The Press of Atlantic City editorializes about the political debate on our toll roads. They point out that politicians need to ask many of the questions NJPIRG has been asking about what the plan will look like.

For the better part of a year, Gov. Jon S. Corzine has promised to produce a plan to solve some of New Jersey’s fiscal difficulties by raising billions of dollars through the leasing of the state’s biggest toll roads. Now the administration has delayed an announcement yet again.

The New Jersey Public Interest Research Group is mounting an online petition drive to urge Gov. Jon Corzine to sign a six-point pledge authored by the group to protect the public in any sale or lease of the state toll roads.

NJPIRG's Legislative Advocate, Abigail Caplovitz Field, wrote an opinion editorial in the Times of Trenton urging caution on any deal involving New Jersey's toll roads.

The April 12 article, "N.J. treasurer: Don't fix pension by leasing assets," did a good job of discussing the shortfalls of the state pension fund, but it contained two misconceptions about toll-road privatization.

In New Jersey, two groups have come out in opposition of the idea of leasing state toll roads to private companies.

Legislation seeking to raise about $10 billion by selling the New Jersey Turnpike and other major toll roads to private operators will be introduced early next year, Sen. Raymond Lesniak (D-Union) said yesterday.