences in the two agreements, the CWA membership, obviously happy with the other "goodies" in their agreement, approved it by a wide margin.

This week the governor struck again. He submitted legislation, quickly approved by committees in the Assembly and Senate, to rescind health insurance contributions by CWA retirees if they "sign up" for a state "wellness" program. A spokesman for the administration dismissed inquiries, saying, "It's only a couple of million dollars a year."

So, the NJEA is happy. The CWA is happy. The politicians running for re-election are happy. That leaves the rest of us, as we wait for our new property tax bills for the period, beginning on Aug. 1, and wish we had a union, or a governor who protects our interests.

Stanley William Rosen

Marlboro