New Jersey’s latest legislative event prompts me to pose two questions publicly, which come to mind far too often for comfort.

The first: How gullible are the American people? The second: Why are no professional politicians ever nominated for acting awards?

For purposes of this discussion, let’s assume the unassumable — that secondhand smoke really does kill people. If true, our legislature and former acting governor should be arrested. They are willing accessories to the ongoing homicide of a large group of New Jerseyans. Who? People who work in and frequent Atlantic City casinos.

I read the gov.’s (forgive me Mel Brooks) declarations as he signed this wide-sweeping legislation into law. He was elated that the government was protecting its citizens from a vile, stalking killer; secondhand smoke.

We can now walk freely into any and all public access buildings in New Jersey and not be felled by some mindless brute with a cigarette. Except, of course, should that building be a casino in A.C. The people who work in and frequent casinos are on their own. They have been declared second-class citizens by the government of the state of New Jersey, unworthy of the protections mandated for everyone else.

Incredibly, the governor never cracked a smile or acknowledged the obvious hypocrisy of his misplaced joy. Nor did those legislators who are equally involved in passing this bill.

I acknowledge that Mr. Codey and his colleagues who backed this bill are sensitive folks, caring leaders, people above the fray when it comes to the influence of big money in the political sphere. I acknowledge they are honest people.

I have always assumed they have no grudge against any New Jersey citizen, they represent, they proclaim, “all” the people.

This being said, I must reach some kind of conclusion about their gleefully allowing the future slaughter of thousands of Atlantic City revelers. My answer, moral outrage and bias.

Their apparent crusade (it must be such as the law has eliminated only one unworthy group from its protective goodness), must be a Sodom and Gomorrah kind of thing. They must want to punish the wicked who engage in this particularly nasty evil.

After all, it isn’t just the gambling. Race track aficionados are protected, the state still runs its own ”numbers” racket, and my “less-than-legal” bookie can’t allow smoking in his barber shop! It is clearly something else.

After all, my initial assumptions must be correct. The New Jersey voters put these people into office time after time after time. It is well established that government people only have the best interests of the citizenry in mind.

And, since we all know “play for pay” is dead in New Jersey, this oversight can’t possibly be because the casino owners have more clout in Trenton than the owner of your corner bar or café.

Don’t you just love a mystery?

Eugene H. Goellner

Red Bank

Resource available for caregivers

The baby boomer generation is coming of age. In 2006, the leading edge of the nation’s 78 million baby boomers will begin to turn 60. This is a generation of people, many of whom serve as caregivers to an aging or elderly parent, or spouse or child who is chronically ill, has a disability, or a mental health issue. Many work full time, and the demands eventually take their toll. Most, at some point, will experience “burnout.” Many often don’t know where to turn for support or relief.

In New Jersey there are more than 832,000 caregivers who provide an average of 891 hours of care each year. Clearly, there is a large number of our population in dire need of assistance whether it’s information, support, advocacy or education.

The newly formed “Caregivers of N.J.” can help. The organization was established to streamline and centralize information on a number of issues and resources related to caregiving.

We are pleased to collaborate with other Family Resource Network affiliates, including Autism Family Services of N.J., Epilepsy Foundation of N.J. and Family Support Center of N.J. on such an important issue.

“Caregivers of N.J.” offers both caregivers and healthcare professionals a variety of free services through its Web site, www.njcaregivers.org. The site contains referrals, links to resources, even chat rooms for support and input. For details, call (800) FSC-NJ10.

Jacqui Moskowitz

executive director

Family Support

Center of N.J.

Manasquan

New Jersey can have open space & affordable housing

With this week’s announcement that 28 New Jersey towns failed to meet the deadline for submitting affordable housing plans, now is a good time to review one of the most blatant abuses of New Jersey law – the so-called “builders’ remedy.”

With the “builders’ remedy,” developers use the state’s mandate to provide affordable housing as a way to force towns without approved affordable housing plans to accept new sprawling development.

While the underlying intent is good, to encourage towns to provide affordable housing, developers’ lawsuits typically force thousands of expensive homes along with a small percentage of affordable homes upon towns. And even when there’s no merit to the lawsuit, the threat and looming costs of litigation can prompt the most courageous local officials to settle and cave to the development.

Towns that don’t want to be threatened and bullied have an option. They can proactively meet their affordable housing obligations through a variety of strategies and can protect natural resources and open lands at the same time.

The Coalition for Affordable Housing and the Environment (CAHE) has just published a brochure to assist communities in doing just that.

Under the state laws that grew out of the famous Mount Laurel court case, every New Jersey municipality must provide a specific number of affordable housing units. Developers have used the law to their advantage for years and the ensuing “builders’ remedy” effectively advanced sprawl with very limited benefit to low-income families.

Affordable housing is critical to the future of our state. Our communities are stronger when local business owners and employees, municipal workers, young families and senior citizens can afford to live in the same town. Living close to our jobs reduces the pollution and lost time that comes with long commutes.

The new brochure lays out some options for towns that include lots of environmentally friendly ways for towns to meet their affordable housing targets without sprawling over new, open land. One is to redevelop existing neighborhoods. Affordable housing can be built within the existing boundaries of development.

Towns that are proactive with affordable housing obligations stay in control of how and where new building occurs and avoid the “builders’ remedy.” That means local elected officials determine the future of your neighborhood, not the courts or a big developer.

What can you do to be sure your town is providing affordable housing and protecting the environment while planning for future growth? Begin by attending important local meetings, like your planning board and environmental commission meetings. You can volunteer to help too. Contact your town hall for more information.

In addition, you can contact the Council on Affordable Housing (COAH) at (609) 292-3000 or visit their Web site at www.state.nj.us/dca/coah to find out if your town has an approved affordable housing plan; if your town doesn’t have this at least in process yet, encourage your local officials to make a plan.

Michele S. Byers

executive director

New Jersey Conservation Foundation

Far Hills

Immigrants’ kids should get in-state tuition

A few hundred college-bound students in New Jersey have been waiting for two years to get a bill passed in Trenton. The in-state tuition bill would help these children of immigrants receive an affordable college education. Texas, California, New York and Illinois already have passed laws permitting undocumented students who have attended and graduated from their high schools to pay the same tuition as their classmates at public colleges. Why not New Jersey, the fifth-largest immigrant-population state?

There are a number of reasons why we should do it: These children have been here for many years and they look, speak and act just like any other American kid. They went to school with other Jersey girls and boys.

Their undocumented immigrant parents have supported New Jersey’s colleges and universities with taxes and other withheld money they’ll never see.

Future socioeconomic benefits brought in by a generation of educated immigrant youth will far exceed the present education costs.

Sadly, since 9/11, it’s been easy to scapegoat and penalize hard-working immigrants and their children who have nothing to do with terrorism. It’s pure politics.

New Jersey’s lawmakers — traditionally known for their equal-opportunity, affirmative-action stance — should pass the in-state tuition bill quickly.

Partha Banerjee

executive director

New Jersey Immigration Policy

Network and participant in the

Anti-Poverty Network